Playing to click in band practice?

Liebe zeit

Silver Member
I recent;y got a Tama Rhythm Watch and some isolating headphones and love it for practicing on the acoustic kit. But trying to play to the click in a band practice is playing havoc - too much to concentrate on. Does anyone else not bother with the 'nome for band practice? Should I ditch it and keep it for solo practice?
 
I've been using the Tama Rhythm Watch for quite a while now with the band both during rehearsal and at shows. I haven't been using headphones, though. I've been watching the blinking lights. I don't constantly stare at it all night but it's there for me as reassurance that I'm playing at the proper tempo. With time, I've gotten really good at it.
Playing with a click in your ear with a band can be very difficult if the rest of the guys can't hear it, too. Kinda like herding cats. If that's the way your going to do it, you have to let them know that YOU'RE the boss when it comes to tempo and that they need to listen to and follow YOU. It's easier when everyone has the click in their ear.
 
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I recently joined a band that "requires" me to use a click during rehearsals and probably even live. It was a BITCH at first. Not only am I learning their material, but I'm also learning how to play to a click with a band.

But... I just kept trying and finally got it down. Now I actually kind of enjoy it, since I never have to wonder if I'm going to fast or too slow.
 
if you have trouble playing with it at rehearsal and need to concentrate to much on it yr probably not ready for the met in a band situation just yet.

you shouldnt even have to think about it

it should feel simply like a guideline and almost as if its following you

keep practicing with it

have it in your ears at all times when practicing ....even when on the pad

it will eventually become such second nature and become absolutely effortless

and while doing so improve your inner clock greatly

there is a huge difference between using a click and relying on the click

dont become one who relies on the click
 
I use the Tama Rhythm Watch in practice and playing live. At first, it was difficult but once I got used to it having the click in my ear helped a lot. Sometimes we get off a little and that's okay, I can still hear the band well enough.
 
I use a BOSS DB-90 metronome with in ear monitors at practice and live gigs. I've been useing this set up for a couple of years now and I love it. I think that the music is so solid and tight when a drummer uses a metronome live.
 
If there's one thing I wish I did more, and more consistently, it's playing to clicks in more situations.

Moon is absolutely right, it's a tool, not a crutch; however, it's a tool you shouldn't be afraid to use, and to use ruthlessly if the band sitch requires some tempo policing. However, it's not an overnight acquired skill, it requires some hours put in to learn how to bury the click, to shift back and forth around the beat, and how to drive the band with it. I also agree that a click works even better if the band can hear it too ... but that also means that *they* need experience in playing to clicks, and that's something that not all musicians seem to believe in doing. "Hey man, you're the drummer, tempo is your job." No, it's everyone's job, IMO.
 
I think it'd be useful to gain the skill of using it in band situations. But it's proving difficult to take to right now. I think I'll aim to bring it in gradually, just on one or two tunes to begin with.
 
Getting used to playing with a click in a variety of situations has ended up being an invaluable skill for me. At first I used it to practice, and then to record. My band started to play to a click live, just to ensure consistency in tempo. When we wanted to integrate loops and synth textures into our live sound it was no problem because I was used to playing to the click already.
It became completely invaluable when our keyboardist left in the middle of a long summer tour. I was able to move his keys onto the backing tracks so we could still perform live while minimizing the difference in live sound.
 
When I first started playing live with a click, it was hard. We started off doing it in rehearsals and eventually used it at shows as well. As Fuzrock said, you have to let the band know you are in charge and have them follow you. In the last band I was in where we used a click, the lead guitar player would keep arguing with me that I was getting off beat during his solos. Eventually he learned to stay with me and even learned to like the click and the constistancy it provides night to night. It's a skill that takes you and the band time to learn. There will be times where there will be "click wrecks". I have had to reach over and turn it off during shows because the singer or band got off beat for some reason. Usually coming in wrong after a break. Just think of it as another instrument you listen to and have to work with during the show.
 
I've been using the Tama Rhythm Watch for quite a while now with the band both during rehearsal and at shows. I haven't been using headphones, though. I've been watching the blinking lights. I don't constantly stare at it all night but it's there for me as reassurance that I'm playing at the proper tempo. With time, I've gotten really good at it.
Playing with a click in your ear with a band can be very difficult if the rest of the guys can't hear it, too. Kinda like herding cats. If that's the way your going to do it, you have to let them know that YOU'RE the boss when it comes to tempo and that they need to listen to and follow YOU. It's easier when everyone has the click in their ear.

"Herding cats" - good one! :)

I think the "no headphones, but keeping an eye on the blinking lights" approach is great.

As the drummer, I think you should always be the BOSS in charge of the tempo. Problem is: *many* instrumentalists are not able to follow your lead.

With one of my bands we tried feeding the click to everyone during a recording session. Absolutely hopeless. It threw the guitarist off - completely.

I like using my Boss DB-90 for both rehearsals and live shows. I have kind of gotten enough experience that during rehearsals it has become fairly easy to figure out who likes to drag and who likes to speed up, which songs are problematic, etc. And I'm getting fairly okay at not getting thrown off by the click in my headphones when the band wanders off the original tempo, and then gradually locking back into it. (One thing I also do at times, when we go off the BPM, is quickly stop it with a finger tap & bring it back in on the next beat. / Another thing that has helped me is not having the accent on the 1. / Have unfortunately not had time yet to delve into the slightly different/advanced metronome usages that Benny Greb describes on his DVD.)

Patrice
 
I use one often during band practices. I don't usually use one if we're playing a tune that changes tempos at some point, like after an intro (I don't have a click that can be programmed to do that). If we're playing a tune where the drums don't start right away, I may skip it also. For a live performance or recording, those things wouldn't stop me, but for a practice, I won't bother.
 
I love using a click at practice even though the type of band I'm in doesn't begin to require it. I just think it's a lot of fun. I used to hate playing to a click because it was intimidating and I wasn't very good at it. But now that I've got the hang of it, I almost prefer it. I've had plenty of debates with various band members over the last couple years about whether it's a good idea. I don't use one live (unless it's with my very part-time electronic band where the material can't be played without one) and I don't plan to use one in the studio next time, but using it at practice is a stroke of genius if you ask me. It can only help everyone internalize where solid tempo is once the "training wheels" come off. The whole band benefits.
 
if you have trouble playing with it at rehearsal and need to concentrate to much on it yr probably not ready for the met in a band situation just yet.

you shouldnt even have to think about it

it should feel simply like a guideline and almost as if its following you

keep practicing with it

have it in your ears at all times when practicing ....even when on the pad

it will eventually become such second nature and become absolutely effortless

and while doing so improve your inner clock greatly

there is a huge difference between using a click and relying on the click

dont become one who relies on the click


Great post by Moon! That's the way to go about it! :)
 
Hi.

I play with a click every time I play the drums. Been doing this for a couple years now. It was hard at first, but it is a must. Let your band know that you are using it and are having a hard time adjusting. Hopefully they will pay more attention to the time which will make it easier for you to get use to it. Eventually you wont even hear the click and you will feel naked with out it. Always use the click it will change your life.
 
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