Double Bass Tips for holding the tempo?

[JamesAdams]

My biggest problem was not with the mando but with the female vocalist (same musician, BTW). As a great many vocalists do, she often anticipates the one beat by beginning to sing it about a half beat early, back in the previous measure. This is not a mistake on her part; it's a very often heard vocal style, which I understand is called "pushing." Anyway, as a beginner I would hear her doing this and would think I was late and try to come in sooner, and the result was not good for either of us. It took me a while to learn that while I always had to listen to the vocalist, it was at least equally important to listen to myself and hold that beat steady no matter what she was doing against it. Needless to say, we both sound a lot better now.

Good point. If you have a vocalist who is very good at working the time you have to make sure that your time is solid so they have the room to do that. Also it is imperative that the fiddle is not playing melody straight behind the vocals. It can accentuate the feeling that the time is wandering and pull every one off. That same idea of pushing also applies to the bass. If you are wanting to create a feel of excitement you can play on the front of the beat to create that same pushing feel. If you do that the rest of the band has to know so they don't make the same mistake of trying to catch up with you. Certain latin rhythms rely heavily on this technique but it takes some practice to keep it from taking off on you.