If you want to play more like Brian Baker take some of these pentatonic riffs and for each one practice playing it repetitiously like a machine at first all eighth notes precisely on down beats. Then increase the tempo and do the same. Your playing a has a shaky quality to it and lacks awareness of the bar line making it less successful rhythmically. Advanced players will play lines over the bar line but before you can do that you have to play inside the bar line with precision. Brian Baker plays a lot of repetitious patterns. He might play a riff 5 of 6 times before switching to another. And he uses wide intervals So take any riff of say try this in pentatonic. A D G C, E A D G, play this up two octaves repetitiously, like an entire minute straight and make it rock solid against a metronome you are a drummer. Then once you have that working then you might shift around some of the accents, like putting on or more notes on an upbeat. Then another one A D C E, D G E A , get this one rock solid, the ability to play it perfectly for 60 seconds. Then switch between the patterns staying strictly in the bar line. This is how Brian Baker plays like he plays. He takes a simple wide interval riffs and plays them repetitiously, first like a precise machine and then he will start accenting in different places, playing some notes on the up beat. He builds these rhythmic patterns block by block playing like a sequencer. If you type "Online sequencer" This free online sequencer comes up. You can set up these patterns and play along with them repetitiously. If you put the notes in another set, it will loop when you hit play These blocks can be built up as harmonic compositions later but it helps your rhythm in soloing to play them repetitiously in the pocket of the beat, one at a time. That is easier with a pick or using 3 fingers instead of just thumb. You should have the ability to do stable rhythmic patterns where each note is hitting precisely with a metronome not a drum track. That is how Brian Baker developed his style, repetitious patterns, Then putting in small variations once he had each pattern mastered mechanically. There is no way around that this takes a lot of hours to get it under your fingers very solid rhythmically. Once you have that you are going to hear the difference and you will organically want to bring all your playing , even melodic solos into the pocket.
Man thanks so much for taking the time to give such great advice. You are exactly right, my weakness is timing. Good analysis of BB’s style. I’ll have to check out the online sequencer. Sounds like a great tool to get my rhythm/timing really locked in. Thanks again for taking the time to correctly identify a problem and providing a clear and specific solution. That’s exactly what I hope my little spot on RUclips becomes, a place where musicians at different levels can get advice and a path to improvement.
If you want to play more like Brian Baker take some of these pentatonic riffs and for each one
practice playing it repetitiously like a machine at first all eighth notes precisely on down beats.
Then increase the tempo and do the same.
Your playing a has a shaky quality to it and lacks awareness of the bar line making it less successful rhythmically.
Advanced players will play lines over the bar line but before you can do that you have to play inside the bar line with precision.
Brian Baker plays a lot of repetitious patterns. He might play a riff 5 of 6 times before switching to another.
And he uses wide intervals
So take any riff of say try this in pentatonic.
A D G C, E A D G, play this up two octaves
repetitiously, like an entire minute straight and make it rock solid against a metronome you are a drummer.
Then once you have that working then you might shift around some of the accents,
like putting on or more notes on an upbeat.
Then another one
A D C E, D G E A , get this one rock solid, the ability to play it perfectly for 60 seconds.
Then switch between the patterns staying strictly in the bar line.
This is how Brian Baker plays like he plays. He takes a simple wide interval riffs and plays
them repetitiously, first like a precise machine and then he will start accenting in different places,
playing some notes on the up beat. He builds these rhythmic patterns block by block
playing like a sequencer.
If you type "Online sequencer"
This free online sequencer comes up. You can set up these patterns
and play along with them repetitiously. If you put the notes in another set,
it will loop when you hit play
These blocks can be built up
as harmonic compositions later but it helps your rhythm in soloing
to play them repetitiously in the pocket of the beat, one at a time.
That is easier with a pick or using 3 fingers instead of just thumb.
You should have the ability to do stable rhythmic patterns where
each note is hitting precisely with a metronome not a drum track.
That is how Brian Baker developed his style, repetitious patterns,
Then putting in small variations once he had each pattern mastered
mechanically. There is no way around that this takes a lot of hours
to get it under your fingers very solid rhythmically. Once you have that
you are going to hear the difference and you will organically want
to bring all your playing , even melodic solos into the pocket.
Man thanks so much for taking the time to give such great advice. You are exactly right, my weakness is timing.
Good analysis of BB’s style. I’ll have to check out the online sequencer. Sounds like a great tool to get my rhythm/timing really locked in.
Thanks again for taking the time to correctly identify a problem and providing a clear and specific solution. That’s exactly what I hope my little spot on RUclips becomes, a place where musicians at different levels can get advice and a path to improvement.