Should you practice to a metronome or click trak?

DropListBass · Post by **DropListBass** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 5:25 pm

All fear the English Nazi!!!!! Dont you dare use a word wrong , or use run ons. You will be corrected!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:01 pm

I meant in the studio...

Al Quandt · Post by **Al Quandt** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 8:20 pm

=^-..-^= · Post by **=^-..-^=** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:29 pm

DeVito uses a click?

WOW!

Al Quandt · Post by **Al Quandt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:10 am

Devito is the click

XsaintsneversurrenderX · Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:03 am

i realize i'm not an incredible drummer, but i've never recorded or played to a click track. my band is extremely close to getting signed, and to be honest i'm so nervous about recording for a label, because if they make me record to a click track...well there's no point in my even trying. kudos to anyone who can play to one, but i'm with you al. even though i don't know you.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:49 am

They probably will, so you might want to think about practicing that skill. One trick I learned from a couple of drummers is to imagine the click as a cowbell or another percussion device.

Al Quandt · Post by **Al Quandt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 1:57 pm

Thanks,

I think we met breifly at one of the Sunset shows i put on that Saints played at.

I am glad you understand what I was getting at.

I also agree with Bassjones, with a contract in the works you may want to start practicing.

I myself have always been conserned about that.

zenmandan · Post by **zenmandan** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 3:19 pm

I've been hesitating on putting a post under this topic, but I must agree with those of you that state something to the effect of..."if you can't play with a click, you can't play in time." I've recorded countless times at Monastic and other joints as well, and I refuse to record without a click. Typically most of what I have done has been in a "live" setting, meaning the entire band records with me, but only I can hear the click. So far I've had no problems. Those of you that state your drumming will sound "robotic, unnatural, etc." are mistaken. If you have good time you should be able to play whatever you normally would. No need to drag out the fire hose and water it down if you can play in time. The so called "ebb and flow" of the music is just plain bad timing to me. It's too predictable. "We're gonna get louder now (and the tempo speeds up a bit)" "Let's bring it down (along with the tempo)" I'm not saying I'm perfect...far from it. When playing live the above mentioned "ebb/flow" crap definitely happens to me as well. Adrenaline and what not will do that to ya. But when I listen to live recordings of myself, or others, I hate the slight tempo changes. It never feels just right. It may feel great live, but when you go back and listen to it, as many of you probably have, you think "Man! What happened there!"

For me the click is a necessity when recording. I enjoy the fact that my stuff will be in time. It also makes things MUCH easier for the engineer. Splices, if necessary, are considerably easier when everything is in time to the click. Not to mention, all the other members parts will be cleaner as well, because they will be metronomically correct. Anyone I've recorded with has had no trouble adapting to "exact time" versus "live time".

All these artists that have been mentioned on here that don't use a click have excellent timing, and we know their names in part because of their abilities to do just that...stay in time. I'd be willing to bet that of all these people named in these posts, they COULD record with a click if need be. (On a side note, Jimmy Page said that if he could do it all over again, he'd of had Bonham use a click!)

By the way...
Steve Gadd does in fact use a click. Most times the other musicians have recorded to the click before he even sets foot in the studio.
Danny Carey of TOOL...click
Kenny Aronoff, one of the most sought after studio drummers in the world... click
Carter Beauford of Dave Matthews Band...click
Dennis Chambers of Parliament and Funkadelic, Santana...click

For those of you that prefer to record without one, Merry Christmas. That is your preference, so go with it. As many of you said, there are some great people out there that don't use them. Here's the hard part to swallow though...MOST of the drummers I've talked to and known over the years that say they prefer not to play with a click, simply can't do it. And most of the engineers I've talked to will back me up on that.

Regardless...to each his own. Happy recording to all.

bassjones · Post by **bassjones** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:16 pm

You are 100% correct zenmandan. Most of my posts to the contrary were an attempt to stir up debate - I like to do that on occasion. EVERY professional recording situation I've been involved with, the drummer has played to either a click track or a metronomic percussion loop, and 99% of the time, it's a click.

I HATE recording to just a click track and following a chord chart. That sucks! I prefer to record "live", but if it's a piece together recording, I like to record the bass after the drums, and usually before everything except a "scratch" vocal and rhythm guitar track. That forces everyone else to play to the drummer and my groove. This is usually best when it's a studio drummer and myself and relative newcomers playing guitar and singing - especially young singer-songwriters who are infamous for fluctuating their tempos throughout songs.

Anyway, if you want to play professionally, you better master the click. If you walk into your first professional recording session and can't play to a click, you will be walking out of your last professional recording session. If you just want to record your band's stuff - you'd still be better off mastering the click, but if you don't want to, that's your business.

Al Quandt · Post by **Al Quandt** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:56 pm

Agreed about the pro thing. If I was a studio musician, I wouldnt survive without a click.

But that is why I am the drummer that must be drunker than piss everytime I play a show and not a studio musician.

subgenius88 · Post by **subgenius88** » Mon Dec 11, 2006 8:34 pm

I thought the point of the click track was to keep the OTHER musicians in time before the drummer lays the track. Somehow, I can't see Ginger Baker playing to a click.