Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Very occasional quote of the day: artificial excitement

“I think there's a tendency to overplay with most young drummers. Rushing is common in trying to force things to swing by playing on top a little bit. If things weren't swinging by forcing it a little bit, it might seem that by playing a little bit on top, it at least makes it seem more exciting. But, it also makes it feel a little more uncomfortable. I think that might be a common failing of younger drummers. To maybe artificially create excitement.”

Bassist Jack Six, , Modern Drummer, July 1981, piece by Scott K. Fish

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I listen to recordings of myself with a group , I definitely find this to be the case. I do a pretty good job of maintaining the tempo throughout a song I’m playing, but on the micro level, it sounds like I’m just ahead of the beat, and not in a good way. Any ideas on how to deal with this/develop a swing feel that feels more laid back?

Todd Bishop said...

I don't know if it's even totally wrong all the time. I probably do it sometimes, or people perceive me that way.

My big thing, for myself and my students, has been to make sure you have a solid concept of the time to begin with, and then discipline your hands to follow that-- not playing based on a physical feel. And by listening, and always continuing to improve your time concept.