What helped improve your time and feel?

[Jefenator]

My old drum mentor said to use the metronome, and also to NOT use it! (I like that notion: external reference good, crutch bad.)
Speaking of which, I think studying drums with a good teacher is a great idea.
Studying anything with a great teacher is actually worthwhile – even if it's not in your primary field. (My college professor dad gave me that little nugget of wisdom.)
But drums in particular. In music school they make everyone take piano lessons to help internalize music theory. That's all fine & well, but IMO/E rhythm always trumps pitch. (I'd much rather hear a wrong note or chord on the right beat with the right feel than vice versa.)
Recording then attempting to play along to oneself is always revealing.
I would have to concur that at the end of the day, there's no substitute for ensemble time. (The more the better.) A metronome can only go so far to prepare one for a hyperactive drummer and/or a clueless singer.

 

[kerrycares]

Get the Drumgenius app and lock in with every pattern , it’s smazing

 

[brianrost]

Get the Drumgenius app and lock in with every pattern , it’s amazing

Playing along with apps or recordings aren’t the same as being able to keep your time together when you’re on your own and have no references for the time.

For those who feel they have timing problems, go ahead and play along with an app or recording and record it (use your phone, it doesn't have to be hi-fi) and then record yourself playing the same part solo. Notice any difference? I usually do.

 

[LordRyan]

I was watching a Led Zeppelin live video and I noticed they were counting some of their songs, especially the faster ones, in half-time. I started doing that and it made a big difference in accuracy and keeping a more relaxed feel. If you count fast it tends to make you rush and play more on top of the beat. Also counting half-time simplifies some more complicated things by creating a perception of having more space into which to place the notes.

 

[digmeout]

Playing with a good drummer.

 

[waveman]

Learn to count like a drummer.

 

[bass12]

Also, tapping your foot or using some other physical manifestation of time as a reference. It’s amazing how much of a difference this can make.

 

[srayb]

Something that helped me was recording my bass when i played a song and then listening back to my self without any other instruments. It really illuminated a lot of minor things that could not be heard in the full band mix. It helped to know what areas to focus more on.

 

[Gopherbassist]

Play with a metronome, play along with a looper.

 

[pepj]

Only work with very solid drummers..Then play the line solo...without anything helping the line sound good.
If that works, you are on the right track...you should get a reaction from people. If it sounds bad... work on precision of notes, sound and touch.

 

[Jazzdogg]

you need to hear yourself playing and you need to separate the fisical act of playing from the acoustic side of playing.

I don't understand your premise, especially the second part.

 

[dreamadream99]

Playing with others. Because tempo isn’t constant like a drum machine, click track, or metronome; it varies. It hems and haws. It waxes and wains. Tempo varies with the players involved, and if you can’t adjust with them, you will be the only one offbeat.

I started off in a school band program. Tempo came from the band director conducting. We all tapped our feet to stay in sync with the conductor. But sometimes, he followed us, with slight increases or decreases in tempo to match ours. As long as that doesn’t get out of hand, it’s easier than doggedly insisting.

Whenever you have a group of humans involved in doing anything together, there will be variances. Tempo is never constant. It’s more like a contract between the players. You listen to each other. You accommodate rather than dictate. If it briefly picks up a little speed, everyone hears it and joins in it. People who do not successfully listen to the other players involved cannot be expected to notice or react to these micro changes.

TLDR: the best way to learn to play time is to play with others. Tempo is a contract between all players.

 

[albertus]

I will try to explain. you can move your fingers with no bass in your hands or with the bass in your hands. the phisical movements will be very close. but when you hear the sound and not pay attention at all at what you are doing with your fingers, then you are wiring your brain to adjust the micromovements of your fingers to the sound.
as I said it is a little difficult to give a short and comprehensive written answer

 

[mambo4]

The single biggest improvement in my rhythm came from learning to read rhythm notation.
As in serious practice with rhythm exercises and metronome.
It is the difference between trying to remember how it goes, and knowing exactly how it goes.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I think my time and feel in most situations are 'servicable' but I want them to be really good.

I'm taking a kitchen sink approach from a load of the exercise ideas I've come across online, see below, but I want to know what you think has actually helped improve your time and feel.

On the time front, I'm trying the thing where you count the beats as you play (i.e. just 1,2,3,4, regardless of what you're actually playing), and also the Victor Wooten groove exercise thing with a drum loop with increasing dropouts. For feel, I'm trying to nail my 16th note placements by working on a Nick Campbell exercise where you play through some 16th note patterns, offsetting by one every bar, and looping through until they sound good. I'm also just playing with straight drum tracks and experimenting with trying to push and pull lines around the beat.

Any help is much appreciated!

Working with other musicians helps me more than anything. But I think I can see the value this method.

 

[neprune]

Thanks everyone for all the input. Happy to say I've come a long way on this front.

I moved away from specific timing exercises and credit the change to two main things:

1. Learning to sight read. As loads of you suggested this has been a huge deal. I couldn't tell you why exactly, especially as I think a lot of the rhythms I've covered are ones I could have easily picked up by ear, but something about being able to fluidly play notated rhythms has done wonders. No metronome when reading, just foot tapping, and sometimes counting.
   
   
2. Playing with people. Again, another one load of you pointed out. I remember some people saying time was a negotiation between musicians, and I'm starting to get a sensitivity for that.

Hope this helps anyone else in the same boat.

 

[dreamadream99]

…credit the change to two main things:

1. Learning to sight read…
   
   
2. Playing with people…

Sounds like you are on the right track. I’m glad our collective was helpful, and that you took the advice, and improved your musical journey. Everything we do to be better is worthwhile.

 

[pepj]

Good drummer with groove and time.
Other musicians with good ears who can bring their own parts.