Pushing or Driving?

[Dunnie]

Just a quick question....I'm not sure if this has been asked or not....If so can you please direct me to the thread.......but what is the difference between "Pushing" and "Driving" the beat? Or is it the same thing?

[drumzalicious]

IMO pushing would be playing slightly ahead to the point that you are almost rushing the song. Driving is more along the lines of something your actually playing in your pattern to move the song along

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

You're driving when the beat is the selling or focal point of the song.  You're pushing when it blends into the big picture of the music.  For instance, James Brown's songs almost always let the beat have control.

In Kirk Franklin's Hosanna, the drums are the meat of the song because they are so prominent.  While on a song like Total Praise, the drums are mostly complimentary.

[SabianKnight]

Just a quick question....I'm not sure if this has been asked or not....If so can you please direct me to the thread.......but what is the difference between "Pushing" and "Driving" the beat? Or is it the same thing?

Driving refers to presence, command, leadership in the music. Holding everything together: tempo, feel, dynamics, groove, setups, hits etc.
example: Buddy Rich drove/drives the band.

Pushing refers to playing in front of the beat as opposed to playing dead center of the beat or behind the beat. Pushing/playing in front of the beat is technically .25 milliseconds(00:00:00:25)ahead of center and playing behind is .25 milliseconds(00:00:00:25).

Here is a vid that talks a lil bit more about it from Ron Thaler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88JDwl_YAMw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tothestage.com%2FMediaDetail.Page%3FMediaId%3D863&feature=player_embedded

[Dunnie]

Thanks alot for the info guys....it was REALLY helpful

[BigFoot_BigThumb]

I have to go secular on this, but D'Angelo's song One Mo'gin' is a great example of the drums pushing the groove.  Another one is Erykah Badu's Time's a Wastin' from her "Mama's Gun" CD.