Problem with Clicks

[drummerchick435]

I've been trying to practice to a click (one of the drumming commandments I know), but I find it difficult though. I think that my Autism may be making it difficult (not an excuse or pity trick!). I have trouble processing everything and concentrating on so many things at once: the click, both my hands, both my feet. My band director keeps hounding me about my timing, but I've basically given up on a click. Is there any other way that I can practice good timing or is a click the only thing?

[snazzy]

songs. but some songs can be misleading and have horrible timing. click is the best route

[gusty]

Try breaking it down to just one or two limbs at a time...keep on changing the variations and once you can keep time with any two limbs move up to three, do the same process...then finally do all four limbs.

[MaT]

Here's what I used to do when I started using the click to practice somethin':

And in the particular case of 4 limb exercises:

1- I play just the right hand pattern.
2- Then I add the left hand.
3- Right foot's next.
4- Last limb... yeah, yeah my left foot.
5- Then I play it altogether until I really feel I'm groovin'. Always at a comfortable speed, not too slow, not too fast.
6- Now it's time for the click to get in. At this point you should be pretty relaxed with the exercise because you've already learned it and now you're just adding one thing... the click.

If you try to do everything at once, then you might run into that concentration problem you mentioned.

I know it takes time but, once it starts to work, every step that you take will make you feel better.

[drummerchick435]

Thanks everyone. Yeah I think breaking it down is good and also to songs.

[aydee]

Gustys got it right. 1 or 2 limbs.. change the combinations, 3rd and 4th limbs, change combinations.. and then get all 4 going .
each limb needs to feel familiar with the click..

[fourstringdrums]

All good suggestions. Also turning on your click to a particular BPM, letting it play for a bit, getting a sense of the time. Then turning it off and playing something, keeping that tempo in your head, then turning it back on and seeing how close you are. That helps as well.

[brittc89]

Well, I actually have been going about playing with a click differently lately. I have noticed a big problem for a lot of people is that when playing with a click they are following it and thus they are behind it because they think that only it can have good time. What I have been doing lately is trying to think more of my click as a loop and when Im playing with it im playing like it is another instrumentalist that way I dont get so hung up on "following" the click and I simply play with it. Just use the click a lot. A lot a lot a lot. Every exercise, beep beep beep, every beat, beep beep beep, every time you pick up sticks, beep beep beep. Practice makes perfect, you just have to force yourself to use the thing and it will come with time.

[gr82bagn]

I do everything real slow at first, bpm's, strokes and then I work on dynamics. Once I'm comfortable I increase the bpm on the click. This helps me a lot when it comes to timing.

[bermuda]

It's much more intuitive to play with another drummer than to a 'metronome'. You'll find it easier if you work with a drum machine pattern (or a drum loop on your computer) not a click/chirp/beep/bonk sound spitting out 1/8 notes.

Bermuda

[drummerchick435]

It's much more intuitive to play with another drummer than to a 'metronome'. You'll find it easier if you work with a drum machine pattern (or a drum loop on your computer) not a click/chirp/beep/bonk sound spitting out 1/8 notes.

Bermuda

Good idea Bermuda! I think that will work best because when I play along to songs with drums on it, I have really good timing.

[svkelleher10]

My little brother has autism i think it makes the greatest drummers on earth

[jazzsnob]

DO NOT give up on the click. If you haven;t spent a lot of time working with a click, of course it will be difficult. Let it be difficult, you just need to spend more and more time with it. Thousands of hours. It's hard for the first thousand hours of practice. Don't get discouraged by these challenges, you will not be disappointed in a few years when you can play to a click easily. Seriously, pick a beat that is easy for you, and practice it to a metronome or drum machine or something with perfect time at EVERY TEMPO and it will come together. It's "hard" because it's time is perfect and your isn't, so you get off and feel bad. It's fine. NEVER GIVE UP ON THIS STUFF, YOU WILL WORK ON IT YOUR ENTIRE DRUMMING LIFE.


good luck