why do we lock to the kick drum?

[buldog5151bass]

Jamerson had the talent and knew the rules well enough that he could play artistically, and dance-ably, something rule-breaking that would be cacophony in most other hands. That ability is held by a scant few people, though. “rides roughshod” is a phrase that would never have occurred to me WRT Jamerson. An example would be illustrative.

How about Love Child? What's Goin' On? I Was Made To Love Her? Standing In The Shadows Of Love? Ain't No Mountain (both versions)? Ain't Too Proud To Beg? Back In My Arms Again? Gladys Knight's version of Grapevine? Or Boogie Fever by The Sylvers or the Theme From SWAT? I can go on, too, but I think that's enough to prove my point.

And that ability is held by MANY people, even Gene Simmons, as long as they're not too scared to not play by the "rules."

As I said, locking in with the kick is more rock than jazz. Jamestown brought his jazz chops (and ears) with him to the Motown sessions. So did the drummers. They weren't always playing 4 on the floor rock beats.

 

[Brad Johnson]

That's a nice racist sentiment.

Who said it?

 

[Slevage]

I groove most with the snare

 

[bucephylus]

I listen to everyone onstage with me including the drummer. I can be found playing on any increment of the beat that I see fit. Depends on the song and how we're playing it.

+1 A mature player listens to the whole mix, and fits their part in appropriately.

 

[JimmyM]

Who said it?

Ya, no kidding! Dude even referred to white people as "us."

 

[OptimalOptimus]

"Locking to the kick drum" is just a by product of playing in sync and in time as a band ... When you listen well enough you can tell everything "lock" or "sync" with the drum ...

The Drum just put in your face the rythm, it put the emphasis on the subdivision of the imply tempo or it it can be an almost another melodic instrument.









and here we can clearly hear how the guitar just also "lock" or "sync" with the drums as so many of you think

 

[iiipopes]

+1 A mature player listens to the whole mix, and fits their part in appropriately.

Indeed. Don't confuse my comments about how to learn to lock with the drummer as lesson #1 with after you have learned to lock with the drummer to listen to the rest of the band for proper balance and mix and being able to properly support the band, lesson #2.

 

[Acoop]

Rock does that the most, where Jazz, Blues, R&B, does it less. ... The bass drum is the one and you should always know/feel where the one is. ... But could you imagine if James Jamerson had to play just what the drummer was doing on his bass drum. ... So, you do lock in with the drums but you don't have to play just that. ...

 

[bolophonic]

And while we're at it, what's all this about the one? That is for playing James Brown-style funk, and not for every kind of music. Plenty of great songs don't always emphasize the one. Some like the one emphasized so little, like in a lot of reggae, they made up a new name for it..."one drop." You guys need to stop taking things celebrity musicians tell you as gospel throughout the entire music spectrum, because it's not.

I didn’t have the energy to even get into the part about how the bass is always supposed to be on the one. I like to drop the one sometimes and form a monster pocket by playing on the “and” instead. I feel like I was inspired to do this by listening to Parliament, but I don’t know if they actually do that very much.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

I can’t possibly explain the science behind it, but it just sounds better. Like some primitive rhythm section shouting out “your gut knows what’s moving you. Enjoy it.”

You can like or love music that doesn’t have that bass/drum thing going on - I know I do, but there is something special when the kick and the bass command attention. I love it.

 

[Quinn Roberts]

White music?

Didn't realize it when I posted this, but here's a good example of playing to the kick also!

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

That's a nice racist sentiment.

No, it’s an idiotic statement.

 

[eddododo]

Same reason that we also don’t

 

[TDPRI Bones]

No, it’s an idiotic statement.

It's absolutely racist, if you put any other race in the place of "white" followed by a derogatory statement about their abilities in a certain area, it would be, therefore it is racist as it is stated. Music is supposed to be the one thing that brings all people together regardless of race, that's one of the magical things about music.

 

[TDPRI Bones]

Who said it?

Ironically, someone with the user name "equill".

 

[JimmyM]

It's absolutely racist, if you put any other race in the place of "white" followed by a derogatory statement about their abilities in a certain area, it would be, therefore it is racist as it is stated. Music is supposed to be the one thing that brings all people together regardless of race, that's one of the magical things about music.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

It's absolutely racist, if you put any other race in the place of "white" followed by a derogatory statement about their abilities in a certain area, it would be, therefore it is racist as it is stated. Music is supposed to be the one thing that brings all people together regardless of race, that's one of the magical things about music.

Maybe I should have said racist and idiotic - either way, it’s just bad.

 

[brianrost]

Or to support the impact of the kick, which is often hard to be heard clearly?

It's the other way around. The bass drum makes our note sound bigger. That's the same reason drummers like to hit the bass drum when they hit the crash cymbal.

 

[Quinn Roberts]

Maybe I should have said racist and idiotic - either way, it’s just bad.

It's absolutely racist, if you put any other race in the place of "white" followed by a derogatory statement about their abilities in a certain area, it would be, therefore it is racist as it is stated. Music is supposed to be the one thing that brings all people together regardless of race, that's one of the magical things about music.

I laughed....

 

[JKos]

It's absolutely racist, if you put any other race in the place of "white" followed by a derogatory statement about their abilities in a certain area, it would be, therefore it is racist as it is stated.

Sorry, but it does not meet the definition of racist. A derogatory statement about white people said by a white person does not meet the definition.

- John