Double Bass Swing Feel & Science

[damonsmith]

This is the common wisdom, certainly 2 and 4 is better than not working with the metronome. I used to interface with the hi hat as well. When I started to play Alvin Fielder, I really started to hone in on the ride. With certain drummers, the ride will give you the information for each beat. With Alvin, we were very often moving in and out of a straight quarter note swing. When I got to play with East Coast drummers with great swing, we were still playing more abstractly, but when time came up, I found it in the ride.
A couple of my teachers told me to make the metronome swing!

In the words of Dwight Schrute - "False!" It is not "...incorrect."
Those of us who play a lot of quarter-note based walking basslines find that using a metronome on "2 & 4" can be a valuable tool for emulating the drummer's High Hat on 2 & 4 - NOT to accent 2 & 4, but to practice hearing the HH as (one of many) reference points....including the "count-off" at the beginning of a tune. (Esp. with new students of 4/4 based musics.)
And, finding other metronome settings (other than on "all four beats...."), can be very useful as well - for example: beat "4" only, or beat "2" only, can really check your inner-clock vis-a-vis how well you hear, adapt to, & embrace the aggregate "time" in your immediate surroundings.
"All 4 beats.." is like someone still using training wheels on a bike while claiming - "Sure! I can ride a 2 wheeler!".
IMFO, of course, as always.
Thanks.

 

[lurk]

I've studied with 2 jazz-hall-of-fame bassists. One said you must use a metronome. One said to never use a metronome. I once asked Bob Cranshaw how he got such great time. He said "I dunno. I think you have to be born with it."

 

[damonsmith]

I think if you can really form your time in the trenches and you are playing a ton of gigs, your time might just be there.
In times like this, it is good to work on it. The two drummers who are jazz greats I can say I became friends with and therefore had a lot of discussion about the relationship did not use metronomes. Both enjoyed playing with me. I use a metronome.
I don't go nuts with it. I do a bit of walking with it pretty much everyday. I do 40 then do a random crank to a fast tempo. When I was younger I worked with it longer.

I've studied with 2 jazz-hall-of-fame bassists. One said you must use a metronome. One said to never use a metronome. I once asked Bob Cranshaw how he got such great time. He said "I dunno. I think you have to be born with it."