I didn’t practice anything new today. I practiced not rushing.
That realization came while playing along to Meshell Ndegeocello’s “The Way.” On the surface, everything felt fine. The groove felt good. Nothing sounded obviously wrong.
But once I isolated the drum part and recorded myself playing along, the truth showed up immediately: I was rushing my 16th-note accents—subtly, but consistently.
Not because I didn’t understand the rhythm. Not because I couldn’t play it. But because I wasn’t really feeling the space in between the notes.
That one session turned into over an hour of focused groove work. No fills. No soloing. Just listening more deeply. And it reminded me of something fundamental that often gets skipped:
Time feel on bass isn’t just about subdivision accuracy. It’s about note duration and space.
Why Time Feel Is the Real Bass Skill
Most bass players, at some point, realize this:
You can play the right notes, at the right tempo, and still not feel settled in the groove.
That’s because time feel lives beneath the surface. It’s not just where the notes land—it’s how long they last, how relaxed they feel, and how clearly the space around them is defined.
This is especially true on bass. Groove and time feel make up the majority of what we’re asked to do musically. Chops (while fun) are optional. Pocket is not.
The Hidden Problem: Rushing Without Realizing It
Rushing rarely shows up as a dramatic mistake. It’s usually quieter than that.
It shows up as:
- Accents creeping forward
- Notes getting slightly shorter than intended
- A feeling of urgency that wasn’t supposed to be there
When you’re playing along to a full track, these issues can get masked. The harmonic content, vocals, and production smooth everything over. You feel fine, so you assume you are.
But when you play with just drums—or better yet, when you record yourself and listen back—the feedback becomes much clearer.
That’s exactly what happened to me.
As soon as I heard my bass against Gene Lake’s isolated drum groove, I could hear how often I was rushing my 16ths. The groove would feel good for a moment, then suddenly disappear.
Not because I played something “wrong,” but because I stopped honoring the space.
Why Note Duration Matters More Than You Think
When we talk about rhythm, we tend to focus on when a note starts. But how long a note lasts is just as important.
If you intend to play a quarter note, but you consistently cut it short, the groove will feel anxious—even if your attacks are technically “on time.”
Shortened notes create tension. Full notes create calm.
This was drilled into me years ago when I was playing bass full-time. I spent long stretches practicing with a metronome, focusing on making notes last their full intended value. Not because I wanted to be robotic, but because I wanted to be intentional.
That practice didn’t just improve my control—it prepared me for real-world gigs where playing to a click was non-negotiable.
Coming back to the instrument after a long hiatus, I had to relearn this lesson from a different angle.
Space Is Not Empty: How Rests Shape Groove
One thing that’s rarely taught explicitly is this:
Rests are not empty.
Space has weight. Space has shape. Space has a beginning and an end.
When the space between notes is vague or rushed, the groove collapses—even if the notes themselves are “correct.”
During that hour with “The Way,” I stopped thinking of rests as gaps and started treating them like notes with no pitch. When the space felt intentional, everything else settled down:
- My note placement became clearer
- My articulations felt calmer
- The groove started to breathe
The moment I ignored the space, the pocket vanished—and I could feel it immediately.
Metronome Practice vs Playing With Drummers
Both are valuable. They just train different skills.
When I was playing professionally, metronome practice taught me:
- Consistency
- Control
- Precision
- Responsibility
But playing with real drummers teaches you something else:
- How to breathe with the groove
- How to respond to micro-push and pull
- How to feel time as a shared experience
Lately, I’ve been prioritizing playing along with real drum parts because that’s where my time feel gets tested in a more musical way.
The goal isn’t to abandon the metronome—it’s to understand what each tool is actually training.
Recording Yourself: The Fastest Way to Get Honest Feedback
If there’s one habit that accelerates groove development faster than almost anything else, it’s this:
Record yourself and listen back.
Not to judge. Not to criticize. But to observe.
When I listened back to my playing on this groove, the feedback was immediate and undeniable. Things I couldn’t hear while playing were suddenly obvious.
Recording reveals:
- Your time feel
- Your energy
- Your note choices
- Your rhythmic taste
- Your relationship to space
If you hear something you don’t like, that’s not a failure—it’s an opportunity.
Awareness is the doorway to change.
The Practice Shift That Fixed My Groove
Once I noticed the rushing, I made a decision:
I wasn’t going to distract myself with fills or soloing.
Even though I really wanted to.
Instead, I stayed with the groove. I focused on:
- Letting notes last
- Feeling the full length of the rests
- Relaxing my body
- Listening more than playing
That restraint was the practice.
Over time, the groove settled—not because I forced it, but because I gave it room to exist.
A Simple Practice Approach You Can Try Today
You don’t need a complicated routine to work on your time-feel.
Try this instead:
- Choose one simple groove
- Play it longer than feels comfortable
- Record yourself
- Listen back for space and note length—not speed
- Adjust, then repeat
There’s no finish line here. Just deeper listening.
Groove Is Deeper Than “Burying the Click”
Time feel isn’t just about locking to a grid. It includes:
- Dynamics
- Note length
- Beat placement
- Relaxation
- Awareness
This is lifelong work. I’ve been playing bass for a long time, and I still have to recalibrate.
That’s normal.
Ever since returning to the instrument, I’ve felt the pull to rebuild my chops and shred again. But every time I rush that process, the music tells me the same thing:
Start with the foundation. Then build upward.
Start With Time Before Chops
If you’re new to bass, start here. If you’ve been playing for decades, return here often.
Before speed, before chops, learn how to sit in time.
Groove is about 90% of what we do on bass. Everything else is decoration.
And the good news is—you don’t need to add anything to improve it.
Sometimes, you just need to stop rushing.
Explore more on bass technique, groove, and time feel, head over to Technique & Groove.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I rush my notes on bass even when I practice with a metronome?
Rushing often isn’t a subdivision problem — it’s a note duration and relaxation problem.
Many bass players focus so much on when notes start that they unconsciously shorten how long notes last. When notes get cut off early, the groove can feel rushed even if the attacks line up with the click.
Practicing full note lengths and feeling the space between notes helps calm the groove and stabilize time feel.
How can I tell if I’m rushing my 16th-note accents?
The fastest way is to record yourself and listen back, especially against exposed drums or a simple groove.
When you’re playing, your body can mask subtle rushing. On playback, it becomes much easier to hear accents creeping forward or notes feeling tense instead of settled.
If the groove feels like it keeps collapsing, rushing is often the cause.
What role does space play in bass groove?
Space is active, not empty. Rests should feel just as intentional as notes — with a clear beginning and end.
When space is rushed or vague, the groove loses clarity. When space is intentional, note placement improves naturally and the groove starts to breathe. Thinking of rests as “silent notes” can completely change your time feel.
Is practicing with real drummers better than using a metronome?
They train different skills.
– Metronomes develop consistency, control, and responsibility
– Real drummers teach you how to breathe, react, and share time musically
The most balanced approach includes both. Playing with real drum parts can reveal time-feel issues that metronome practice alone might hide.
