How about this definition: being in the pocket simply means that, for the key 1 or 2 beats, you are absolutely bang on the beat. And maybe you don't all need to be absolutely on the beat for those key beats, but somebody has to be. And that person has to be the most prominent sound at that moment. Which in practice means, if you can't nail those key beats, shut up and let someone else nail them. If the band has got the key beats nailed really clearly every bar, then they can all go loosey goosey muso around that. Don't forget that the track Thriller was all drum machine.
I don’t have one favorite; that would be like trying to pick my favorite kid. Some obvious contenders would be D’Angelo’s band on Voodoo, the mid 60’s band with James Brown, Earth Wind and Fire, and the band with Tye Tribbett on his “Life” record
@@Skinnyriver I’m not gonna get messy like that on the internet LOL If I told their name, then people would be able to figure out who the opener was. But thank you for watching and commenting!
@@Skinnyriver check these out (from an unlisted playlist of mine) if you haven’t heard them definitely some pocket being played here ru-vid.com/group/PLG3aYcAxBJhLsCWLuhlDagnxEu4xMNvsN&si=NpqgbbUOK7bNvRN7
Really helpful Sam thanks :) I think it's the fast tempo, but I find it hard to break down jazz into the bits I need to write it. So your videos have been great for me.
Are you still using @Reason Studios? Are there any more mixing or production techniques that we should be doing to make our music more competitive with people that are using other DAWs, Fl Studio/Ableton/Bitwig, or people that are putting out commercial level and radio ready music? Thank you. This is the second video of yours that I have seen. RU-vid suggested your videos to me today. Thanks again
Wow! Great question. I think if you check out my video “You Can Mix In Reason Pt.4”, I go into a technique I call ducking; it’s a different take on side-chaining. It’s a pretty cool way to get more power to the kick that’s a lot easier to do in Reason than other DAW’s because of the access to the routing. I’d start there. Thanks for your comment!
all the things you said apply. however my understanding has always been the bass and drums locking in. however the bass is not pushing the beat…. either the bass or the drums are “laying back”. bass is slightly behind the beat. silly me. the truth is this frustrates the hell out of me. My first bands were blues and I played with some great blues drummers and bass players. Now I have a country band and the drummer and bass come from different genres. and they can swing but the flat tire or similar is not great. however playing on the beat has its advantages too. what I really don’t like is when the beat is being pushed…I can tell when the pocket is not happening, but could not for the life of me I can’t describe to either of those guys how to fix it.
@@oyajiblues thanks for your comment!“Locking in” can still happen with the bass a little behind the beat in my experience, but there is something that feels good when the bass and kick drum are both dead center for live performance. The only time the bass player playing in front of the beat that feels good to me in a straightahead Jazz situation. Thanks for watching!
@@blackpranther I have always known when it was happening and repeating could be elusive. However, I tried to push it on the band playing guitar and that shit is hard! It’s one thing to need your limbs to each have a brain while that is going on there is another level. I guess it’s like singing the hardest stuff is what seems wrong to your ear.
Today's a first for listening to your channel, and I MUST say, this is one of the BEST explanations of "the pocket" I've heard described in a video! I was looking for something to share with a bass player at my church. He often seems to drag behind the piano, but drags only a little less when our drummer is present. I'm sharing it with him to help him hear and see what a gospel, spirit- filled, rthym section lives for (pocket). I think pocket starts with an appreciation of the various waves emitting from others helping to form the "pocket." It's a comfortable, musical search for that conjoined sonic wave that you "feel" when you arrive there!!! It's a beautiful ride when you feel everybody pushing it in the same direction. As a jazz vocalist, I count on the pocket to help me groove with it during solos. Many gospel melodies are specifically written to ride on and around the pocket, with emphasis often expressed during various vamps as the song builds.
You put out some great ideas here. I’ve been using Reason for about eight years, but two months ago I did some audio groove extractions and Pro Tools has some features that Reason doesn’t. I decided to switch to Pro Tools for a while, but I miss working in Reason, and DAW uses like this could pull me back. Great video.
Yep! Each DAW has advantages and disadvantages. I love reason because I know my way around it best, but I know that there are other programs that are better for certain applications. I think there’s a place for both programs in most people’s work flow
I’d say so, especially for production. Live performance is a little different because “Shuffle” or “swing” is the name of a specific family of drum grooves for drummers and “swinging” is used to describe a state of rhythmic danceability in jazz similar to the way “grooving” or “in the pocket” would be in funk or R&B
there's only but so many sounds that would actually occupy the exact same frequency range as a kick drum, so why would u sidechain every track in the mix to the kick??? i understand sidechaining the kick to the bassline, but that's because they occupy the same space... but sidechaining every sound to the kick??? i've been mixing for over 25 years & never met another engineer who did that, i would love to hear what it sounds like.. do u have any videos where u actually did that?
