Are there any sort of exercises you would do to improve your own sense of time or internal pulse?
Gavin Says:
There's a great Steve Gadd exercise that I used to do (and still do now). Record yourself playing (without a metronome medium slow about 60-70bpm-ish). Play 1&3 on the Bass drum 2&4 on the snare and just quarter notes on the hi hat (count yourself in by clicking the sticks). After 8 bars change the hi hat to 8th notes (keep the BD & SN the same) then after another 8 bars switch the hi hat up to 16ths - then after 8 bars go back to 8ths and then 8 bars later go back down to quarter notes. Stop the recording and play it back. When you hear your count in on the recording play gentle 16ths on the hi hat throughout the entire exercise. Firstly it will show you that probably you didn't start playing at the same tempo that you counted in at - then you can judge how even your tempo keeping is especially when you are switch through the hi hat subdivisions on the recording. OK go back and repeat the exercise until you feel it's sitting comfortably. In the beginning I used to just practise the count in and first few bars (over and over) to see if I could get it at the same tempo. Be tough on yourself.
Then pick a different tempo and do the whole thing again. Then try playing a lead in fill and a fill at the end of every 8 bars - and go back and listen very carefully to the recording each time (and always play 16ths on the hi hat along to it - all the way through from the count in to the end to check your evenness).