Music Lessons: Band Development - Get tighter!

by Leon

A major factor that separates great bands from, well, the not so great, is their 'tightness' – that is to say, their ability to keep time with each other while establishing a groove (rhythmic feel) appropriate to their music.

Unless your intention is to play your music with a feel that is all over the chip shop - e.g. in a classic rock or punk context (and there's nothing wrong with this, if you have chosen that path) - chances are improving your band's timekeeping and grooving abilities will in turn enhance your enjoyment of being in the moment of the music, as well as your live and studio performances, and may even attract more potential fans to your band. In particular, if you are playing funk, soul, pop or metal good timekeeping and sense of groove are a must. Check out Tower Of Power, Meshuggah, and pretty much any contemporary pop album you care to mention for examples of the different grooves made possible by great timekeeping.

The best first step in improving your band's tightness is for all of you to buy a metronome, drum machine or production program such as Logic (which comes with so many drum loops it's ridiculous, as well as allowing you to program your own for limitless groovy fun), and practice along with your timekeeping weapon of choice as much as possible. And that goes for everyone, whether you play drums, guitar, kazoo, or sing – every instrumentalist in your band should own and practice with a metronome if you want a band that's tight like an a**. If you can't afford one (hey, we are musicians after all) there is always www.metronomeonline.com. I can't stress how crucial this is in your development as a musician – although at first that ******* clicking will make you want to ******, ****** it and ******** till you need a doctor to pull it out again, eventually you will get used to it. And once you begin to see results you'll wonder what you ever did without your trusty clicky box/drum machine/etc.

So now everyone's spent their time in the woodshed/bedroom, and it's time for a band practice. At this point it is worth giving your drummer a click to play along to, so that the drums can act as a reference point for everyone else. If your music contains complexities such as tempo or time signature changes at least get your drummer to listen to a click before starting the song. In my band I consider myself to be very lucky as we have all practised our timekeeping (both individually and as a band) for so long we can remain tight through whatever kinds of frankly stupid time changes we dream up.

However, as awesome bassist Victor Wooten would be quick to point out, this does not mean the responsibility for tightness and groove ends with the drummer. It is each musician's individual responsibility to find a part of the drum kit that they can 'lock into', as they would with a click. For example, many bassists will focus on the kick drum as their reference point, while as a guitarist I usually find myself focussing on the hi hats and snare. Experiment to find which parts of the kit you can lock in with most effectively and keep your attention focussed on listening to them.

From this point all you need to do is put in as many hours as possible practising your timekeeping, both individually and as a band. The journey into the world of timekeeping and groove never really ends – as your abilities improve you will find all kinds of new rhythmic feels to experiment with. There is, ultimately, no substitute for hard, consistent work – when it comes to your musical ability, you get out what you put in.

Finally, why not take a leaf out of Steve Vai's book and try expressing emotions and feelings through your grooves? Try making a rhythm part sound loose, strong and confident, tender, happy, sad, mechanical, stiff, warm, funky, and so on. Experiment with different dynamics and ways of singing or playing your instrument (e.g. using different pick angles on a guitar, using hot rods or brushes on drums, scat singing, or playing your bass with a pick), and see where it takes you. And, as always, remember – if it sounds good to you, it is good!