Playing Behind, in the Middle, and Ahead of the Beat
This book has already talked a lot about time. But what really is time? If you use a metronome (see Chapter 15) you will realize that time is a strict and rigid pulse. However, your playing should be fluid and graceful, not mechanical. So how do you play in time and yet avoid stiff playing? In order to do this, you need to create the illusion of playing loose all the while maintaining near-metronomic time. In order to do this, you will need to understand what it means to play behind, in the middle, and ahead of the beat. Moreover, you should learn how to play all three ways.
Some styles of music naturally sound like they have a lot of push or forward momentum; others naturally sound logy or relaxed. The first step in playing any style of music is to understand the nature of the music. Ballads or slow songs naturally want to sound relaxed and placid. In order to execute slower material, you should play slightly on top of the beat. If you don't, the music might start to drag or protract. There is nothing worse than a lazy tempo that runs out of steam altogether.
Up-tempo bluegrass tunes, bebop charts, or other fast pieces usually require you to play straight down the middle of the beat. If you play a little behind the beat, the music might start to drag. Conversely, if you play on top of the beat, the music might rush or speed up. If the song is already lightning fast, the last thing you'll want to do is to make it faster. This is because the faster you play the harder it is to maintain clean technique. If you rush on a fast tune, you will unwittingly sabotage your own playing.
Certain styles of rock music require you to play a little behind the beat. Select late-period Beatles tunes, funk and soul music, and nearly everything the Rolling Stones recorded uses a kind of behind-the-beat groove. Also, select blues shuffles and New Orleans swamp blues requires that you play on the back end of the beat. Playing behind the beat creates that phat, funky sound that makes these styles of music so infectious and popular. Other styles of music like punk and ska require you to play on top of the beat. When you play these styles, your playing should have an impatient, urgent feel to it. The excitement of these styles comes from the high-octane drive of the rhythm section.
How do you play behind, in the middle, or on top of the beat? Since this cannot be notated, the only way to learn how to do this is to listen to music with an ear toward feel, groove, and time extrapolation. As you listen, analyze how each style is interpreted and rendered by the bassist and drummer. Above all else, remember that playing behind or ahead of the beat doesn't mean overtly dragging or rushing. It simply means gently pushing or relaxing the time respectively.