What is groove?

[nomadh]

Was just listening to this and it made me ask this question?


I know it when I hear it. Or do it. I know sometimes I can make it happen but only with bass and drums that have it. If the rest of the band drops into a groove then the guitar can just get sucked along for the ride. If they dont then as a guitarist there is no hope. But still dont know what IT is.
I'm thinking about this because I'm doing a project where I need to play reggae and I've never played a bit. But I gotta say jammin sure has a great groove. So I know this will take some work to get this groove. Just wondering if itll be faster if I had a definition or explanation.

[Mossman]

Groove is hard to define, and it can't be taught... You either have it or you don't, and everybody knows it when they feel it, and when they don't. As a bassist, "groove" is of utmost importance, but nobody can tell you what it is. It has to come from within. And there has to be a balance between groove and technical proficiency. When bassists talk about other bassists, especially highly technical players, a common critique is: "yeah, but he has no groove!". I think the best compliment I ever received as a bass player was when another bassist, whom I respected, told me I had groove.

Simply put; groove is just being right where you need to be to propel the music along, but doing so in a fluid and effortless way. Groove is very human... You can't groove to a drum machine. Whether you're ahead of the beat here, or behind the beat there, it doesn't matter. It's about motion... swing... momentum... and making the listener want to move along with it.

[ID10t]

Drugs. Okay not necessary but can certainly help. Many good groove bands and members use weed and heroin (don't do heroin.)
I'm awful at music but I keep grinding; there is a huge difference when comparing my caffeine to nicotine ratio and I am a recent convert to Kava. I'd love to get a hold of some psilocybin. I am not currently (or for many years) enjoyed the Marijuana, my addiction always come back to booze. So caffeine, nicotine, and kava it is.

Just your friendly drug endorsement.

[sabasgr68]

That´s one of those words that are hard to define. I think I know what it is, and would recognize it if I see it or feel it, but cannot tell "what" it is in a precise way.

I do know that, being as shy and timid as I am, especially when it comes to play in front of others, I doubt I can make it grow from within me, not to mention making others - the listeners/watchers - to feel it with me.

So, "groove" could be that thing that makes you flow and travel inside the vehicle - music, in our case -, and has the effect of getting into others and make them groove too.

[mickey]

The groove is the thing the needle (stylus) rides in when you are playing vinyl.

[ID10t]

Okay, I've got a swim in, caffeine, nicotine, kava and too much time to think.
Let me over analyze this.
I like music and a lot of different kinds. I still stand behind my drugs as a potentiator thought, but not the only thing.
Practice, mutual feeling towards grooving and no ego. I see it as a stone soup type of thing, everyone brings something that independent is just an ingredient but mixed together is a dish.
Orchestra music has a groove to me, choir, a cappella. Grateful Dead, Phil Lesh brought the bass groove but Jerry had groove with guitar. Country and folk music and if you want specifics think John Denver with an acoustic guitar, James Taylor can do the same thing.

When I think of why bass brings groove I believe it is lack of ego and an appreciation of "what goes between the notes" (thanks Jimi).
I like me some Metallica and Rammstein too, but they don't have groove and they never will to me.

How about an anatomy and physiology joke about the brain and heart arguing about what is more important and finally the butthole says 'if ya'll don't shut up I'm shutting down.'

Handle earned.

[toomanycats]

Groove is in the heart, and probably even more so in the groin. Not so much in the head.

These people seem to know a lot about it, and I'm not disposed to disagree with Bootsy.

[t100d]

You know it when you got it—when you don't got it, everybody else knows it …


A little disjointed at first, but then the groove kicks in at about 00:58 …

I guess you could say groove happens when the whole band is breathing as one, and nobody's trying to be out front of the others …

Or, as we learned from Funkadelic —"Free your mind … and your ass will follow."

[andrewsrea]

^ Cowbell is the secret to the groove!

[tlarson58]

It's like a hook. You know a good one when you hear it.

[Forecaster]

The secret died with David Zychek in 2016.

[Partscaster]

Who is Groovy ?


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[Houblues]

The mashup mentioned here of Exodus and Killed by Death had me going back and listening to the various live versions of Exodus (Bob Marley), which I think are groovy as any. You can hear a constant push/pull, tension then release. That very process slowly moves the song to a different place, but the rhythm is always rock solid, no matter what.

Here is another great example of groove (NOT Safe for work). What I think is at work here is the bass and drums are extremely tight, and just relentless, no way *not* to feel it. The kick drum accents have much to do with it also -

[nomadh]

Sometimes I think it's where time slips a bit then snaps back especially on the 1? Like a slingshot. Sort of a late lazy on time.

Of course there is the groove rock band kingsx

[bleys21]

Bless you son! King's X are the epitome of groove!

Sometimes I think it's where time slips a bit then snaps back especially on the 1? Like a slingshot. Sort of a late lazy on time.

Of course there is the groove rock band kingsx

[nomadh]

Bless you son! King's X are the epitome of groove!

Sometimes I think it's where time slips a bit then snaps back especially on the 1? Like a slingshot. Sort of a late lazy on time.

Of course there is the groove rock band kingsx

So if you want to groove just ask. WWKXD?

[MichaelR]

I find the groove to be a mystic thing which I either have or do not depending on the day. I have tried marijuana and various other drugs over the years and none are a reliable way of getting in the groove really, you either have it that day or you don't. I can play everything I know one day and it sounds ok yet on the next I may be in the groove and I believe it REALLY sounds good. Some days I can just feel a song coming on and other I cant do it for the life of me.

[TVvoodoo]

groove is the sexy step-sister of swing. Hard to teach either to anyone who can't lead with the groin

[uwmcscott]

Bernard Purdie may have been the master of the shuffle, but he can sure groove too