Larry
"Uncle Larry"
To me time feel is the #1 most important thing, above everything else, except possibly playing at the appropriate volume for the situation. Tempo is one thing, but meter is where time feel comes into play. It's how one interprets the tempo. Time feel is so important to how your band feels. I can't help noticing the different attitudes concerning time. Most defer to the drummer. But the ones (leaders) that don't....have to be played to in order for them to be happy. Hey, no problem, that's what I do. But different people feel things differently. Some are more on top. Some go beyond that to uptight. Some are right in the middle, and some tend to lag. Then there's the ones you have to tune out so they don't screw you up. So it's all over the place.
How many are in bands where the tempo/meter is dictated by others? How many are in bands where you dictate the time?
I'm in one of each. In my trio, I have to follow the leaders tempo and meter, almost no exceptions. I start 2 songs out of about 150.
In my 6 piece band, I set the pace.
In my experience, people feel time differently. The leader of my trio is a Time Nazi. He is really metronomic. Most of the time it works, but in about 15% of the songs, IMO, he's a little extreme about it. I like a more organic feel sometimes, a little elasticity. Yea, that's not allowed in my trio. Zero elasticity. Oh no. It's like marching to to an uptight cadence sometimes. Not all the time. It's still my favorite band. We do The Band's "The Weight". It's just too fast. There's real feel between the notes of that song, it's not metronomic. Except when we do it. But it doesn't suck too bad because the guy plays on such a high level. Still, if I had it my way, I would approach it less uptight and slower for sure.
Now in my 6 piece, if I start it too slow, or too fast, or speed up or slow down....it's my bad...which is better for me for my own personal development. In my trio, the second I lag, I just F'd up. In my 6 piece, if I lag, they lag with me lol.
I'm not complaining in any way, I am just pointing out what I encounter in my little tiny world.
How many are in bands where the tempo/meter is dictated by others? How many are in bands where you dictate the time?
I'm in one of each. In my trio, I have to follow the leaders tempo and meter, almost no exceptions. I start 2 songs out of about 150.
In my 6 piece band, I set the pace.
In my experience, people feel time differently. The leader of my trio is a Time Nazi. He is really metronomic. Most of the time it works, but in about 15% of the songs, IMO, he's a little extreme about it. I like a more organic feel sometimes, a little elasticity. Yea, that's not allowed in my trio. Zero elasticity. Oh no. It's like marching to to an uptight cadence sometimes. Not all the time. It's still my favorite band. We do The Band's "The Weight". It's just too fast. There's real feel between the notes of that song, it's not metronomic. Except when we do it. But it doesn't suck too bad because the guy plays on such a high level. Still, if I had it my way, I would approach it less uptight and slower for sure.
Now in my 6 piece, if I start it too slow, or too fast, or speed up or slow down....it's my bad...which is better for me for my own personal development. In my trio, the second I lag, I just F'd up. In my 6 piece, if I lag, they lag with me lol.
I'm not complaining in any way, I am just pointing out what I encounter in my little tiny world.