Tempo speeding up

MikeK

This is an interesting topic to me and one that, I believe, isn't discussed enough. There are a few players who are on my bandstand occasionally who definitely do this. It's my mission (especially on the gigs where I only play rhythm) to do everything I can to lock-in the tempo from the beginning of the song & to maintain that tempo until the last chord is played. I think it's really important, not only for the other band members, but for the audience as well. Even if they're talking the whole time (think restaurant gigs), many of them are aware on some level of the groove that we're laying down. I often look for the tapping foot under the table at my restaurant gigs to know if we're breaking through & doing our job well. 2 points I'd like to make about this:

1) it seems to me that it has to do with nerves. The guys that I notice speeding up tend to do it on tougher tunes that they may not be super familiar with.

2) what to do about it when it happens on your gig? You can let them push you to the faster tempo or you can dig in & hold steady where you were. Either way, it's not a great scenario for the groove of the tune.

I'm not sure how to correct it if you're a player that does it. But like many issues in life, acute awarenes about it is a great starting point for fixing it. So that's good, OP, that your bass player told you about it. I try very hard to never be critical of my bandmates (since it can lead to weird vibes on & off the bandstand), but this one is important enough where we should probably mention it if we're hearing our bandmates doing it. Of course, that goes for dragging the tempo as well.

So ultimately, I have no solutions for fixing it if you're the guy doing it. I never practice with a metronome, however--on the nights when I dont have gigs, I practice with my self-made backing tracks, which were all made with a metronome in the distant background. But I will tell you what I've been doing recently when guys do it on my gigs (and I'm prepared to take some heat for this from the forum): when I call the song (which is usually started at the tempo that I want) and the other guitar player pushes the tempo up when he comes in comping, I wait patiently until I'm done with the head and one form of soloing. Then when it's his turn to solo, I subtly but in a determined way bring the tempo slowly back to where it was when I started the song. I like to make subtle eye contact with the bass player when I do this to make sure he's with me. Of course he noticed it too, so we dont have to speak about it. I think, like with a lot of this stuff, experience is the best teacher. So if you've been told that you do this: be conscious of it (but not overly self-conscious) and go to the jams & play with other people as much as you can to try to overcome it. We all want the music to groove & swing, so let's all do our part to make that happen.

bbwood_98

I'll comment here as well- @wim is right on the beat - have the metronome drop out. Also remember @Buco's point that our energy level and nerves can cause us all to speed up or slow down. Sometimes both.

This is not music played to a fixed metronomic number (@djazzy makes a very excellent point about practicing tunes at different tempos is superb work as well). Go check some recordings with a metronome, from Django to Bireli to Stochelo to Moignard- lots of songs in the style speed up. Thus the speeding up I consider part of a stylistic choice that is common in 'Django-style Jazz'.

I try to make sure I don't slow down, but also don't want to create sonic chaos by stepping on beats and forcing the tempo (which sounds like someone in the band just took a snort of cocaine or downed an espresso or whatever). I also don't love it when the tempo wavers because one member speeds up and another brings it back down . . . It often just feels weird when that happens.

Recently I heard a great exercise for this (and I found it hard to do, but fun). Put the metronome on and call the changes to a tune in time. Repeat in a different tempo, change the key. After, do the same exercise without the metronome and see if your time is good. If you hesitate on calling out a chord, you likely don't have the tune 100% in your brain, and therefore there is a risk of serious nerves, and slowing down or speeding up.

Final thought, if you have swing dancers in your area, try to play for them, and ask them how your time feels. They will let you know pretty quick if it's odd, or not working- speeding up a lot or slowing down a lot or not grooving.

voutoreenie

I'll be blunt, I don't play with people who fight the tempo while in the middle playing gigs (some bassists being the worst); again, regardless of minor tempo variances, all that matters is the band keeps swinging. And I can say with authority something that never swings, fighting with another musician on stage in between every song to prove a point to them - that's a surefire way to make an audience notice something's off and quite an unprofessional way at that, imo.

And this isn't to say that players shouldn't ever politely point out what they're hearing to other players in between songs or offer constructive criticism after a gig...but if someone's constantly fighting with someone else because they're dropping/speeding or if someone's consistently on the receiving end of being told they're dropping/speeding, they probably shouldn't be gigging together.

paulmcevoy75

I don't fight with people but I have definitely gotten annoyed with people at jam sessions when I felt like their timing sucked. Particularly dragging bass players.

Working with CVH has shown my my own rhythm and sense of swing was SO BAD though, I'm not even sure my judgement was very good. I imagine that the people who annoyed me had bad time but I also think my own timing was pretty awful most likely. Probably differently bad then theirs, but bad. I don't think I rushed or dragged all that much but my sense of swing was non-existent.

A work in progress at the moment. I am sure that I am getting better. Not sure if I'm "good" yet.

Chiefbigeasy

I'll take responsibility for my tempo issues and am willing to be more sensitive and aware, but the complaint I mentioned came after our rendition of "Anniversary Song" during which all the other musicians and I seemed to be having a great time with how the tune sounded. It was a surprise to me.

I too am reluctant to criticize my fellow bandmates, and I try to offer suggestions in a positive way as opposed to framing them negatively. I suggest, for example, that my bassist plays with a more simple two-feel, especially when I begin a solo so as to have a path to build intensity. In a word: dynamics. I've also suggested playing simpler because, in truth, I think the bassist is complaining about speed when doing complicated walking notes or accents when a simpler line would allow us to lock in better. Then, even if there was a slight organic rise in speed of tempo, at least the rhythm groove would be locked in.

My survey of opinions here and elsewhere tell me that a small speedup in tempo is not uncommon in performance and even in recordings of respected players so long as the swing and groove remains organically locked in. It is also seems agreed that it is much preferable to a drag or chaotic variation in tempo.

In any case, thanks to all for weighing with suggestions and experiences.