Larry
"Uncle Larry"
My main band has a leader. He dictates the tempo and feel of the songs. I count off nothing, it's all him. Some songs he keeps pretty much the same tempo all the time. Other songs...depends on his mood. He has impeccable tempo and meter, so this is a good thing for me.
It also reveals my flaws. The other night, we played the slow 12/8 song, "Guilty" by Bonnie Raitt. We do this song all the time, usually at the same tempo all the time. The other night, he started it noticeably faster. Not bad faster, just faster. At the end of most songs, I try and compare the ending tempo to what I remembered the starting tempo to be. The point I'm trying to make is by the end of the song, I had slipped back to just about the slower tempo we always do it at. Listening to the playback the next day, I saw where I started laxing off the tempo. (it was during a non scripted bass solo) Little by little, by the end of her solo, it was slow.
I have a favorite speed for most songs I do. No problem if I am setting the tempo. But in the band I'm in, I don't set tempos or feels. And he calls tempos that frankly, you have to be on your toes not to wander. This guy notices the slightest variation. I am not faulting him in any way, his timing is impeccable. I am noticing that I have trouble doing songs at speeds other than where I think they should be. I have a comfort zone for songs, and I find myself wanting to drift to those zones, even if they aren't started that way. Any suggestions?
It also reveals my flaws. The other night, we played the slow 12/8 song, "Guilty" by Bonnie Raitt. We do this song all the time, usually at the same tempo all the time. The other night, he started it noticeably faster. Not bad faster, just faster. At the end of most songs, I try and compare the ending tempo to what I remembered the starting tempo to be. The point I'm trying to make is by the end of the song, I had slipped back to just about the slower tempo we always do it at. Listening to the playback the next day, I saw where I started laxing off the tempo. (it was during a non scripted bass solo) Little by little, by the end of her solo, it was slow.
I have a favorite speed for most songs I do. No problem if I am setting the tempo. But in the band I'm in, I don't set tempos or feels. And he calls tempos that frankly, you have to be on your toes not to wander. This guy notices the slightest variation. I am not faulting him in any way, his timing is impeccable. I am noticing that I have trouble doing songs at speeds other than where I think they should be. I have a comfort zone for songs, and I find myself wanting to drift to those zones, even if they aren't started that way. Any suggestions?