Playing in time is becoming more challenging

[martin8708]

I've played in duo's with just guitar / bass and just simply tapping your feet to your own internal metronome seems to work well .
The guitarist is quite a foot-stomper as well , so it's easy to check if we're in time ( or not )

[JamesBass]

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1378389725' post='2199553']
Violin , ukele, amd guitar

and 3 vocals !
[/quote]

With that setup get one of the singers to get a kiddies bass drum and have that count the beat? It'd add a nice subtle beat to the music?

[lurksalot]

[quote name='martin8708' timestamp='1378503567' post='2201360']
I've played in duo's with just guitar / bass and just simply tapping your feet to your own internal metronome seems to work well .
[/quote]

Metronome is the word , it becomes you , you wil feel it , always practice with one

[Prime_BASS]

Somethings I'll suggest.

Play to a metronome, you get a free app for your phone easy, put an ear phone in and done, obviously you'll have to set the tempo for each song, but it helps.

Also actually knowing your parts, and when changes are without everyone else playing is key. To me I get lost cause I'm waiting and concertrating on something else to gear the change. After a while and I know the song backwards I can play it all in time on my own. I agree everything else can be distracting, so you can just try your best at concerntrating on what you are doing yourself.

If you re setting the beat, everyone should be following you, if they are going out of time or something is too off putting you should just straight up tell them.

It's the most annoying thing when our drummer says it's my giant we are going to fast or when he speeds up, I'm following him. Chicken or the egg?

[Lowender]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1378422071' post='2200255']
Going back to the singer - if they stray from the beat, IGNORE THEM! Otherwise you'll be all over the place. They'll catch up in their own good time
[/quote]

Actually, a rule of thumb on any "club date" type of job is, FOLLOW THE SINGER. When paying a gig, it'll sound better to the audience even if you have to drop a beat to be with the vocalist than if the band is correct and the vocals are off. Of course, that's frustrating, sloppy and amateurish so if you're in an original band and you have a singer who is incompetent, the only other solution is to get another singer. Or quit.

[tonyquipment]

Use a drum machine

[discreet]

It's generally accepted that the drummer is the timekeeper in a band, but keeping time is [i]everyone's [/i]responsibility - imho.

Edited September 7, 2013 by discreet

[Lowender]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1378556299' post='2201779']
It's generally accepted that the drummer is the timekeeper in a band, but keeping time is [i]everyone's [/i]responsibility - imho.
[/quote]

True, but the drummer dictates the tempo and the steadiness thereof. That's not an excuse -- I'm a drummer too. And I can move the time of the band band a lot more with drums than with bass. If a bass player has good time, the drummer can still rush or drag. But if the drummer's time is good, everyone is forced to play good time.