What is the Pocket?!? 

You just explained really what can’t be explained. It’s one of those things in life that if you got it, you got it. And most don’t know but they should now thanks to you

You'll know when you're in the pocket when you start makin stank face or sayin "Ooo damn"

Being in the pocket with other musicians is like ecstasy - All musicians are playing a different part of a song but it fits perfectly well together and they all know it. It's a beautiful high. The heavenly state of being in harmony with each other as musicians. I suspect that a surfer has a similar experience when she or he knows that they have perfect control of the wave they are riding

The pocket is your ability to transition from lyric to lyric and be in sync with the beat simultaneously.

Body grooving / head nodding is a great visual way to explain. Any robotic music does not gain that result. Thank you

Hope we can ALL be in the pocket someday as human beings. Pocket is that human element, swinging off of the grid but not so much to feel off beat overall.

I appreciate your attempt to describe such an abstract idea with a concrete description! It’s not an easy task, but you did it well.

The Pocket to me means a locked in groove. Usually between a drummer and a bassist. The whole thing moves as one.

Wow.... some people have DISLIKED this video?? Really? Bro this is a fantastic explanation of what people were asking. I think a musical layman would even understand. Extremely well done! Thank you!

I like the triangle explanation 🧐

Best explanation for non (especially feel) listeners or musicians. His describing that music moment that you strive to lock in for. Perfect imperfection of dirty groove!

This is so eloquently accurate. I am teaching students that haven’t had the opportunity to be exposed to American culture about the pocket. The way you described it with both technical precision and emotion is awesome . I shared this with them and I know they will benefit.

Totally agree that you can't explain pocket, but you know it when you feel it. I've always thought of pocket as the space between the drums

This is the actual best description I've ever heard of the pocket. Amazing work man!

That triangle metaphor/visual is awesome. Going to be keeping that one in mind - cheers!

As amateur that's long wondered what "in the pocket" and "push and pull" meant, your triangle analogy makes great sense! And why a computerized static tringle with a dot inside is missing the life that comes with really talented people trying to keep it together. If I ever feel that pocket, I'll know what's going on. Cheers!

Great explanation, especially the part about knowing you’re in the pocket when the sisters really start moving. When a rhythm section locks in like that you can feel it. As a drummer, your whole body just grooves and vibrates and the drums almost play themselves. It’s magic. Really hard to do in a programmed MIDI environment. I’ve done it, but it’s a ton of work. When you have a couple live players who are good, it’s a TON easier.

I'm not a drummer but a bassist. I've heard of the pocket but never really bothered to get further (which I intend on fixing) but I go by what James Brown or Bootsy Collins say and I always return to the 1. Fit anything I want in between but ALWAYS must return to that 1. I should add I'm also not a professional and just jam with friends. Thank you for the explanation, I hear so many people toss the word around but never properly explain it to me when I ask.

I think you perfectly nailed what playing in the pocket means. From time to time, while playing with some bands, them and i we reached this result...apart from what i can hear, i notice it when i see every other musician smiling and dancing. Hard to achieve but sooo cool!

This was super-helpful! I'm trying to explain "in the pocket" to a bunch of tech nerds, and gave me a bunch of ideas to use. Thanks.

It's the push and pull. That's a great way to explain it too. I like to that sir.

Thank you for explaining this with your examples! The pocket is one of those “I know it when I feel it” things as opposed to “hearing” it. The first chorus to intro-riff in “Man in the box” by AIC is a lesser known one; the beat slows down in such a natural way because it feels like it should.

You Have done in, i salute you Samuel. I always tell The guys i play with, If we play music And the Audience(kids Playing in the Area) don't dont Dance to our Groove, Than we are messing up...

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.

Loved the explanation 🎉

One thing I found interesting in the age of digital music and quantized electronic tracks is that the more perfectly timed a song is, the more sterile it sounds. Take for example James Brown. If you play his songs over a click track the timing doesn't line up to the computer. In some places the beat lags and in other places it's ahead, but it sounds so much better.

Yes! Man... Thank you for this. My understanding was essentially the same, but I never could figure out how to articulate it. Thanks, brother!

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)

You're one of few people out there that can properly explain what 'being in the pocket' means. This phrase is thrown around so much in the Dance Scene yet barely anyone can articulate it as well as you just did, kudos to you sir 💯🙏

I can unmistakably hear when a drummer or groove is inside the pocket, and even know how to creat that feel when making music but when I try to rationalize how it works it escapes me.

