Does the average church/gospel drummer(musician) understand what POCKET is?

[thik_stix]

Does the average church drummer understand what POCKET is?

A couple of days ago, i had the opportunity to go and check out some up and coming drummers at a local concert....and mind you i have not been to a gospel concert in quite sometime. As far as chops go, these drummers were amazing....but it bothers me when musicians or drummers go up to them afterwards and say "hey man, your pocket is tight, you have the tightest pocket." What is that? Is that a new way of playing pocket or something, by playing a bunch of CHOPS? But you know, I kind of knew what time it was when before the concert one of the drummers showed me his snare and had a marching band head on it...CRANKED!!!!!!!!and had a bunch of 12" splashes and using them as CRASHES.

[bigblackdrummer]

Does the average church drummer understand what POCKET is?

A couple of days ago, i had the opportunity to go and check out some up and coming drummers at a local concert....and mind you i have not been to a gospel concert in quite sometime. As far as chops go, these drummers were amazing....but it bothers me when musicians or drummers go up to them afterwards and say "hey man, your pocket is tight, you have the tightest pocket." What is that? Is that a new way of playing pocket or something, by playing a bunch of CHOPS? But you know, I kind of knew what time it was when before the concert one of the drummers showed me his snare and had a marching band head on it...CRANKED!!!!!!!!and had a bunch of 12" splashes and using them as CRASHES.

Young players don't know what pocket is!!! They misunderstand that showing off and fast licks does not make you a good drummer or a drummer at all !!! I was like that 10 years ago. With time and M.D`s, older musicians and producers yelling at you, you grow out of it and learn.

[thik_stix]

Young players don't know what pocket is!!! They misunderstand that showing off and fast licks does not make you a good drummer or a drummer at all !!! I was like that 10 years ago. With time and M.D`s, older musicians and producers yelling at you, you grow out of it and learn.

BBD you better say it again...i can not name the many times i got embarressed, when i started playing on a different circuit other than the one i was used too, which was church...but you live and LEARN and them older catts will tell you how it REALLY is....so i agree with you BBD.

[Eccentric-Rhythm]

Just Imagine my Avatar asking:





"Uhhhhhh What is a Pawket?????"

 

[JSV]

www.myspace.com/music_lab

JULIAN SCOTT
JULIAN SCOTT VARNER
JULES

[JSV]

AS A MUSICIAN, I UNDERSTAND WHY A YOUNGER MUSICIAN DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE POCKET IS.
THAT IS PROFESSIONAL TERM THAT IS USED AMONG MORE EXPERIENCED MUSICIANS THAT HAVE DONE LIVE RECORDINGS OR HAVE WORKED IN A STUDIO SETTING. WE ALL HAVE TO BE WILLING TO DEVELOP OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND NOT LOOK DOWN ON SOMEONE IF THEY DON"T QUITE UNDERSTAND.....


SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE LOVE


JULIAN SCOTT

[min_amw]

The term "pocket" is becoming sooooo cliche' in the drumming community. Some people think that BLAZING FILLS is pocket. Others think that playing no fills is pocket playing. Pocket is playing in a way that accompanies the song musically. If the song calls for a fill, do it. If not, be disciplined enough not to fill that space.

[thik_stix]

The term "pocket" is becoming sooooo cliche' in the drumming community. Some people think that BLAZING FILLS is pocket. Others think that playing no fills is pocket playing. Pocket is playing in a way that accompanies the song musically. If the song calls for a fill, do it. If not, be disciplined enough not to fill that space.

You're right i agree with you......IT'S totally a "MUSICAL" Term....

[MODERN_DRUMMER]

i wondered the same exact thing to me,those guys stay doin tricks,and show you licks! but i guess it would be lil weird to do a whole lesson on poclet???? but they could mention it a lil more???

[pianoboi06]

Young players don't know what pocket is!!! They misunderstand that showing off and fast licks does not make you a good drummer or a drummer at all !!! I was like that 10 years ago. With time and M.D`s, older musicians and producers yelling at you, you grow out of it and learn.
[/quote]


but being a young drummer, it  seems like the only way that you get recognized is if you constantly killin, i don 't really know of too many drummers that are on cd's and projects that have a tight pocket... every one wants to be like thomas pridgen, chris dave, stokley doing crazy off the wall stuff>>> don't get me wrong all these dudes have a strong pocket but you very rarely see that.[.. holla back ???

