Nathan East's Tips for Playing in the Pocket

[tapangaur]

With a voice like his, you don't even need a bass. ✨

[wrobinson]

Great quote: "It's more difficult than it seems to lock in with the click." No kidding! Concentration is key. Virtuoso bassists (like Nathan) get to the point where they can do it without really thinking. I always struggle NOT to go too fast when playing complex 8th or 16th notes. Good lesson.

[Marleytrue]

2:26 "If I could reach the stars... [Change the world, I would be the sunlight in your universe] 🎶🎶

Loving the Clapton vibes, what an excellent tutorial! 🙏🏼🙂

[posecoach]

Hey Nathan! Met you at one world theatre in Austin a decade ago or so. As bass player I REALLY appreciate your free lesson! You were such a treat to meet and listen to. Many thanks! I gonna try these exercises

[mikestampede]

Great video, the random aerial shot was the icing on the cake!

[woodprogrammer]

this makes me want to take up the electric bass. saw him with clapton and knopfler a long time ago.
so good

[tsmerk]

I used to enjoy listening to Nathan many years ago at Fat City in San Diego. Still one of my faves!

[blackcatjazzin]

Nathan, thanks for this tip. You are right, it sounds easy but not quite to maintain your musicianship to ‘merely stay in the pocket’, . P.S. you are legend and a treasure sir………

[billrobinson]

Hey Mr East ...Bill "Smooth" Robinson lll" outta Texas our friend Bryce whom sent me photos of you two before heading to LA. Thks for your videos and playing in the pocket keeps everything simple alittle flare here there...but staying in the pocket is what my brother Larry "Sweet" Robinson (drums) is a preacher of!!! 😊We bassist drive the Bus and The Pocket is a must to forming any arrangements and keeping a groove thks Sir all the way from DFW!!! 🙏🏽❤️

[maxisotelo]

Great lesson!thanks for this!greetings from Bariloche, Argentina

[juniorsimmons]

It is still hard to believe that the Basslines for Barry White was played by a teenage Nathan East. Salute to you

[bluglass]

I like practicing with a drone synth. The ramping up and down really helps me hear the pocket.

[fieldagentisintheforest]

In 1986, Nathan asked to borrow my bass for about an hour, at the Whisky a GoGo in Hollywood one afternoon during our soundcheck, he was helping an Older artist perform for industry people at an audition... I was in a prog pop band at the time.. but I knew his name and who he was...I wonder if he would even remember ...

[oteiri]

I like how playing in pocket actually means that the note starts to ring behind. And even then that's in the pocket. Bass isn't the hammer of the bassdrum. It's the vibration which comes slightly after the hit.

[RWoods_music]

I tapped each leg to that metronome too, nathan east is an OG. great lesson

[kabutoid]

I move my head up and down when he demonstrates the upbeat practice

[juniorsimmons]

It is sorta like basketball. There is a drill where the good coaches will have you shoot from side to side starting from right under the basket. This is done just to make sure that your form is correct. Same thought process for music. My college band director made a tune out of a simple scale to determine if everyone was tuned up and to make sure that we were in pocket. It works. I am not usually a fanboy but I am a big

[ChristosBassCovers]

Smooth Bro ... Sounds Great. So completely agree with you that this needs to be a bass player's primary focus. So may want to slap and scale to impress ... if they cannot play in the pocket, they will have a hard time working with a band. Also also applaud your comments on playing with a click. Profession studio or large-scales concerts will likely always have click. These scenarios will require playing with a click. If you are on stage, the click will be in your ears. It's often mixed into the supplemental tracks so you can't simply have it taken out in your ears.

[chrisbirdsall]

That is one luscious sounding low E string!

[raysaade]

Man that "Change The World baseline" intro is so iconic