If you play mtg, one way to look at it is like when you get your combo online. Alternatively, I often compare it to the flow state like feeling that is specific to music. If the “stars align” while you are playing you just get in the pocket man. Same way you sometimes enter flow state in an athletic event and sometimes you don’t.

I did a spit take with my vape when you said you just hit 700 subscribers, I really thought this was from a 2M+ subscriber pro musician account. Great video

I hear pocket as the imperfect usage of triple time in a linear 4/4 tempo. A lot of the swing comes from using triple time quadrants in a linear 4/4 tempo.The cool thing about this is that even if you’re late on one note, you can come back on beat and it gives you that little extra head snap or that body groove. I love doing this with hi hats by making them slightly off-beat but an on beat kick drum/snare. Gives you so extra swing while staying in that linear tempo.

Great explanation. As someone who’s still new at playing in a group, this was really helpful and verbalized in a way that I could really understand. Thanks. Cant wait to apply some of this next weekend.

That definition 🔥🔥🔥 among the best I've heard. It's almost like temporal summetry/silence between beats.

It’s a feel good feeling

Thanks so much! I am a dancer and teach dance and have been thinking about how to dance and teach in the pocket as a concept to embrace. Most dancer teachers dont say “dance in the pocket” but we are also an instrument in the music as movers... I realize that the most brilliant dancers are in the pocket. I’m gonna start talkin about this to my students! Thank u for explaining this!

You are very well spoken. Thank you for the education on this. I hadn't heard of the pocket before, but the concept does make sense to me and I see its value as a producer.

Based on this I'd say you have a gift for describing the ineffable. Nice!

I really like how you explained this concept. The analogy with the triangle and the ball in the center is a great way to express the interplay between musicians. Thankyou.

As a drummer, I feel it's when you've developed past the point of being overwhelmed by all the elements being thrown at you, after which you can be comfortable enough to place a note ahead, on, or behind the beat with confidence, knowing how it will affect the overall feel and lead the band. [additional]: I think the "pocket" is that space between spaces, where you can sit inside time and think, almost like it's the slow-mo bullet-time parts of the Matrix.

Your explanation is 'excellent'!! :)

3:42 This isn't an opinion, this is the truth!

Well explained,Samuel.ITs def a feel thing.I was playing so much music at one period that was pocket,and then I did a Musical Theatre tour and I had to learn to play most of the tunes on top of the click (well,half of the band told me that!) and I practised my arse off doing that too.

This was a great explanation, man. Have tried to explain it to people before especially when pushing back against over-quantizing.

Thank you for your good explanation for “pocket” That is better than the most of big artist.

Easily one of the most informative music vids I've seen in the past year! thanks!

This was beautifully explained!

This description is absolutely brilliant.

I am a street amateur drummer, for me pocket is when I can stop people on the street, let them float away for a moment using just my drum(s) :)

What’s crazy is.. when you’re so on beat - it’s not pocket.. it sounds mechanical.. but then if it’s slightly off but still in time.. suddenly there is a flavor.. and it’s something i think machine cannot do at all. It feels like the essence of humanity itself haha - true peace on earth. And 100% you end up on repeating.. it’s eh[horia.. I think some people I used play didn’t understand this. Majority were punk rock.. which I don’t think really got what pockets were. And other musicians I played with wanted complex fills every second.but that’s not how you get to that pocket.. when rock gets that pocket, it’s starts to feel like droning and flying…but you can’t get to that feel if you’re just playing solos and crap non-stop. Good explanation :)

Nice explanation. Thanks!

Thank you I needed this

Well said!

Thank you! 🙌🙏

Spot on. Thanks for doing this.

That centered triangle reference is spot on. Great vid, bud.

This was perfectly explained! Love it! ❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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

I loved your triangle example. It made everything clear.

Well stated! The triangle analogy was GREAT! I had the pleasure of doing a gig with you with Jasmine & Company and I never knew you had this RU-vid channel. Great stuff!

Love the video dude. I'd recommend anyone who wants a great example of studio 'pocket', listen to Superstition by Stevie Wonder. Everything is played by Stevie except the horns but the pocket is amazing!!

