That's an excellent question. My struggle is working with the band. Tempos tend to fluctuate, sometimes dramatically. As the bass player, I feel it is my job to help rein that in . Back in my days of being a horn player, I learned to feel the micro pulses (16th or 32nd note beats) while playing slower music. This was really effective in keeping the tempo consistent. Practicing at home, I rely heavily on the metronome.