[bigblackdrummer]

The term "pocket" is becoming sooooo cliche' in the drumming community. Some people think that BLAZING FILLS is pocket. Others think that playing no fills is pocket playing. Pocket is playing in a way that accompanies the song musically. If the song calls for a fill, do it. If not, be disciplined enough not to fill that space.

Nah man, you can play no fills and just play pocket! Pocket is being in the deepest groove of time, hitting each beat dead on and locking in that beat!  1 and 2 and 3 and 4 read out loud and accent and bob your head on the numbers only. Now about fills. All fills need to be in time, on time and in the groove but! You can do Spanky fills and come back into playing pocket.

[smarkland38]

Great Post!
  What i noticed and you brothes & sisters can quote me if i am wrong, today in the church if you play pocket, the young drummers are not interested. They think you are boring, now if you are doing  crazychops they would say MAN YOU NASTY OR BEAST!! Like BBD QUOTE LIVE AND LEARN so did i. I pray that they realize that the more they understand about good pocket and timekeeping thet will get more gigs

[thik_stix]

Great Post!
  What i noticed and you brothes & sisters can quote me if i am wrong, today in the church if you play pocket, the young drummers are not interested. They think you are boring, now if you are doing  crazychops they would say MAN YOU NASTY OR BEAST!! Like BBD QUOTE LIVE AND LEARN so did i. I pray that they realize that the more they understand about good pocket and timekeeping thet will get more gigs

Hey man i agree with you...if you are not flipping over the drums....and directing the choir...you are not doing anything(jus joking)...alot of the younger catts sit and try to learn the chops of other well established drummers....instead of learning their role as a drummer....Alot of church drummers have unbelievable chops, but timing is terrible...but dont get me wrong, not all church drummers are like this....

[min_amw]

Nah man, you can play no fills and just play pocket! Pocket is being in the deepest groove of time, hitting each beat dead on and locking in that beat!  1 and 2 and 3 and 4 read out loud and accent and bob your head on the numbers only. Now about fills. All fills need to be in time, on time and in the groove but! You can do Spanky fills and come back into playing pocket.

I think we're saying the same thing, just in different ways. ???

[Da_Drumma]

Why, why, why.....................do we always have this topic???? But it's all good. To me pocket is giving the music a chance to make a statement. I don't think playing pocket is doing a whole bunch of crazy licks, buuuuuuuuuttttttt..........I dont think it is playing kick on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4 for about 50 million bars neither. I think that playing pocket is giving the music room to breath, creating a natrual flow, giving people and chance to feel the groove of the song, and giving other instruments as well a place to sit in the groove!!!

[TNTNT]

POCKET DOESNT MEAN PLAY STRAIGHT    IT MEANS TO STAY IN THE SEAM OF THE POCKET , IDUM,  PLAYING WITH GROOVE PRIORITY BUT NOT UNDER PLAYING   BUT FILLING THE POCKET WITH ONLY WHAT CAN FIT IN IT.     



                                                      T BRADFORD

[rjthakid]

What's a pocket?   ???

    

Come on guys.  Don't front.  You know you've visited another church and saw a drummer not do any super-fancy fills and thought "This guy is boring.  "  Even if his pocket was air-tight. 

[sugabear]

To me it's gone way beyond pocket in church. I was in a service not to long ago and I noticed the drummer was twirling his sticks . What in the world was that about? It seems everyone feels pressured to play all the amazing fills because that's what a lot of the younger cats respect now-a-days, but when did this thing become about gaining someone's admiration. Believe me, I'm an advocate of musical expression, but all this flashy stuff is becoming over bearing, especially when it's every other bar in music. Maybe it's just me, but when I hear a guy playing drums and he's got that groove on lockdown in the state pen and then all of a sudden does a fill (it doesn't have to be anything amazing) it grabs my attention and sounds so much better than someone who did the biggest fill after the stick click intro and never stopped until the end of the song.

[TNTNT]

WHY WOULD YOUR FOCUS BE ON DRUMS    IF EVERYONES PLAYS GOOD IT WONT SOUND BORING ,  WEAK ARRANGEMENTS ARE BORING, NOT A DRUMMER NOT SHOW BOATING

[bigblackdrummer]

Why, why, why.....................do we always have this topic???? But it's all good. To me pocket is giving the music a chance to make a statement. I don't think playing pocket is doing a whole bunch of crazy licks, buuuuuuuuuttttttt..........I dont think it is playing kick on 1 and 3 and snare on 2 and 4 for about 50 million bars neither. I think that playing pocket is giving the music room to breath, creating a natrual flow, giving people and chance to feel the groove of the song, and giving other instruments as well a place to sit in the groove!!!

What snares that?