I have taken a close look at a lot of music, and one thing I have done with existing pro songs that are out there in the ecosystem is to check how precise the tempo is, using a DAW that can precisely measure this, quarter note to quarter note. What I guess I should not find surprising, is that regardless how tight the group is, regardless how perfect the timing sounds, regardless how consistent it sounds, and regardless that a click track was used, I have yet to find anything that was a flat line on the tempo readout. Virtually everything resulted in a graph with constant changes in tempo, quarter note to quarter note. For a song with an average tempo of 90, it could easily have moments where the tempo dropped to 80 or shot to 100, and even so, upon purely listening, it sounded super tight. I'd think 'that drummer is a effing ma-CHINE!', but the evidence shows every single tune has this sort of variance in it. But even tempo shifts of this magnitude are virtually invisible, which I found surprising. It is only when group members stray from the pocket the group is in, that it might stick out.

This is awesome. I couldn’t have explained the pocket better. You nailed everything 🤙🏽

Intuative and helpful for the producer who is starting on their path

Well explained!

This made a LOT of sense. Thank you.

Lol people confuse playing pocket with playing simple 😂 thank you for this

That's explanation I've been looking for. Thanks

Samuel, this is fantastic. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and thank you for your time and effort in producing this video - truly enlightening. Well done!

Great! Wow well explained. Suggestion for next episode: what’s swinging? Maybe from the perspective of jazz of the past 30 or so years. Subscribed and liked!

Pocket seems to take on a life of it’s on when you reach it. It’s just as good as getting paid for the gig.

Listen to AC/DCs Gone Shootin'. Perfect example of a band in the pocket!

Great explanation! Thanks!

The relation definition part helped alot. I’ve been producing music by myself trying to get better, but how am I to know the pocket if I don’t play with anyone else? Video helped on more than one perspective! Thanks.

thank you

Really great stuff, thanks.

My man always

The pocket happens in a rap verse when the rhyme words and stressed syllables all coincide with the beat

Pockets to me are just grooves n where u accentuate the kicks or down/upbeats of melodies

My man! Thanks! ✌😎👍

Hi Samuel - Thank you so much for the pocket explanation. If you have time, it would be great to see a video(s) demonstrating it with one or two musicians or a DAW. Or example from your live shows. I don't know about Reason yet. But I'm guessing the concepts still fit. Thanks again.

Thanks! I love the explanation but also the background music: what's the name of the song?

Bro you give to much away We still don’t learn👏🏾😡👏🏾💯

Spot on excellent explanation. This is always something I’ve ‘felt’ and pursued / pursue with top priority but I have never been able to articulate in words to myself or to someone else. So thank you. You’ve definitely earned a like/subscribe from me. I will check out all of your other content and am looking forward to future posts and engaging with you in the future. Much Love - Eric

very well explained video thanks man! you could make a video on all the terms like that that are mysterious when you start! all the terms that are thrown around in music tutorials that we kinda see what it means when we start. a basic overview of the common terms. Keep up the good work my man!!

I thought the pocket was being really into whatever theme one is playing. Like knowing all the parts inside out and play with assertiveness.

I'd say it's the groove of the space within a groove. Essentially swing, but playing to the already established swing of something else. In my mind, there can be extensive grooves to be found within a groove and to be in the pocket would be to play that silent groove. It is definitely more often felt than described. Something you shouldn't strive for, just wait for it

You make great videos man! Thank you !

The pocket indeed! Great explanation Sam!

Thank you!

Great explanation!

That was beautifully explained-masterful! Thanks. Subscribed immediately. Would love to HEAR examples of what you think is really in the pocket, and also what it LOOKS LIKE with the wave forms of audio tracks up on the screen.

E aê cara! Muito boa explicação. Comecei a pesquisar sobre o pocket por recomendação de um outro baterista. Aqui no Brasil 🇧🇷, não se ouve muito sobre!

I was taught pocket means the beat is not 4 pin points per measure... it's for hollow dots. The bass may be a little ahead of center and guitar behind, but we are all landing in the circle each beat.

This is an awesome explanation.

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.

That was an excellent explanation!

Here's an idea: you already work with _Reason._ You already _mentioned_ this DAW being capable of using "grooves". Now how about you *show* what that _looks_ like in the waveform view of the multitrack? It is MUCH easier to understand when you can actually SEE the dragging and rushing in the timeline.

hey man loved the music you used in the video hahaha, very nice to solo to, can you say the name or where you got it? Thanks for the video, the triangle metaphor was very cool, never thought of it like that