Dr_Watso
Platinum Member
I have a metronome that starts out at 120 every time you turn it on, so I'm thinking that has to be the right tempo.
How to count in without a click at the right tempo?
- Thread starter peety777
- Start date
I have a metronome that starts out at 120 every time you turn it on, so I'm thinking that has to be the right tempo.
drum4fun27302
Gold Member
sing the song in your head. right tempo should just about show up. then count it off!!!
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Take your time in visualizing the song. play it in your head. Hum it out if you like. Use the stick on your thigh to get a feel of the downbeat. Then call it out if it feels right.
The biggest mistake people make is doing none of the above and imagining that it will come out right.
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Take your time in visualizing the song. play it in your head. Hum it out if you like. Use the stick on your thigh to get a feel of the downbeat. Then call it out if it feels right.
The biggest mistake people make is doing none of the above and imagining that it will come out right.
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Visualize, yes. But anything we physically do to arrive at a tempo - even humming - affects that tempo in whatever way we may be affected by nervousness, excitement, fatigue from the lateness of the evening, overcompensation due to a previous tempo that was too fast or slow, apathy or resentment about the band or the particular song, the effects of alcohol, or any lingering regrets about the gig (travel, not enough money, etc.) Just visualizing the song (what I called 'hearing' it) is more accurate, short of being impaired beyond being able to play in the first place.
But as I also said, you must be extremely familiar with the song (or the way the particular band does it) in order to recall it correctly.
Bermuda
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Dont mean to derail this thread ( theres another one for that.. ) but let me ask the pros and the experienced live giggers here:
How often do you raise or lower the temp of a tune depending on where it sits in the set-list, or the kind of venue acoustics, or the kind of audience or the mood they are in?
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Dont mean to derail this thread ( theres another one for that.. ) but let me ask the pros and the experienced live giggers here:
How often do you raise or lower the temp of a tune depending on where it sits in the set-list, or the kind of venue acoustics, or the kind of audience or the mood they are in?
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8Mile
Platinum Member
I don't think I've ever done this.
If the audience/mood warrants it, we will change our set-list order or add/subtract songs accordingly.
But I don't think we've ever played a song at a different tempo because of external considerations.
Drumolator
Platinum Member
That is what I do. Peace and goodwill.
alparrott
Diamond Member
^^This. I remember the Grateful Dead did "Friend of the Devil" super slow on "Live Dead" and I hated it. Play it at the tempo it was written, and plan your setlist accordingly. If a song bombs and you have a similar tempo right after it, switch up the setlist on the fly.
In the 8+ bands I play with, tempos stay very consistent, as they govern the feel of the song, and beyond a (sometimes very narrow) range, the song no longer sounds good. The best way to serve an audience or venue or the evening's pace, is to play the song with the same energy that was intended when the song was chosen in the first place.
There may be other changes made, such as extending a solo or adding outchoruses when people are dancing and enjoying themselves, or even doing the same song again later in the night (as an encore maybe) if it was requested, or the audience is clamoring for more, and they particularly liked a song.
Bermuda
alex19
Senior Member
most of the time. the last few songs are played slightly faster if the crowd are going wild. makes for a great finish! our set doesn't deviate much, but if we bump a song towards the end, it might get 1 or 2 bpm faster. adrenaline has been known to take over a drive the songs at a faster pace.
StickIt
Senior Member
Hahahaha....this was the first version I heard. When I heard the album version for the first time, I didn't recognize the song. The tempo should definitely stay the same when performing live, unless it's some sort of experimental/free type of music and the audience would expect the randomness anyway.
alparrott
Diamond Member
Unless you do it just slightly *faster* (which a lot of us do anyways).
New Tricks
Platinum Member
You can be way off counting in and it doesn't matter.
After everyone starts playing is a different story.
Without a clik the players will drastically affect the tempo. It doesn't matter a lot playing live because players will make whatever adjustments necessary to keep together.
I notice issues when going from a 170 song to a 110 song. Your brain gets fired up and it can be a chore to reset it.
Practice wth a metronome....alot(thats a gnome that lives in a city, btw).
Record yourself when listening with the metronome with one click per beat of the pulse of the song....critically pick it apart.
Move to 1/2 time clicks...(if in 4/4, half notes...etc) and do the same until mastered.
Move on to 1 click per phrase...record and master per previous.
Move on to without click...checking the recording against a post synched click.
You too can get your timing to 50 ms accuracy!...with minutes long variations < 1 second and intro count-offs very close to the intended tempo.
...or just use a metronome while performing....
Have fun!
Record yourself when listening with the metronome with one click per beat of the pulse of the song....critically pick it apart.
Move to 1/2 time clicks...(if in 4/4, half notes...etc) and do the same until mastered.
Move on to 1 click per phrase...record and master per previous.
Move on to without click...checking the recording against a post synched click.
You too can get your timing to 50 ms accuracy!...with minutes long variations < 1 second and intro count-offs very close to the intended tempo.
...or just use a metronome while performing....
Have fun!
Anduin
Pioneer Member
Yeah, what Davo said. Anything else is getting too complicated.