The foot is the key to groove

Well at least one the most important components. I'm sure this isn't news to you experienced drummers, but someone playing the most basic groove on the high hat and snare can make something groove endlessly with just his right foot. As a beginner drummer I've noticed this first hand with J.J. Johnson of Tedeschi Trucks and Alan Evans of soulive. The right foot is key

True. How the foot placement falls into the beat determines the groove. Of course so do the hands. Consider the slightly laid back snare hits on 2&4 of West Coast studio drummers VS East Cost. It's a noticeable difference musically. JR Robinson preaches this concept.

Good subject to discuss!

Bass drum placement is something I tend to go on about a lot, & it's often the first thing I latch on to. Of course, groove is all the elements working together, but bass drum stimulates that primeval response in all of us. It always was the way of delivering a message, & it still is.

Something interesting happened to me a few weeks ago. I was playing at an open mic jam. A guitar player/singer told the guy who was running the jam that he wanted me to be his drummer for the set he was about to play. The guitar player/singer told me that I had a very solid bass drum groove, one of the best he had ever heard.

I never thought about this before. I have never given a thought to what I play on the bass drum, it is just automatic for me. After this happened I started listening to my bass drum playing.

I realized that when I first learned to play the drums I was taught that the bass drum was the foundation of drum playing. I’m sure this is an old school way of thinking. And this has limited me in my ability to easily learn various independent rhythms.
However, on the positive side it has helped me become a solid rhythm keeper.


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It's hugely important. Everyone talks about the backbeat, but modern music is really about the bass rhythm. People can dance to a four-on-the-floor bass drum beat, no backbeat necessary, as long as you put the notes in the right place.

I'd agree in a way because we are always trying to match the bass drum kicks with the bass playing.

Midnite Zephyr said:

I'd agree in a way because we are always trying to match the bass drum kicks with the bass playing.

Click to expand...

Hmmm....it's a bit toe-may-toe toe-mah-toe, but I've always thought of the bass as locking in with the bass drum, and not vice versa.

Actually it's the vocal or melody line. If you can make that float then you've got the groove. Everything else falls into place.

And once you've nailed the idea that not every kick drum note should be the same volume then you really groove with it

I agree with the observation that the kick drum has become more important than the back beat on the snare. It's also the one thing I really listen out for.

It takes years just to get the placement right on the money. Then, when that's mastered you can play with dragging and pulling.

I must say as a bassist first and drummer second that "locking in with the bass" is more of a generic rather than a specific act for me. I look for complimetary playing rather than simultaneous.

Davo

Bass drum placement? Listen to Charlie Watts. A lot of Stones grooves appear similar but Charlie makes them work by changing his bass drum placement on different songs. Magic, a different feel.

I think the real center point of timing is keeping consistency BETWEEN limbs...so not relying on any one limb for establishing the feel I want...and having the ability to move time around any combo of limb...or other odd gesture...and have it sound good. With this in place I can drive with any voice on the set and it feels good.

The best exercise to show this to me has been unison strikes between limbs while recording and listening back at reduced speeds for "flam-ing" and re-focusing the exercise...rinse...repeat...usually with a metronome recorded with the exercise.

boring exercise but really works listening skills.(and ability to deal with ego shaving - "what?...I cant keep time within 20ms!...eeekkk!" : )


My gut feeling is that you can develop this if you have the right practice routine and determination...but get formal in it and your practice scheduling!


have a great time getting there......and who cares how long it takes!....not like any of us get out of life alive and the time we spent amassing our skills means anything in the end....its all about the journey.<<'don't stop believing' plays in the background to grind in a bad pun>>