What does "in the pocket" mean?

[Roy Vogt]

Pocket: has good time, plays with some feeling, knows when to push the beat and when to back off it. A buzzword that just means you're playing well and everyone's connected. You'll know it when you play it.

For further study:
Duck Dunn in Booker T
Paul Jackson in Headhunters
James Jamerson on Motown Records
Ron Carter with Miles Davis
Anything cut in Muscle Shoals, AL
Tower of Power with Rocco Prestia
Any James Brown
well, you get the idea!

 

[Matthijs]

This is what I wrote in my book regarding the "pocket":

It is an agreement among the band where the 1 is.

This is the best explanation i heard about the subject and it is coming from one of the greatest drummer, Steve Gadd.

Think about it

I like this one.

 

[4001]

http://www.youtube.com/embed/ND-iW51idC0

 

[PlungerModerno]

 

[collins81]

(grabs popcorn, and subscribes)

+1, hang on while i get the cooler! I don't want to miss anything

 

[RoadRanger]

I think of it as more when the "1" is taking care of itself just fine and the "2" and "4" is where it's happening at .

 

[georgiagoodie]

I think of it as more when the "1" is taking care of itself just fine and the "2" and "4" is where it's happening at .

Unless you are playing funk, then it is all about the 1........baby.

 

[RoadRanger]

Unless you are playing funk, then it is all about the 1........baby.

 

[4001]

Oooh . . . that's a good one.

How about this:

Duck Dunn. Endless groove.

 

[hgregs]

there's also the concept of "pocket" aplying to playing behind the beat.

http://www.drummercafe.com/education/articles/in-the-pocket.html

 

[RoadRanger]

there's also the concept of "pocket" aplying to playing behind the beat.

http://www.drummercafe.com/education/articles/in-the-pocket.html

Yup, the 2+4 is happenin'

 

[mambo4]

Not a concise musical meaning, as the various responses demonstrate.

It really just means playing well, usually in a funk/soul context.

Like "groove" it is a composite concept involving good tempo, rhythm,phrasing, dynamics etc etc.

"how do I play in the pocket?" is like asking "how do totally I rock out?" or "how do I lay down a phat groove?"

More instructive to ask about the specific components:
"how do I improve my....(rhtyhm/tempo/dynamics/ etc...)"

 

[Clark Dark]

deep pockets

 

[Rev J]

Here's how it happened,

In the beginning there was the one. And it was good. But after a while one got lonely. So two came along.

Now for a while one and two were happening but got a little bored. So three came along and the party started. But after a while two being an even number felt like the odd man out so four came along.

They were kind of happening for a while but also kind of square. So the ands and the ifs came in.

After that they all started taking breaks from time to time leaving empty spots surrounded by sound that held the music that they called "The Pocket".

Dizzy Gillespie once told Steve Bailey "If you leave some holes music might fall out."

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

[Joedog]

Here's how it happened,


Dizzy Gillespie once told Steve Bailey "If you leave some holes music might fall out."

Stay Brown,
Rev J

Awesome quote!

 

[kellyrojo]

kinda like trim.......you'll know it when you get there ..........that's for sure

 

[Slevage]

I had mine removed so I can scratch easier.

 

[lefty]

quoting from the one guy on this site.
"Pocket is just a groove in the pants baby"

 

[nomadhang]

Well with most types of rock/funk/reggae style beats you have 1/4 notes that are occupied by bass and snare drums....so find the 1/8s and 1/16s to groove around the other instruments and there is your pocket, it's easy to find with most basic drum beats....play along to some reggae or trance/house music and lock into building a groove off of the skanks or hi hats which are typically on the 1/8th notes

 

[JimmyM]

Only thing I'd add is not all types of music need a pocket. Sometimes they need nervous energy