Jeff Addicott Posted August 2, 2001 Share Posted August 2, 2001 I know the obvious answer is "don't hire one" but inevitably one finds oneself on a gig with a drummer who rushes. How do you deal with these situations? For my part, I find that years of playing has given me a certain strength of inertia, such that if the drummer is "weaker", I can actually take over and dictate the tempo to him. Alas, I have a weekly gig with a drummer who's been at it way longer than me, and he's a notorious rusher. Then, I have to be extra vigilant, and when he tries to take off, I hang way back, and most of the time it works. If I'm not careful, he'll turn a ballad into a burner. ------------------ Jeff Addicott http://www.jeffnet.org/~addicott/bass.html Jeff Addicott http://www.jeffnet.org/~addicott/bass.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chad Thorne Posted August 2, 2001 Share Posted August 2, 2001 Q: How do you know when a drummer's knocking on your door? A: He keeps speeding up. In my experience drummers who don't rush are rarer than those who do. I've found, like you, if I just refuse to go with him, the groove might wobble for a couple of beats, but often he'll settle down. I also find that keeping eye contact with the drummer and almost playing together as a"sub-unit" of the band helps. Of course, it also helps if, like me, you're blessed to play with a drummer who acknowledges that he has a tendency to rush, and works with me on keeping the groove steady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zujo Posted August 2, 2001 Share Posted August 2, 2001 Well I actually made friends with one of these creatures and for the longest time I though that she had a timing problem. I turned out to be a "listening" problem. If you trust your drummer enough, show him/her how to listen to accents and anticipations without disrupting the pulse. Life is better when you are "in the pocket" "Word to your mother" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Friedland Posted August 3, 2001 Share Posted August 3, 2001 Well, this is where working out with a metronome really comes in handy. If you are grounded enough, you can hold the line with a rusher. At very least, you will be aware of it! Some bass players have no clue and just go wherever the drummer pushes them. I try to lock in with a big "ONE" every measure. I get my whole body into it and sometimes if the drummer is listening and watching, that helps. I've had discussions with some, and sometimes it helps, but some drummers have their ego/self image so closely wrapped up in their playing that they can't listen to suggestions about their time. Oh well, I try not to work with those guys if I can avoid it. The groove is a sacred thing and if someone is messin' with it, I think it's the responsibility of the other rhythm section members to do what they can to save it. ------------------ www.edfriedland.com www.edfriedland.com The Bass Whisperer Bass Whisperer TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boom Posted August 9, 2001 Share Posted August 9, 2001 Nothing turns an evning of fun into five hours of labor like a drummer with poor meter. As much as I love to play I hate giging with those guys. You see this with every insterument but it's most annoying with drummers. That is, people who never get a handle on the fundamentls of music and there insterument. I would stop playing with him until he gets serious about his playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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