New Drummer won't stop staring at my fingers.

[FingerDub]

My band has a new drummer. Great guy, good ability . In rehearsal I realize that he's been staring at my fingers as I play. Now, I rely on the drummer for a steady beat to lock into, but I realized that he is looking at me as the lead. He's staring at my fingers because he's waiting to see when I change and he's going to change with me or alter his play based on what I do. He rarely takes his eyes off me. It's kind of off-putting.

On the break last week I asked him why he kept looking at me, and he said he's looking at my fingers to help himself and said that bass is the true lead of the Rhythm Section.

One time last week, I think because I stopped playing quarter notes, or changed something else,, he changed the beat and the whole song went off track. He will change tempo based on my play also.

I always thought that the drummer is supposed to stick to the beat and the way we play the song no matter what and that the other musicians play around the drummer. And of course I always try to lock in with the drummer, but I thought that's a one way street, so to speak, if it had to be one or the other, it should be me locking in with him as much as possible not him locking in with me.

I feel like he's relying on me too much. Am I wrong? Is bass really the true leader of the Rhythm Section?

 

[JKos]

I'm with you. I'm locking with the drummer, not the other way around. Maybe he needs/could use a click track. ??? A rather famous drummer uses a click track and says it frees him to just play and not worry about being the time keeper.

- John

 

[saltydude]

I feel like he's relying on me too much. Am I wrong? Is bass really the true leader of the Rhythm Section?

He might be relying too much on you but I wholeheartedly agree with him. Thing is you’ve got to be good. I love having command over the jam and that moment you know your captaining the ship.

 

[Oddly]

So...you're complaining about a drummer that actually cares abut what you're doing?
There's no hope...

Seriously, though, I'm guessing he's just nervous and wants to make sure he's tight with you, which is an excellent basis for a rhythm unit.
I'm sure he'll loosen up once he's got more confident in playing with you.

 

[BurnOut]

I've had guitar students and jam people do this. If you're watchin for the change, you're already late.

 

[GrapeBass]

Or is he just envious of your 'finger technique?'

 

[LBS-bass]

He's new and he doesn't know the material yet so he's watching you for the changes.

 

[MattZilla]

I had a drummer like that. Creeped my friends out "dude, he is looking at you a LOT". Really Stewart Copeland-ey, which I'd never thought to look for before. Very rarely did fills, and the fills were always taysty. I was the captain of any ship he was on. Probably wouldn't have been that great for wedding/corp, but great fun for jams/experimental/writing. I miss him. Work on your own metronome and enjoy.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Maybe he's not really looking at your fingers?

On the other hand, to notice that he is looking at you a lot, you have to be looking at him a lot too.

Anyway... good luck getting it sorted out.

 

[Bassbeater]

Great scenario, you can always ask him to stay on a beat for parts when you want to play counter- rhythm. Lucky you!!!!

 

[lz4005]

My band has a new drummer. Great guy, good ability . In rehearsal I realize that he's been staring at my fingers as I play. Now, I rely on the drummer for a steady beat to lock into, but I realized that he is looking at me as the lead. He's staring at my fingers because he's waiting to see when I change and he's going to change with me or alter his play based on what I do. He rarely takes his eyes off me. It's kind of off-putting.

On the break last week I asked him why he kept looking at me, and he said he's looking at my fingers to help himself and said that bass is the true lead of the Rhythm Section.

One time last week, I think because I stopped playing quarter notes, or changed something else,, he changed the beat and the whole song went off track. He will change tempo based on my play also.

I always thought that the drummer is supposed to stick to the beat and the way we play the song no matter what and that the other musicians play around the drummer. And of course I always try to lock in with the drummer, but I thought that's a one way street, so to speak, if it had to be one or the other, it should be me locking in with him as much as possible not him locking in with me.

I feel like he's relying on me too much. Am I wrong? Is bass really the true leader of the Rhythm Section?

You're wrong.

A) He's new and may not be fully confident in knowing all the songs.
2) Literally anyone in the band can be the rhythmic leader. Bass, drums, rhythm guitar, etc. Ideally it should be a wordless negotiation between bass and drums to find what's right and lock in together, as opposed to one person being the dictator. It can also change from song to song. In my current jazz trio there are drum-led songs, bass-led songs and guitar led songs.
C) Are you rehearsing in the same configuration you would gig in? The one danger of the drummer watching the bass player's fingers is if your back is to him on stage and he's lost.

 

[Oddly]

It's just occurred to me, what you need to do here is get @catcauphonic to give you some nail-polish tips...that'll dazzle the guy for sure!

 

[2BitHack]

Every person in the band is responsible for knowing and keeping their own place within the beat. Depending on the instrument and style that may be ahead, on or after. That's where the swing comes from.

 

[seamus bass]

hes found a crutch and will have a hard time if you ever play out live.

 

[JRA]

He rarely takes his eyes off me. It's kind of off-putting.

i'd get used to it. use it!

Is bass really the true leader of the Rhythm Section?

yes!

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Sounds like he is a jazz drummer. In jazz, the bass is king. It set the tempo and leads the changes. He is actually doing a great job. He is watching you so he can stay with you.

Well, either that or he has a finger fetish

 

[kesslari]

@FingerDub change your user name and see if that helps.

 

[jcerio]

He likes your fingers...."With Fava Beans and A Nice Chianti"

 

[FingerDub]

He might be relying too much on you but I wholeheartedly agree with him. Thing is you’ve got to be good. I love having command over the jam and that moment you know your captaining the ship.

I do like that sometimes, but I wouldn't call myself a virtuoso of sorts. I'm a good time keeper with occasional licks. I might speed up at the apex of a solo or jam and he will follow me, that's about the extent of it. But I do experiment but not at the expense of losing the groove.

So...you're complaining about a drummer that actually cares abut what you're doing?
There's no hope...

Seriously, though, I'm guessing he's just nervous and wants to make sure he's tight with you, which is an excellent basis for a rhythm unit.
I'm sure he'll loosen up once he's got more confident in playing with you.

I think this is the case.

I've had guitar students and jam people do this. If you're watchin for the change, you're already late.

This is what I feel, and one of us will be off by a split second because of it.

I had a drummer like that. Creeped my friends out "dude, he is looking at you a LOT". Really Stewart Copeland-ey, which I'd never thought to look for before. Very rarely did fills, and the fills were always taysty. I was the captain of any ship he was on. Probably wouldn't have been that great for wedding/corp, but great fun for jams/experimental/writing. I miss him. Work on your own metronome and enjoy.

We play slow rock, acoustic rock, classic rock and reggae.

You're wrong.

A) He's new and may not be fully confident in knowing all the songs.
2) Literally anyone in the band can be the rhythmic leader. Bass, drums, rhythm guitar, etc. Ideally it should be a wordless negotiation between bass and drums to find what's right and lock in together, as opposed to one person being the dictator. It can also change from song to song. In my current jazz trio there are drum-led songs, bass-led songs and guitar led songs.
C) Are you rehearsing in the same configuration you would gig in? The one danger of the drummer watching the bass player's fingers is if your back is to him on stage and he's lost.

All good points, especially C. Let's see what happens tonight.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

The drummer is not wrong; in general, bass should provide the pulse and drums provide the feel. Everyone is responsible for their own time, and bass/drums should lock in, but it's really the bass that sets the time and the pulse of the music, and everything else should work within that context.

Ideally.