asingardenof Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 8 hours ago, Doctor J said: It can be a truly beautiful thing. The greatest example being, in my humble opinion, when Metallica took all the cocaine and averaged about 20-25bpm faster for every song 😂 Just fantastic. Holy moly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 I think it entirely depends upon the band whether it is useful or not. When I was in a Bon Jovi tribute we had backing tracks and, at some venues, back projections so had to be spot on - a click was essential. We could mix in however much of the click as desired for our individual IEM mix. In another band we would constantly bicker about the correct speed to play songs at so the drummer got some flashing tempo light thingamajiggy to use on his phone. We'd then agree on a tempo during rehearsal and that was that. Certainly it is extremely useful when recording for overdubs/mistakes. At the moment I'm just in the one band, a blues rock trio, and I think a click would stifle it. The only recording we ever do is either live or 'as live'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 Could have done with either a click, a tranquiliser dart for the drummer, or Metallica's rider the other week at a Jam Night, when the drummer who turned up called Rio, couldn't play the hi-hat 16s, and then played 8s with the whole thing about 25bpm faster instead...I nearly lost a finger in the resulting blur... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 I play a lot of drums, and I really like playing with a click. It gives me a sense of freedom, or relieves me of a responsibility. The fact is the excitement of a gig can really mess with your perception of time. I'm getting better at it all the time, but still sometimes play a song too fast. It doesn't feel too fast when I'm behind the kit! But everyone lets me know afterwards obviously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 If I want a drumstick thrown at me, I'll suggest playing to a click track... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 The bottom line, if you have a drummer who can't keep time. . . . it's time for a new drummer. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No lust in Jazz Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) Time keeping isn't the sole responsibility of the Drummer and there are many great songs recorded with a band that speeds up and slows down. One band that I play in plays with backing tracks, (usually percussion or brass) for those songs clearly we play to a click. Another band (Rock and Blues) plays without a click, the speed of the songs is often conducted by frowns and hand gestures. A few experience based rehearsal hacks that spring to mind are. 1 - Know your material 2 - Get everybody to rehearsal and on time 3 - Have fun Edited October 10, 2023 by MB - Cheshire 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 We've done it a couple of times when preparing material before recording. I wouldn't like to rehearse like that all the time, but it's useful to ensure that you can. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 When we recorded recently - bass & drums were recorded live - we played to a click, worked fine but then our drummer is decent, had no problems when we added or subtracted beats per minute to establish the best timing for the song. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) I always thought a click would be stifling, a straight jacket. Then I tried it and it is so liberating. The ultimate effect is that you just get tight. The creative person who won’t or can’t play in time isn’t really being creative. Unless they are playing solo they are just making everyone else sound worse. Just like the guitarist who can only get their tone by cranking their 100W amp. Ultimately you can only play together if you are together. If your drummer keeps good time then there is no need for a click and it’s good to know they’ll cover any mistakes and pull you back but if your drummer is really good you’ll be playing strict time anyway. If for whatever artistic reason you want to accelerate or slow or change tempo it’s all good but surely you need to stay together not half a bar after a random band member has decided to be ‘creative’. You shouldn’t need a click ideally but everyone should be playing the same time and the click is just one way of achieving that. Strict time is relaxing, liberating, you can be way more flexible if you know where the band will be in four bars time Edited October 10, 2023 by Phil Starr 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 It's quite common for our bassist to suggest adjusting the tempo of a song while we're playing it, live on stage. If I agree we slowly ramp it that way together. It works really well! I'd love to play to a click live but I just don't think it'd work for this band. The occasionally random arrangements would be very difficult to do 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 For our most recent outing, we had the pleasure of a previous 2nd guitar joining us for part of the evening. He's a (decent...) amateur, but hasn't been playing for several years. One of our songs is 'The Wall', so the Gilmour solo is mandatory. At rehearsal, our invited guest struggled for quite a while to get the syncopation for the beginning of that solo, and we could do nothing to help him, as it wasn't a question of tempo, nor even 'counting', but simply (Ha..! As if it were simple..!) 'feeling' the off-beat nature of the piece. No click, metronome, even playing along to the original could help him get it 'felt', and so spontaneously fluid. On the night, he did it just fine; maybe the half-glass of cognac before the gig relaxed him enough. Sometimes it's not a matter of 'click', but of 'feeling'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 "Tempo" and "feel" are not the same thing. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 2 minutes ago, BigRedX said: "Tempo" and "feel" are not the same thing. Precisely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diskwave Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) Might as well fess up. I can't play to a click track, there I said it. It just gets in the way of the groove for my liking, messes with my clock, and my clock is always pushing an pulling, as it should be imo, its how music breathes ....How those guys on the ships do it with guest artists is extraordinary. Some sound like they've got a full percussion thing going on in the cans.....clicks, bongs, half time, double time.....speed up, take it down....Its all rather clever. Edited October 11, 2023 by greavesbass 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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