Hi, I’m looking for tips on practicing rhythm, especially syncopated rhythm.
Also, are you always counting while you play, only when practicing or do you not count at all?
I didn’t find a thread discussing this. If there already is one, let me know, then I can just look for advice there.
I’m asking these questions because a lot of music I would like to play has syncopated rhythms, but i can’t really play them well.
At my own temp I can play easier syncopated rhythms just fine i think, but when i have to adjust to the speed of a recording / other people etc. it gets rough. I also can’t know for sure if i play the rhythm exactly right if i play them at my own tempo.
I started practicing with a drum machine and right now counting and playing relatively simple syncopated rhythms is taking up almost all of my ‘mental capacity’. I’m wondering if this will get better or if I’m wasting my time with counting.
Syncopation is something you probably need to know the song or section well to play it. I like Cory Wong, most of his music are syncopated. I just listen til I know the song really well then I start transcribing them.
It’s more feel than technical. If you play the song technically perfect it would come out too clinical almost like being wash through a quantization software, not very pleasing to the ears. It needs lots of dynamics and slight miss to make it sounds awesome. So the best way to learn is to listen to them a lot, lol.
@JoshFossgreen teaches how to count simple and syncopated rhythms in the Beginner to Badass course. It’s the best way for newbies to learn. If you’re already enrolled in the course, just go through each lesson and you’ll find rhythm counting. If you’re not enrolled yet, definitely do it. It’s the perfect way for beginners to learn bass.
Yeah. I only use counting while learning a song to understand it. After that it is all feeling the rhythm and I almost never count while playing. That’s probably bad advice but it’s what I do.
Maybe i am worrying too much because i kept being told that it’s important for bassists to be exactly on time
But i feel if i don’t count I can’t really tell if I’m off by too much…
Yes I’m enrolled in the course, currently in the slap section : D
I technically know how to count the rhythms i just find it to be hard to actually do it…
That’s the last thing a bassist wants to be, lol. If yo are on time you’d get buried under the drums on both up and down beats. That said, it takes extra kung fu to be able to be ahead or behind the beat because then you need to know where the beat lies, lol.
When you play enough and especially if you play with other instrument in the band, you’d want to stand out and turning up the treble is not enough you need to find your way to cut through the mix and be heard or recognized.
He’s right that a bassist needs to have absolutely good rhythm sense. A bassist with bad time sense will ruin a band almost as much as a drummer that can’t count
Playing onthe beat and fighting with the kick is infinitely better than dragging badly or inconsistently IMO. So yes you want some swing but that doesn’t take away from the importance of remembering that you’re not as much a slave to the rhytm as much as you are the groove. Good time sense is crucial.
Papa is a Rolling Stone
Simple bass line, couple notes are syncopated, repeats endlessly. Learn the song, play it, record it, listen to when you come in.
Sounds like you got the idea down then - like any other new piece, start slowly and get it under your fingers, then slowly come up to actual tempo. If youre having trouble at “song tempo”, slow down until that slower tempo feels comfortable, then move up…
You have two things here, the beat and the rhythm. I know it sounds obvious. You absolutely need to work on keeping the beat, whether by tapping your foot, nodding your head, or counting out loud. The rhythm follows and drops into that.
I used to try to learn (syncopated) rhythms and what not, without getting that. It flies under the radar. So, your goal should be to keep the beat (1, 2, 3, 4, …) while playing a rhythm. It’s all about independence.
To encourage you, drummers do this five, six or seven ways, and some of them even sing over that. So it is doable, and it is actually a lot of fun when you “lock in” with yourself.
Thanks all for your insightful replies! I assumed i would get some practice tips, instead i got whole new perspectives.
I never even considered that. I guess ill still have to practice playing on time for a while until I’m more confident and able to keep track of the subdivisions more easily.
So yeah this will probably by my next goal. And yes slowing down will probably be for the best, i will force myself to do that more
I’ve not been at it that long so take it with a pinch of salt!
I find that when I’m first learning a line I count pretty much everything. As I get better with it I seem to progressively drop the counting without really being conscious of it but still maintain it on harder sections or sections with a slightly different rhythm. There are some lines that it seems, no matter how long I practice them I always need to count one or two bars that tend to trip me up.
Thanks for the recommendation. I guess you mean Papa Was A Rolling Stone? I only was able to find that…
It seems it got covered quite a bit, do you have a specific version in mind?
I also really like your username.
I very very rarely count when I play. When I’m learning a song I’ll count the notes so I know how many to play, but I don’t really count after that.
I think most pieces require you to have an intricate knowledge of them to be able to play them. There’s so many musical cues from the other instruments that help you keep time and track the progression of the song, it’s mostly memorization.
I think counting while playing just clogs up the brain with too much thinking
How many notes are in your favourite song? (I’m trying to be funny, 
)