I view the pulse in music as being very wide; there's not just one point in time where it exists but rather milliseconds. Think of how a Flam works. The grace note occurs just slightly ahead of the main note, thus making a fuller, thicker sound. We still feel the flam occurring within the given pulse, even though the left and right hand strokes do not occur exactly at the same point in time.

Here's an analogy I like to use when discussing the topic of playing on the Back, Middle, or Top of the beat.

Think of each pulse in the music like a boat. The boat exists over a space in the water; it's not just touching one point, but rather exists over a portion of the surface. So if the boat represents one pulse, let's say in this case a quarter-note, there are different areas we can place ourselves, and yet remain in the boat. When everyone in the band sits in the middle of the boat, there's perfect balance. But what if we all move to the front of the boat, with no one in the center or back of the boat? The vessel will eventually flip over ... if enough people are up top. The same goes if we all go to the back of the boat. So to maintain balance, some of us can move to the front of the boat, while others remain in the center or back.

I don't want to over analyze this, but it seems that we all naturally gravitate to the side of the boat that makes the journey feel the most comfortable; removing the feeling of capsizing the vessel. Music is the same way. We position ourselves within the pulse so as to create a balanced feel ... while still giving of sense of "driving on top", "sitting down the middle" or "laying back".

To me, different styles and genres of music have different relationships as to this placement. In uptempo Cuban music (for example), I tend to hear the drums/percussion playing more on top, and the bass landing in the middle to top. The other instruments fall somewhere on or between the middle and front of the pulse. This is one of few genres that always feels like the boat is going to tip over ... to my ears ... because everyone is "driving on top" ... but they maintain the balance. If they were to flip the boat over, it would be realized in musical terms as rushing.

In Pop music, I hear the drums laying back and the bass is more down the middle. The guitar, keys and vocals are on top to down the middle. Again, everyone is sitting in the boat in such a way as to bring balance to the music ... thus creating it's own vibe.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.

In regards to balance on the drumkit, the placement of the Kick, Snare and HiHat for example, we can use the boat analogy again.

If you put everything on top of the beat, it doesn't mean that you will rush, but it does mean you might have a tendency to do so.

When I'm trying to invoke a mood, such as "laying back" or "driving on top", I typically let it come more from the Snare more than anything else. The reason that I do this is that I want to have (actually need to have) something grounded within the kit. For me, it's my Kick drum. I put it right down the center of the beat ... or at least try to ... regardless of the style. This is just a general rule, but not always the case ... it depends on the music or song. I also keep the HiHat or Ride pretty much down the center of the beat. This allows me to position my Snare backbeats in the correct section of the pulse for the feel I'm wanting to convey. To my ears, the Snare seems to be the dominant factor in establishing a feel ... assuming you are playing backbeats.

I demonstrate this in my clinics (see audio examples below) by playing along to a pre-recorded track. Even though the rest of the instruments don't move, I'm able to create a variety of feelings by laying back on the backbeats, playing dead on, or playing on top. I'm not trying to say that you don't or can't move other parts of the kit within the pulse, I'm just suggesting that the backbeat placement can make a huge difference ... without having a need for the other instruments in the band to move or change. If you start laying back on the Kick drum, your bass player is going to more than likely need to move with the Kick. Slight placement differences between the Kick and bass can create some interesting results ... like making the bottom-end sound VERY big.

Now ... there's a REAL danger in getting all analytical with this stuff. You can really start messing with your mind, destroy the groove, and get away from what it's all really supposed to be about ... the music.

I once read an article in which session great J.R. Robinson stated that he doesn't like thinking along the lines I've discussed here. J.R. just plays ... and plays very well. Perhaps he does a lot of this but just doesn't think about it. Anyway, for those of us, like myself, who do not have "the gift", being able to analyze all of this gives me a way to approach my technique for a given song ... and also provide a way to communicate the concept in an educational manner.

All of this talk is quite controversial; some agree, some disagree. You have to come up with your own opinion, and do what works for you.

I suggest that you (everyone) should record themselves and listen back. It's THE way to learn and understand this great mystery of feel.

The three tracks below demonstrate how to play "down the middle", "on the backside", and "on top" of the beat. I used the first cut, "Straight Eighths", from Dave Weckl's Ultimate Play-Along CD - Volume 1 for my backing track.

Notice that I kept my parts very simple so you can listen and feel the differences as you compare the three variations. I focused on the placement of my Snare backbeats to achieve the feel; keeping the Kick and HiHat straight down the middle to line-up with the pre-recorded tracks. In a live situation, you would want to adjust your part(s) to fit with the rest of the band. But these examples are merely an experiment to help you better understand how the groove works. I'm not suggesting that the Snare drum is the only way to create these various feels, but we need to start somewhere, so choosing one part the kit (ie. Snare) to alter makes it easier to hear and learn.

Down the MIDDLE

On the BACK

On the TOP

Keep in mind that with the above examples, my approach and performance was for educational purposes only, in an effort to help you the listener actually hear what many still view as a mystery.

If I were to play this particular tune in a live setting, I would have choosen to place the Snare drum somewhere between what you heard in the Middle and Back of the beat examples, which to my ears is the best pocket for this tune. My conclusion is largely based on how the other instrumentalists are playing their parts, as well as the nature of the music itself. The bottom line ... make the music feel good!

It's a beautiful thing really. Being able to have so much flexibility just with the backbeat. Now you can HEAR the differences, and see how the placement of the backbeat AND the consistency of that backbeat ... is very important when it comes to establishing a pocket and maintaining the groove.

Bart Elliott is a degreed professional musician and founder of the Drummer Cafe. His 25+ years in the music industry, over 100 albums to his credit, as well as his understanding of contemporary and classical music, makes him a complete and skilled master musician. A highly sought after drummer and percussionist, Bart is widely known as a top music educator and gifted teacher, appearing as a guest artist and clinician throughout the USA. He currently offers private instruction and custom video correspondence lessons on both drums and percussion at his studio in Nashville, TN.