I saw a lot of different explainations of the term GROOVE, some of them are different and opposite like "Groove is a rhythm", "Loop can be only drum loop, but loop of any other instrument is a groove", "Groove is feeling of a rhythm, dance to the rhythm etc.", "Groove is something that goes from rhythmic music", "Groove is a rhythmical pattern of a musical genre", "Groovy means funky, swingy, rocking, jazzy", "Groovy means cool", "Groove is a narrow track on vinyl disc", but WHAT IS IT???
Please, no wikipedia links!; maybe some other links and your own opinion(s), maybe history of this word, origins, etc.
Thnx!

 

Musical definition :

An adjective describing a rhythmic quality of music that is emotionally communicative and soulful; used for music moving at a steady beat.

Another 'weird' definition :

This word has evolved from its original meaning in 'jazz slang' as a 'sexual euphemism'.

1. The vagina. The female groove !!!

2. The ass. Both male and female groove... :dancing:

 

Studio 555

Thanks, groovy explanations!

 

The wisdom you seek lies here.

 

Studio 555's definition is pretty good. There is the groove, and on a bad day, you just don't feel it. But when you do, you are said to be "in the groove",or "it's groovin' now", synonymous with "in the pocket". It can also describe a feel, as in "This isn't feeling the way I want it, let's try it with a different groove". It can have more than one meaning. Besides the sexual inuendo, it also was on vinyl and wax records. A good take ended up physiaclly "in the groove" of the records. For groove master, see "Steve Gadd".

 

great "groove" songs i loved and love, specially the first one, that is much better than many many tracks made today..


la la lalala la

 

And don't forget: "Why don't you kiss my ass. Not the right cheek, not the left cheek, but right in the GROOVE!"

 

This is a groovy topic. Far out!

 

As I see it: first of all, I'm assuming a real drummer who's playing a certain drum loop. Being human, his timing is not always perfect (related to a beat grid). So here it starts: the drummer & the bass player (guitar) both playing imperfect in terms of rhythm but in sync related to each other - are laying out the base (no pun intended) of the track. Basically just the drum and the bass is enough for someone to "feel the groove" and start shaking it's ass This is my personal definition of a groove.

 

Groove is when a song has all the elements that fit in such a way that you feel something different and you have that urge to dance, swing your body. That's Groove.

Not necessarily all the elements need to fit perfectly. Sometimes just the bass and the beats have Groove. Depends on the elements of music but generally relates to the bass and another instrument because the BASS is more sense than heard.

It's an subjective concept and each has its because it is how the person feels - and each one feels one way. The key is how you feeling.

Grooves from Brazil. Respect. =)

 

The timing or rhythm of a track defined by the silence between notes that are not strictly quantized to a steady pulse.

 

@ mild pump milk,

Having a few time and thinking about your Article, I done some searches here and there and I found some valuable (and more serious ! ) and interesting (I hope !) Topics related to "What is the Groove", and even more important for you, some of its several applications... *yes*

'Groove Quantization – Understanding Swing and the Head-Nod Effect'
A really Great Topic related to the 'Groove Quantization' and its applications thanks to some 'Groove Boxes', 'Rhythm Machines',...
An article to (absolutely) read in depth !

'Woriking with Groove Templates'
A 'how-to-do' Topic that explains you what are 'Groove Templates', how to create yours,...
It's mainly focused on 'LOGIC Pro 9', but you can apply the same principles with any of your 'beloved' DAWs as long that you can create 'Groove Templates' within these...

Another definition of the term 'Groove' :

"Groove, Shuffle or Swing is all about delaying every other note (the even numbered ones, on a 16ths grid), so that the notes between the beats and the off-beats are late. This shifts the rhythm from straight to swing timing."

and its related Article can be found here :

'Groove and Quantize' (Part of a 'Bitwig' Tutorial)

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But if I must ONLY retain a definition of what 'Groove' is, it will be the following :

:dancing:

 

THIS is GROOVE

 

Thanks for the explanation!

I have similar question, what are "HOOKZ", or "HOOKS" ?? *yes*

 

Groove is mystery which force the body to move in unpredictable way.

It is very personal (intimate) feeling and therefore definition of the groove vary from one man to another.

100 people = 100 opinions = 100 different definitions of the groove.

For example,

to me, this is groove:

and this is too:

 

"Groove is in the Heart" - I found this to be the best explanation of the groove (so far). So, the answer to your question is in your heart, not in our minds

Completely different things can have the same doze of groove because power of the groove depends on the emotional response of the listener.

 

There is another factor: how and where you listen. If you hear a particular song on your computer, the feeling is different if you listen to it on a good headset.

Same thing if you listen that music on a pair of good reference monitors or if you are in a Club with a powerhouse Soundsystem. Or in a concert.

I only notice the details of many songs I have when I got a good headset. The perception changes when you discover other details of a song that you never noticed before - and it makes you feel different.

I always liked that song (The Romantics - Talking in Your Sleep) but had never noticed the bassline until the day I heard this song in a headset. I had another notion of groove (after hearing the bassline clearly).

 

In the beginning, there was Jack, and Jack had a groove.

And from this groove came the groove of all grooves.

And while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Jack boldy declared,

"Let there be HOUSE!" and house music was born.

 

was going to add what groove has always mean't to me but no point as Catalyst has it spot on

 

"You may be black, you may be white; you may be Jew or Gentile. It don't make a difference in OUR House. And this is fresh."

WOW! Pretty classic tune indeed. 1988!

Those Acid House old days.

Fingers, Inc. - Can You Feel It