“[T]here are certain things that will never change. Good time is good time, whether it’s Baby Dodds riding on a snare drum or Jack DeJohnette slammin’ a full kit. Time is time whether you put it on a bass drum or up on a cymbal. If it feels good it feels good, and it’s our job to make it feel good.
As for specific concepts I follow for playing swing, I’ve always thought that when you’re playing time in 4/4, it’s really not 4/4, it’s 12/8. And I phrase my ride beat accordingly. You have to be aware of that subdivision, keeping in mind the space between the beats. Then you can start getting the full width of the beat, understanding the space from one beat to the next. And if you’re thinking of that subdivision and you’ve practiced with that in your mind, you’ll get a wide, broad beat.
It’s also important to be aware of the triplet subdivisions, because if you’re aware of the subdivisions, then you can play less and imply the beat more. The silence between the notes you play can say an awful lot. So that’s very important. Of course, the faster the tempo, the straighter the beat has to get, but I try to always think triplets.
As for the bass drum’s role in keeping time, I think it’s something that can be very useful. Playing four on the bass drum used to be considered square, but a lot of people I work with want to hear it. Some just want to feel it. So I’ve spent some time working on feathering the bass drum. It helps to center the time. I don’t play that way all the time, but it’s an option. If you’re playing with a bass player and things don’t feel that settled to you, playing four on the bass drum puts a little bit more bottom and weight in the time. It’s something you should be able to do. It might not be as prevalent in small groups, although I do use it on occasion.”
– Adam Nussbaum, Modern Drummer interview by William F. Miller, January 1994