Great question. Even though there’s not a lot of bass in some sounds, there’s some in a lot of places you wouldn’t expect. Its easier to take it from everything else because if it’s not there, there’s nothing to take; but if there are a few db of lows I can “borrow” for a few milliseconds to give to the kick, I’ll take em. It really adds up in larger mixes. Also remember with a multi band comp, I can use the same concept to borrow a few db of 5k for vocals or 1k for the snare etc. Here’s a video where I went more in detail on that particular technique. It doesn’t have an example switching on and off with the effect but you can hear what it’s doing. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vNUYWPOeXRk.htmlsi=5ccNafDMS9BlC82i Also, here’s a full tune I mixed with this technique music.apple.com/us/album/ill-never-barry-marion/1457146974?i=1457146975
@blackpranther makes sense Bro, now I get it... I thought there would be a pumpin effect, but I didn't hear anything like that... Great execution, I gotta use that... Thanks Bro
Would you say that whether brothers are dancing or not is as good as a metric to infer the quality of the pocket? ♥ Is pocket gender sensitive? Thank you for sharing and much love to you. Take care.
I only singled out the ladies because in my 20 years of playing professionally, women usually dance first. With the exception of some really bold fellas, men often play the wallflowers until women are dancing, whether just small movements in their seat or full on with friends on the floor. Of course there are exceptions to any rule, but a guy dancing first isn't a bet I'd take in Vegas.
you could also address how relaxed playing (never rushing notes slightly ahead of the beat/metronome, and instead instead falling slightly behind if not dead on with the click), makes engineers’ jobs WAY easier if a recording needs to be edited to improve the groove. that in addition to be much groovier than rushing notes, of course. to fixed rushed playing, the engineer has to add time to the track (or group of tracks), which can cause displeasurable audio stretching artifacts, or distracting duplicated “air”, or ugly, artificially extended sustains. but removing time is much simpler for the engineer (ie ableton’s cut time function and pro tools’ shuffle mode), and does not create the hurdles and artifacts of adding time/air
Interesting! I’d agree except I think most folks that rush aren’t attuned enough to micro timing to make those type of adjustments. It is much easier to cut than add time though
this is a great explanation. 2:18 🎯🎯🎯 ***the pocket is NOT the grid*** (sometimes it can be, but don’t assume that shifting notes or LFOs onto the grid will get the best groove out of the track)
What a load of waffle. The pocket is often mystified and overcomplicated but it's a pretty simple concept; it's just where you hit the beat in relation to where it technically 'should' be in a flat count. Say we have a 4/4, .. we're counting a flat 1 2 3 4... now imagine the snare is on the 2... the pocket refers to where you place that snare in relation to the flat 2 beat. Do you push the beat and have it come before the 2, or pull it and have it come after, and if so, how much? This is how you define the pocket and determine the feel or groove of a beat. A band all playing in the pocket has nothing do with the actual pocket, and more to do with their time keeping abilities.
Some people might think my description is simpler than what you just wrote, but that’s why the Internet is great to learn; there are so many great resources so you can find the one that clicks best for you personally. I would strongly disagree that it’s only about where the two and four falls, the upbeats are really where the groove lives in my opinion.
@blackpranther thank you for the reply. I will check on my next session. I just found you a day or ago and totally love your videos! Great job explaining things.
Thank you, bro! While I agree, beginners and most hobbyists might not be able to separate a part like that, professionals and high end enthusiasts probably can if they work on it
i'm just getting back into reason and i love the re drum machine i forgot you couldn't use custom sounds in there ,i knew about nnxt i just didn't know how to use it properly and you you sir brought a wealth of knowledge to it and thus earned a new subscriber
Hey thanks a lot for this valuable lesson, just need one help though trying to find which video have you shown these fillers, licks etc that you are using in the near end of the video, and are these available directly or for sale.. please help me out with these thank you brother !
I don’t think I made one on the fills specifically… most of it is just eighth note, triplet groupings with accents on the last note, placed in different parts of the drum kit. If you go to samuelprather.com and shoot me an email, I might just create a package for you. What would you want in it? How much do you think it’s worth? I’m still figuring all this stuff out😂
