Chapter 1: Beginners
Rhythm & Sync: Eighth Note Grooves

Objective: To discuss the importance of playing eighth note grooves with dynamic articulation

One of the important things about playing Eighth Note Grooves is to make sure that you are always playing Within The Pocket. What I mean by that is to always be aware of where the top and bottom (the 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &) of each beat is pulsating. This will tend to vary slightly with each drummer that you play with because we are all human beings and part of the beauty in that is that we are all different. So try to feel where the drummer is placing the feeling of the beat by listening to the Bass Drum, Hi Hat and Snare Drum. It is usually one of these or a combination of these three that will provide you with a pulse that will allow you to lock onto the exact feeling of the beat or time. We also need to be aware of making sure that we know which patterns, scales or chords we are working with so that we are not just playing a bunch of notes for the sake of keeping time. Remember that part of our role is to be a bridge in the rhythm section that will connect the harmony on one side and the rhythm on the other..............by playing on both side simultaneously and accurately, we create the feeling necessary for being a great groove player.

Most of the music from the 1960's and 1970's produced songs that featured the bassist playing patterns that were based around eighth note grooves. If you go back and listen to recordings by Donald "Duck" Dunn (Stax Volt), James Jamerson (Motown), Bootsy Collins (James Brown), Larry Graham (Sly Stone) you will hear some of the best examples of this style of playing. What made some of these bass parts so special was the bassist ability to play a deep groove that also had some type of melodic hook. The bass line would be simple enough to attract the ear of the average person who had no special musical education but knew from listening to enough records that something very special was taking place and it made then fall in love with the whole song.

When playing some of the patterns in Example #4-1 try different approaches to playing. Example: Use your index and middle fingers on your left hand to fret the notes and the ring and pinky finger to help mute the strings by resting them on the strings. Also try lifting the finger on the left hand away from the fret but still allow it to rest against the string. The sound that you will hear will be a "ghost" note which is an very necessary part of playing eighth note grooves. If you can keep the groove going with your right hand and ghost with the left hand, the rhythmic momentum becomes an undeniable sound and feeling. Finally try accenting different notes (ex: 2nd & 6th notes; 1st & 5th notes; 4th & 8th notes; 3rd & 7th notes) in each measure while you are playing these examples. This should help strengthen your control of dynamics.

I personally have developed a style of muting and playing eighth notes that may also be applied. Try to play Example #4-2 the way that you would normally play it then try this approach. Lay the fleshy part of your thumb (just below the joint in the middle of the thumb) in your right hand on the "E" string while your middle and index fingers in the left hand play the notes in the pattern. As you move across the strings (from the "G" string to the "D" string to the "A" string, etc) allow the "pointer" finger in your left hand to lay across the strings that you just previously played while at the same time fingering the notes in the left hand. As you move back across the strings (from the "A" string to the "D" string, etc) use the thumb to mute the "E" string and continue to mute the strings that were previously played.

I have made Example #4-2 a little more involved so make sure to take your time and start practicing these slowly. Please note that I have not shown you where to shift the position of your left hand because these fingerings are only a guide. Feel free to start using your own fingerings that might eventually become more comfortable for you.

Of course, feel free to experiment and try any technique that works especially best for you. The important thing here is to have a point of departure in your daily musical vocabulary.

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