Drumming ‘In The Pocket’ (How to Become a Pocket Drummer)
Drumming ‘in the pocket’ means three things: having great timing, a great groove, and serving the music. Playing in such a way allows you to create a ‘pocket’ that gives other musicians in your band space to play.
Striking a great balance between these sometimes subtle concepts is what separates a good drummer from a great drummer.
Every drummer should strive to become a ‘pocket drummer.’ When you are playing in the pocket, you are playing with the music, and it sometimes means playing in a sweet spot between timing and groove.
This may be a confusing concept at first because having great timing allows you not to veer off or have large increases or decreases in timing throughout a song.
However, playing with a groove humanizes the beat. It’s those minor subtleties in the placement of your strokes throughout the bar. It’s the minor changes in dynamics and ghost notes.
This can humanize a beat and make it sound much more musical.
Contents
Drumming ‘In The Pocket’ at a Glance
- Drumming ‘in the pocket’ combines the balance of timing, groove, and serving the music.
- Becoming a ‘pocket drummer’ requires great timing and groove harmony.
- Good timing maintains consistency, while groove humanizes the beat.
- Serving the music means playing thoughtfully, not for self-display.
- Deep pocket drummers excel without flashiness or high technical skill.
- To improve as a pocket drummer, serve the music, manage dynamics, and avoid overcomplicating beats.
- ‘Out of the pocket’ means the groove no longer sits with the song or the band.
- Controlled dynamics and phrasing can add feel without making the tempo wander.
Serving the music is an overarching principle that you should strive for in drumming, which means that your drum beats and fills should be arranged and placed thoughtfully and tastefully in a way that will serve the song as a whole.
It’s not intended as a medium for you to show off. A ‘deep pocket drummer’ does not need to be flashy or have serious drumming chops.
A deep pocket drummer may be technically less adept while still putting on an outstanding drumming performance.
How do you become a better pocket drummer?
Start Serving The Music
This is a point that has been repeated so many times on this blog! As much as you need to strive to improve your drum chops, you need to be careful about how you use them when playing music.
Sometimes, all you need is a simple four-to-the-floor beat; sometimes, even the best jazz drummers in the world just need a staple ride cymbal groove with slight changes throughout the song.
What’s amazing is that sometimes, the best drummers in the world can make even the most basic of beats sound amazing! These play these basic beats ‘in the pocket.’
Watch Your Dynamics
Pocket drummers often play with deep dynamics. Even a small change in stroke weight can change the feel of a beat. A softer hi-hat and a clear backbeat can make the whole part work without adding notes.
Try four bars with even eighth notes on the hi-hat, a kick on beats 1 and 3, and a snare on 2 and 4. Keep the pulse steady while making the snare more present than the hats. Then lower the hats again without changing tempo.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things (unless that happens to suit the music!)
Good pocket is consistent with the song. A deliberate laid-back or driving feel still needs a clear pulse.
Sometimes, a song may sound great with polyrhythms and syncopation. This is perfectly fine to do, and it can very well be possible to play these very nicely in the pocket as long as the songs work well with this type of beat.
Playing the kind of beats does not mean that a drummer is playing out of pocket, as long as they’re playing tastefully to the song.
Drumming ‘out of the pocket’
You are out of the pocket when the beat stops sitting with the song or the band. Common signs are rushing after a fill, dragging the backbeat unintentionally, or playing a part that crowds the vocal.
A click is a useful reference. Playing accurately to it is not a problem. A stiff feel usually comes from the whole part and its dynamics, not from accuracy alone.
Small timing choices can shape feel, but they should be controlled and shared with the band. If you are unsure, record the groove and listen for consistency across several bars.
Quantization places notes from drum machines on a rhythmic grid. A quantized part can still groove when its accents, sounds and note choices work well. A live drummer can also play tightly to a grid and feel great. The point is to choose a feel that fits the music.
These choices can pull a part away from the song when they happen at the wrong moment:
- Adding fills in the wrong places
- Hitting the crash cymbals far too often
- Overcomplicating beats and fills
- Too much showing off!
A 12-minute pocket practice routine
Use a metronome or a simple drumless track. Record a phone memo so you can hear whether the groove stays steady.
- Minutes 0 to 3, find the pulse: set 80 BPM in 4/4. Play kick on 1 and 3, snare on 2 and 4, and even eighth notes on the hi-hat. Count aloud. Keep every bar the same length.
- Minutes 3 to 6, shape the dynamics: play the same beat. Make the snare backbeat clear and the hats softer. Do not speed up when you accent.
- Minutes 6 to 9, leave space: play two bars of the beat, then two bars with only kick, snare and a lighter hat. Notice which part leaves more room for a vocal.
- Minutes 9 to 12, test a fill: play three bars of the beat and one short fill. Land the next beat 1 with the click. If you rush, shorten the fill.
Next, put the click only on beats 2 and 4, or play with a bass track. Keep the same pulse. Do not force a behind-the-beat feel until the basic groove is reliable.
Audio examples: what to listen for
The performances below give you different kinds of pocket. Listen once for the pulse, again for the backbeat and a third time for the space around the vocal or melody. Clap on 2 and 4, then try the simple exercise above with one of the tracks.
Famous Pocket Drummers
Hal Blaine
Hal Blaine was an influential session drummer and a member of The Wrecking Crew. His work helped shape many pop recordings in the 1960s and 1970s. Listen to how a simple part can give a song momentum without filling every space. His drumming on The Carpenters’ ‘Close To You’ is one example of a part built around the song.
Chad Smith
Chad Smith shows that pocket does not have to be quiet. His playing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers often has an assertive energy. In the example above, listen for a strong pulse and how the backbeat works with the bass line.
Kenny Aronoff
Kenny Aronoff is known for a powerful, precise backbeat. His work with John Mellencamp helped bring him wider attention, and he has played across different drumming styles since. In the performance above, listen for how the drum part supports the song through changes in energy.
Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr‘s parts with The Beatles often leave room for the vocal and make the song easy to follow. His approach changed with the band’s music rather than relying on one groove. In ‘Come Together’, listen to the kick pattern and the space around the vocal.
Nate Smith
Nate Smith’s playing is a useful example of groove with more detail. His ‘Pocket Change’ recordings put that feel in the foreground. Listen for repeated accents and small variations while the pulse stays clear.
Summary
Being a pocket drummer is not about always playing the bare minimum. It’s about knowing when to play less and also knowing when to use more subtlety in your drumming to get the best groove factor for a song.
Being sensitive enough to know what is appropriate for the musical style you are playing in and having an understanding that there are times when simplicity and subtlety are the best way to go!
Practice is everything when it comes to improving your pocket drumming. The more you play with different musicians, the more you will know what is appropriate to do during songs.
Playing songs at home will help your timing improve. The more music you listen to, the better an idea of when something sounds good together in a song you will have!
