Perfect metronomic time

[langmick]

It is a LOT of work, at least for me, to get to be as dead nuts as Dave. Where he is is that last 1%.

You have to be able to play every subdivision of the bar in perfect time at any speed. It could be that you either have it or you dont. Larrie Londin's time from what I've seen is pretty unbelievable as well.

[Paul Marangoni]

Larrie Londin's time from what I've seen is pretty unbelievable as well.

True. He was an absolute monster.

[littlegrooves]

And someone was just saying in another thread that HOD is dead. All is takes is a good topic (as opposed to a plethora of YouTube links) to awake the beasts.

I used to record myself playing to clicks at various tempos and run it through recording software so I could watch how my time (i.e. waveform) drifted relative to the subdivision markings. The real test would be to reduce the click to a whole note every other bar or every four bars, etc, and see how far you drift. It was really helpful as I became very cognizant of how my time fluctuated during certain fills or grooves, but remained consistent with others. It was a good tool.

However, there came a point where I got kind of schizo about it and started second guessing everything I did, which screws your time up even more. I feel like recording myself with other musicians helped more in the long run/holistically, but the click regime was helpful from time to time, even if only to serve as an ego check.

[Lucas Ives]

Dave went to the University of Bridgeport.

It's about feel, not perfection. I remember listening to some old Tony/Miles track, can't remember the one, that finished a good 30bpm faster than it started. Never bothered me when listening to it, only noticed when I moved the playhead.

[Julián Fernández]

Many Elvin tracks rushed quite a bit... Jazz is not pop though. Not the same rules applies, but yeah, it´s all about feel.
Most pop/rock recordings end up chopped to the grid, so I´d focus on a nice, head-bobbing feel more than robotic accuracy...

[electrizer]

You have to be able to play every subdivision of the bar in perfect time at any speed.

This.

If you practice a paradiddle you are not getting better at the paradiddle, and singles, and doubles. To get a feel for a groove and its variations you are practicing just that. If you deviate too far from the groove you're learning a new groove and it's a new process. There go your 10000 hours

[geoffgilldrums]

you guys ever check out Phil Maturano's "Inner Clock" exercises ? unbelievably cool. nice reverb-y clicks at a bunch of tempos. quarters on all 4 beats for about 2 + 1/2 minutes...then whole note click on 1st quarter of every bar for another 2 minutes or so...then 1st quarter of every two bars. yes, get in the ZONE. it can be a zen experience, especially at the slower tempos. it's funny how you will be slightly off if you are tense, but relaxed you will just drop on top of these 2 bar clicks right in the pocket. looking FWD to some new stuff he is working on.

+ https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx-zE ... nhZN29KUTQ

[cjbdrm]

My favorite topic and obsession...there's nothing more enlightening and humbling than finding out your time sucks...it's a constant struggle for those of us not born with decent time...but it can be improved. I could write a book about my experience/journey on what works and what doesn't...

I think Andy Newmark's time is among the best there is- I asked him and he said he wasn't born with it- he worked on it

[Christopher]

you guys ever check out Phil Maturano's "Inner Clock" exercises ? unbelievably cool. nice reverb-y clicks at a bunch of tempos. quarters on all 4 beats for about 2 + 1/2 minutes...then whole note click on 1st quarter of every bar for another 2 minutes or so...then 1st quarter of every two bars. yes, get in the ZONE. it can be a zen experience, especially at the slower tempos. it's funny how you will be slightly off if you are tense, but relaxed you will just drop on top of these 2 bar clicks right in the pocket. looking FWD to some new stuff he is working on.

+ https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx-zE ... nhZN29KUTQ

Nice. Thanks! Fun stuff for sure.

Just like most of you guys, I obsess over it and work on it constantly.

Allot to be said for playing with solid musicians and forgoing the click though. Recording off the floor, old school. Band feel.

I remember Chester Thompson answering a click track question at a clinic and in the process, rhetorically asked “who decided that metronomically perfect time was the be all end all anyway?” or something to that effect.

I devote a good chunk of practice time on click. Record most always with. And live, start songs with and then turn it off.

[Paul Marangoni]

I must be the exception. I never practice with a metronome.