Quintuplet or just FEEL IT?! J Dilla Time on Bass

Rob Mullarkey has mastered the worlds of groove and odd-time signatures on the bass guitar, but how do those skills translate when playing with a drummer? In today's video, you'll watch Rob perform with one of the most unique drummers in hip-hop and drum ’n’ bass, Richard Spaven. You’ll get exclusive insights into Rob’s approach to beat displacement, and the octave pedal he uses for his gig with Jacob Collier. Plus, he’ll show you how to use your own setup to create catchy melodies in your basslines.

And did I mention there are a few tips of the hat to J Dilla? Known as one of the best and most influential producers in hip-hop and soul music, in over 10 years J DIlla managed to create a new sound that changed music history forever. “I think all these scenes benefitted from his influence,” said Spaven. “The way he used jazz records brought a lot of music to my attention that I wouldn't have heard otherwise. He was the best producer of our time.”

The key to understanding J Dilla’s approach, which was revolutionary at the time, is in the non-quantization of drums: in an era, after the first computers were born, in which everything was getting super quantized, he managed to make a machine sound human.

To really get this kind of music it’s important to listen to it as much as possible, trying to copy and then absorb it. “When my bandmates come over, we’ll play a Dilla beat for literally an hour, because it feels so good,” says keyboardist and producer, Robert Glasper. “I think that's harder than playing chord changes. It takes discipline. He's the producer that makes you change the way you play.”