DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

What do you guys think are the most effective ways to deepen ones pocket?  Mine is on the shallow side of average, and it could always use more depth!  

1) Spend part of every practice session playing simple patterns.
2) Practice them at slow to moderate tempos, not fast. Us a metronome.
3) Focus on being relaxed and getting a uniform sound. "Play it like you mean it!"

If you listen to people who are considered great pocket players (Steve Gadd, Russ Kunkel, Andy Newmark etc) you hear them playing fewer notes with a fat consistent tone on each beat. The tempo is rock solid. All this adds up to a very solid, secure feeling for the audience and other players.
A lot of it is their judgement as well: when in doubt, they keep it simple.

Well said Sheldon!

Practice playing the bass and snare without any ride pattern.  Easy to play, difficult to play well.

Whatever you can do that will increase your internal time awareness; Sheldon's comments were spot on.

I'd also recommend playing with other musicians that are known for having deep pockets. If that's not readily  available to you, then some of the play-along materials that available today. I personally feel that the Dave Weckl materials have been very good for me. The grooves are simple enough that I can practice just about any beat I want with it, even though it's not the right groove for the tune. The players on there are top notch and seem to play right down the middle of the beat ... which allows me to work on laying back or pushing the feel.

I like to pull out my Steeley Dan library and practice to all those great grooves. One thing about all the drummers that have played on those cuts ... they all have deep pockets.

Counting out loud and singing the grooves has really helped me (and my students) develop my internal clock. I can't stress the importance of developing that enough.

When I don't warm-up properly or if I'm not relaxed, my pocket (what little I have) goes right out the window. You don't want you limbs holding you back by not responding as you want them to. Tension does the same thing. Taking care of your body is probably the first step in having inner peace. Being at rest with yourself internally, and even externally, has got to effect one's pocket.

Thoughts?

Bart is right about singing the parts. I'm studying with a tremendous teacher in Seattle, and he gives me these viciously simple syncopation exercises. After listening to me struggle, he makes me sing the hihat part while playing with the other 3 limbs. Then sing the bass drum. etcetera.
Once I can sing it, I can invariably play it.

It's also an amazing demonstration that the speech center of your brain is different than your arm and leg control. There are patterns I can play easily. But when I try to speak the bass drum while playing the other parts I get tied up into knots.

I find the best way to deepen one's pocket is to simply insert a heavy object, thus stretching the fabric. The downside is that it will spoil the line of your jacket and your tailor will not thank you.

Yes, my teacher uses the same method as well, "singing" the parts if some stuff isnt working out as planned.....he uses it to bug me as well, singing stupid children songs while im doing my bars, just trying to catch me offguard