How do we refine our sense of time?

[jamoflage]

Imagine your sense of time when you first started playing drums, and then the revelations that came to you even just a year later. We become aware of smaller and smaller divisions of time, as well as large segments of time. And use our minds to keep the size of these segments consistent.

 

Now, how can we take this perception to the next level? And start refining our sense of this never ending dimension even further.

 

I would appreciate suggestions of actual practice techniques; ie play quintuplets with one hand and triplets with the other.

...as well as metaphysical, meditative or mental exercises that any of you might use, or have heard of.

 

Far out man, peace and love to you all!

Jamoflage

[fuzz]

ya learn how to play guitar...bass....keys and write songs that are TIME~LESS http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

 

but you already new this yes no "way"

 

"fuzz"

[ian1642605905]

My sense of timing has always been natural.I think probably because music has been a driving force in my life from an early age!My entire family is musically inclined so I've always been exposed to it and encouraged to persue it!

Not everyone is that fortunate.

ian*

[jamoflage]

Yo its my studio partner spacebass...what up?

 

j

[ian1642605905]

Originally posted by spacebass:

ya learn how to play guitar...bass....keys and write songs that are TIME~LESS http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

 

but you already new this yes no "way"

 

"fuzz"

 

Hey Spacebass,

Visit us once in awhile! I mean who is more suited to discuss drumming issues other than a drummer!A BASS PLAYER! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

peace

ian*

[jamoflage]

I have a better sense of melody than I do of rhythm...maybe because my parents listened to classical music instead of something like, say, Funkadelic!

 

Jam-O

[Passeist]

When I listen to music, I rarely hear the bar lines. I hear prhases that come in and out... wherever.

For me, my time improved when I learned to hear to play the music the way it's written, one bar at a time. An obvious example is a shuffle beat. When I listen, I hear "uh-one, uh-two, uh-three, uh-four". When I play, I force myselft to hear "one-uh, two-uh, three-uh, four-uh".

 

I use a lot of 3-on-4 polymeter stuff, and what I hear (internally) while I play, is completely different than what I want the audience to hear.

 

The whole idea of "internal hearing" I got from a book called "Drum Wisdom". It's a short read, but definitely a worthwhile one. My approach is a quite different than the authors, but the book provided a huge insight.

 

Oh yeah, I should mention that buying a drum machine was the biggest thing that happened to my sense of time. My drum machine is my practice buddy. I rarely practice without it. An overlooked aspect of the drum machine is that you can use it to practice controlled deceleration (retardando?) I program a track that has me accelerating to my top speed and then coming back down. Coming back down is a lot harder than I would have expected. It's so valuable to practice. Nothing like a drummer who can't slow down.

[djarrett]

Hey, Jam -o:

I, like others here, have always seemed to have a natural sense of time.

I always have a cadence running through my head.

When playing, I usually picture myself walking to a cadence. The mind-stride that I set as my tempo helps me maintain a pretty steady clock! I also utilize breathing exercizes when I play. I find that relaxing my breathing ... also helps when my adrenalin is pumping!

 

Hope this is good info!

Thanks,

DJ