Hi all
I don't usually have troubles with synchopation, or playing off beat at a moderate speed, but I get tripped when the tempo is much faster and there is a lot of other things going on (case in point attached, from Romeo and Juliet). Practicing with metronome is one option, albeit you have the constant beat helping. I have also downloaded a couple of loops to keep me honest. However are there any other useful techniques that can be used? Sometimes you just have to nai it without letting what else is going on, I think this is what I need to get my head around!
Regards to all
This is a common problem...and not just for bass players. In my experience, French horns probably deal with this as much as anyone, and not always successfully.
IMHO the primary source of the problem is propagation delay. It takes time for sound to travel a given distance. Since an orchestra is spread out over a large space, the duration of propagation delay causes problems with timing. If you play with the sound you hear, frequently you are too late. The timing errors become more problematic as the tempo increases because the interval between beats gets shorter--AFAIK, the absolute error remains the same, but the relative error gets higher.
AFAIK the only way to deal with this is to have a really solid internal clock and keep your eye on the conductor's stick. You have to properly interpret where the conductor is placing the ictus, and then use internal subdivisions to properly place the upbeats, rather than relying on your ears.
To make matters worse, you usually have to push the beat a bit to be on time. This is because it takes time for your sound to travel from you position to the conductor's ears. So if you are not a little bit ahead, the conductor will perceive you as dragging.
Practicing with a metronome may help you deal with the extreme levels of rhythmic tension that can be required. In other words, you practice playing ahead of the click until you become relatively comfortable with significant rhythmic tension.
IMHO you need to practice a range of different rhythmic tensions. The idea is to hold the amount of tension constant, but you need to be comfortable with a little tension, a lot of tension, or any amount between the extremes. My point here is that practicing with the metronome is how you develop the ability to deal with rythmic tension. But the real-world experience will vary from situation to situation, so don't practice only one way.
Is it possible to do this perfectly all the time? No. But it should be possible for you to do it better more often.
Good luck!
