Time

Recently, I got the chance to go into a studio and record a tune with my good friend Pat Watson. It was a tune in 6, medium tempo, and I was grateful to have the chance to record in such a nice studio. (For those who might recall to memory Rich Bruce, it is his studio and it is VERY NICE!)

So after the track was completed, I came back into the control room and we watched the digital rendering of the signals. I was thankful that my time was super consistent during that track. I wish that I could say that was always the case. Having really solid time when you are playing an uptempo tune or a real slow ballad is the challenge.

The latter is especially difficult for me and I have grown to wonder at how difficult it is to keep tempo and energy happening for super slow tunes. I feel like a great example is Journey's tune "Open Arms." Steve Smith does a masterful job of achieving both ideals in that tune.

If there is any secret that I have found, it is no different than what you have likely discovered. I use a Tama rhythm watch, I play to my iPod, etc. There are two things however that I feel have made my time more solid as the years have gone by. Immersion and singing.

As I have said, I spend a good deal of time in preparation for a worship session. By the time I actually begin to play with the band, I will have listened to the given track well over 100 times! For me, there is only one way to play the song at that point, an issue that can be challenging if there is any change in tempo. The second aspect is singing. When the tempo gets ironed out, I learn to sing the song along with the leader. Once I start this process, I can tell how the tempo feels for the singer. So I start to play with that in mind.

- For fast tunes: I don't want to play fast, busy fills. I also want to consciously begin the tune slower than I think it should be, as often times those times of celebration at church can get a little too exciting!

- For medium tempo tunes: I want to envision the snare as a long, melodic note, almost as if a gated reverb were attached to it. More notes are often necessary to keeping the groove happening in these type tunes.

- For slow ballads: I want to think of the time in terms of 16th notes or if in 3, triplets. And somewhere on my body, whether the head or my left foot, I want to manifest the time. In these instances, I am looking for an anchor and I need to create it.

Hopefully, some of these suggestions will give some aid to those who might struggle with this area.

Blessings,
Frank