So that's how it is?
First I've always heard "locking in with the drummer" was playing when he's playing. Now it's "no no... it just means play in time." Wow, really? I always thought I was supposed to play my own thing at random tempos while the rest of the band does the same.
Did I say no no... it just means play in time? Nope. So why address that to me? People want to make this simplistic and sometimes it is... but that doesn't mean it's limited to simplistic thinking.
Ever listen to Frank Zappa? IMO he grooved. His bassists were not "restricted" to playing what the drummer played. I use that word for a reason... the simplistic thinkers seem to want to think that that's what it is... not allowing you to do anything other than what the drummer is doing.
Fact is, you can groove in a group and not even be playing the same time signature. Check out Dennis Chambers, a fairly famous drummer. He can and does turn the time around and still maintain a groove... because while he is playing against them, he's also playing with them. It's neither simple nor easy to do and when most people try it it sounds either obvious or just bad.
You could have bass playing in one time signature with guitar and drums playing in another... the key is being cognizant of each other and making it work TOGETHER. Together is not restricted to the drummer's time signature. And yes, you could be grooving.
One can either stay with the simplistic view, not considering that they could think outside the box or use some imagination and much like a kid at Christmas, just have your way with the box. My box would be a three-headed pony.
I take grooving to mean everyone headed in the same direction, in a groove. How wide that groove is is entirely up to you.
bypassing most of this stuff...
Now it's "uh no... grooving isn't getting people dancing through the rythm you're playing. It just means play in time!" Really? So now being reduntant is the cool new fad?
I love it when people say this. This has gone from "WHY WOULD YOU PLAY BUSY BASS LINES ON 'MY GIRL'????" to things like this.
For some crazy reason people assume that I'm going to go to a soul concert and start playing metal or decide that soloing over "My Girl" is a good idea, just because I want to be melodic. It's astounding. I want to know if this extends to other areas of your life. Do you go to a post office and order a hamburger? No? Why not? Because the post office doesn't serve hamburgers? Oh. So, why can't I pick my audience by playing at venues that primarily or only play the style of music I want to play?
What? I might not get into those venues? Well tough. I don't settle for less when I'm just playing for fun.
Because people always expect it to groove. That's my whole problem.
Nobody said it would. It was "here's my video".
Now this...
So is guitar about grooving too? Flute? Keyboards? Synths?
If it's all in the context of the song, then why even make up a term for it?
Because just because people are playing at the same time doesn't mean they're playing TOGETHER.
What if you're playing a solo bass part. Then anything is in the context of the song, because that's all the song is. How do you define grooving then?
By what the rest of the group is supporting you with. At that point you are obviously playing ALONE (solo) yet you are still playing WITH THEM.
Unless you truly mean solo as in no accompaniment. In that case you can still groove because you can IMPLY the same groove or even a new one with what you play.
Again, not simplistic... it can be great when it works.
