Understanding the beat

[JimmyM]

To be totally honest, I find advice like that totally useless. The main thing I find useless is following the drummer. You should both listen to each other, but I firmly believe the drummer should be following you. This business about following and locking in with the drummer's bass drum was started by rock bands that had weak-ass bass players. In those cases, yes, they should keep it simple and follow someone because they're lost. But it often makes for dull bass lines. Sometimes it's cool to play a dull bass line because it works best, but my favorites are bassists who know when they need to completely ignore the drummer. Jamerson was especially good at this. He'd play all over the drummer and have rock solid rhythm.

Also, it doesn't take into account types of music where the bassist almost never follows the drummer or hit with him on the one, like many Latin styles. A big stylistic thing with Latin music is the bass hits the and of 4 while the bass drum hits 1.

So it's my opinion that if you are a bass dummy, follow along with the drums lockstep. In the meantime, though, go listen to Motown, old Allman Bros, KISS, Beatles, Who, and learn how you can plow right through the drummer and still make it sound awesome.

 

[BassyBill]

To be totally honest, I find advice like that totally useless. The main thing I find useless is following the drummer. You should both listen to each other, but I firmly believe the drummer should be following you. This business about following and locking in with the drummer's bass drum was started by rock bands that had weak-ass bass players. In those cases, yes, they should keep it simple and follow someone because they're lost. But it often makes for dull bass lines. Sometimes it's cool to play a dull bass line because it works best, but my favorites are bassists who know when they need to completely ignore the drummer. Jamerson was especially good at this. He'd play all over the drummer and have rock solid rhythm.

Also, it doesn't take into account types of music where the bassist almost never follows the drummer or hit with him on the one, like many Latin styles. A big stylistic thing with Latin music is the bass hits the and of 4 while the bass drum hits 1.

So it's my opinion that if you are a bass dummy, follow along with the drums lockstep. In the meantime, though, go listen to Motown, old Allman Bros, KISS, Beatles, Who, and learn how you can plow right through the drummer and still make it sound awesome.

An absolutely HUGE +1 to almost every word of this. Jimmy, you know this is a pet peeve of mine, too.

The terms "locking in with the drummer" or, even worse, "locking in with the kick" are extremely unhelpful and we should stop confusing people (especially beginning players) by using them as if they actually mean something. What's it mean? Exact same tempo? In perfect unison? Or what?

Quote from a post I made elsewhere about this:

"Playing with the kick drum" is an ambiguous phrase and, I think, the source of a lot of confusion. It could mean:

a) the kick drum and the bass should be playing in a complementary, rhythmically supportive and musically pleasing way.

Or it could alternatively mean:

b) the kick drum and the bass must play in a way that most of the notes played on either one must always coincide exactly in time with a note played on the other.

It should normally be taken to mean a), in my opinion. Insisting that it actually means b) is ridiculously musically restrictive and that's why about 99% of great music would not meet this "requirement". Hence the confusion - some people assume that it means b) and then wonder why that something that's supposed to be a necessity doesn't actually work.

 

[catyak]

The term "locking in with the drummer" or, even worse, "locking in with the kick" are extremely unhelpful and we should stop confusing people (especially beginning players) by using them as if they actually mean something. What's it mean? Exact same tempo? In perfect unison? Or what?

It is pervasive. When I hit up Google, there's a lot out there on "locking in." Jimmy's observation relating that to rock seems right on since most of what I read focuses on the kick drum on one and three and the high hats on the betweens.

Some have a contrary view and say that you should never practice with a drum kit since it'll make you rely on the kick and hi-hats. Just use the metronome exclusively.

I'll ignore my confusion and continue to practice with the metronome. I'll also play along with some tracks and see if I can pick up on how the drums and bass are playing against each other.

 

[James Judson]

If you want to be accused of having great tone, play the same "notes" as the kick drum.

With that said everyone here is giving good advice. There are a million and one ways to lock onto a drummer.

 

[JimmyM]

Really, I consider "locking in" a confusing way of saying "keeping good time and playing something appropriate." And that's everyone's responsibility. But as James said, there's a million and one ways to do it. What's in that book is the most very basic of ways and it definitely shouldn't be adhered to in all situations.

 

[bass12]

Really, I consider "locking in" a confusing way of saying "keeping good time and playing something appropriate." And that's everyone's responsibility. But as James said, there's a million and one ways to do it. What's in that book is the most very basic of ways and it definitely shouldn't be adhered to in all situations.

+1. When people ask me what part of the drum kit I focus on when playing, I tend to answer 'none'. I listen to the drums as a whole, and that's mixed in with every other instrument in the band. If the drummer plays a particular figure on the hi-hat, for example, I might jump on that for a few beats, but if I'm having to zero in on the snare or kick it's usually because something's wrong.