In the pocket

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Someone asked what the phrase "in the pocket" means. I've always used it to describe the phenomemon of the drummer and bassist "locking into a groove," and maintaining a rhythmic togetherness (i.e. "that bassist is completely in the pocket"). Am I right or wrong? What does "in the pocket" mean? And does it have any relevance when you're discussing electronic music? Can glitch be "in the pocket"?

― J, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Sunship -"In The Pocket"
choooon!

― Paul, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I think "In the pocket" means "in the ideal place." If I'm not mistaken, this term comes from American football. The offensive line creates a "pocket" for the quarterback to stand in, where he can take his time selecting a receiver to throw to. The goal of the defense is to "flush him out of the pocket."

I think the term came from football to hip-hop, where a rapper's flow is described as being "tight" and "in the pocket." It's like, there are certain spaces created by the rhythm that should ideally be filled with other bits of rhythm, to be "in the pocket" is to fill these appropriately.

Not sure about glitch and "in the pocket," since I think it implies collaboration.

― Mark, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I thought it came from pool.

― adam, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is that phrase ever used in pool, though? It's used in football all the time. Like, every passing play.

― Mark, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I associate this term with a drummer lagging oh-so-subtly behind the beat (in a desirable way), but I could be mistaken. important to funkiness

― Ron, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I've heard it used referring to rhythm-section hookup like you said and also for when a musician is just making his/her part lay in just the right spot rhythmically, whatever the feel is.

Programmed parts usually don't have much of a problem with the pocket.

― Jordan, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

In french it is pronounced _in ze pocket_

― The Hegemon, Sunday, 7 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Is that phrase ever used in pool, though?

You're probably right--I don't play pool and football mystifies me. I wish it didn't. Football (American-style, of course. I really don't get soccer) seems so cool but random and confusing. I also suck at Madden.

― adam, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

First of all, American football sucks. Let's just get that over with.

Second, everyone knows that "in the pocket" comes from bowling via boogie rock. Half the members of Hot Tuna met at the kind of high-stakes money game documented by Kingpin.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Football. tsk. It's not Football, we play football, you lot play girl's rugby, which I suppose is football historically, anyway I digress. IT'SNOTSOCCER. Ithankyou

― Chewshabadoo, Monday, 8 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

I associate this term with a drummer lagging oh-so-subtly behind the beat (in a desirable way), but I could be mistaken. important to funkiness

Exactly. The drums on the last half of Grizzly Bear's "Lullabye" are totally in the pocket.

When you listen to drummers, each one has their own way of playing on the beat, or laying down the 2s and 4s. Some are perpetually nervous and pushing the beat (think Buzzcocks' "Orgasm Addict"), others try to be precise and spot-on, while some (who I envy greatly) can play slightly behind the beat. There's a flexible range that a drummer can play around, and none of them are necessarily wrong. Different styles of music dictate which side of the beat the snare is laid down on. The best drummers are able to switch effortlessly from in front of to behind the beat, depending on what is most appropriate.

― Z S, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 15:58 (seventeen years ago)

ive always heard the phrase "deep pocket" to describe funk drummers who lag milliseconds behind the beat--so to me if lagging behind the beat is a "deep pocket," "in the pocket" would indicate being right on time. but i dont drum, or make music.

― max, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 16:00 (seventeen years ago)

In the pocket is almost always behind the beat a little. A deep pocket would be even more behind the beat.

The drums on Al Green's "Tired of Being Alone" are in a deep pocket, I'd say. A lot of his songs are.

― Z S, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 16:03 (seventeen years ago)

"First of all, American football sucks. Let's just get that over with."

Idiotic post from a few years back.

AC/DC is all about the pocket.

― Bill Magill, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 16:04 (seventeen years ago)

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