Playing along to a metronome.

That_Guy

I'm a drummer myself and I've been into a studio to lay down some tracks as a favour to a mate about a week ago and I couldn't get my timing right along with the click track.

I just kept going out of time and I was getting extremely frustrated with myself. I can keep in time when I'm normally jamming with mates but I just couldn't get my head around the click track.

Has anybody else experienced this sort of thing before? I actually asked them if I could play without using the click track but they just laughed at me and I had to suffer on with the click track despite my protesting.

Does anybody actually record without the use of a click track?

Giblet

You can record without one, some songs might sound better if they're aren't tight to a click, but you will lose a lot the advantages of a click. Editing your tracks might be more difficult, as will syncing up any effects or midi stuff.

I'd recommend practicing as much as possible to a click. Try halving, or doubling the tempo of the click to see if you can sync up better.

kfoltman

I'm not a drummer, I play keyboards, but I've found it helpful to do various "creative" exercises to improve "compatibility" with a click - like, subdividing a beat in 2, 3, 4, 6 or 8 even parts, or subdividing but skipping the very note on a click (very tricky). Or things like: CY-YCY-Y (where C is click and Y is you) or, when using triplet time, C-YC-Y. Imagination is the limit. With drums you can probably make even more variations, like playing straight 8th notes with a hihat and 8th triplets with a snare and the like (it's hard!)

When you have a specific exercise nailed at some tempo, try speeding up or slowing down the metronome (slow is hard!). You could even use some sequencing/DAW software to slowly transition from say 80 bpm to 60 bpm and try to follow the tempo change.

With enough imagination/creativity, it doesn't get too boring. You'll find lots of hints and exercises on the Internet, too.

Another approach is to learn to keep time using continuous movement (like making circles with hands and clapping on click) instead of trying to use your mind for timekeeping.

After all of this, my sense of rhythm is still lousy, but it's way better than what I started with.

pineapple*soul

I had the same problem a few years ago. It really is just a matter of practice practice practice. Get yourself a metronome, they're pretty cheap in most music shops, and some in-ear headphones, and just get to work. You might think it's a pain and not worthwhile, but over time you'll get used to it, and the benefits when it comes to recording far outweigh the hardships of learning.
Also, if you ever want to work professionally as a drummer, knowing how to play with a click is absolutely mandatory.

After a while you'll become really attuned to clicks, knowing how to play just behind or ahead of them for certain energised or laid back feels, so that it no longer feels like a constraint, but actually a new means of expressing your creativity!

The guy who said doubling the BPM is absolutely right, it helps a big load.

DerKaiser

It was arseholeish of them to laugh, but as a recording drummer you should have click playing in your bag, you need it, it'll also improve your natural timing anyway so it's worth it, practice with a click and you'll get the hang of it

Dord

The studio isn't really the place to be practicing with a click for the first time. It'll just lead to frustration. Might be a good idea to get one or if you have one, use it in your regular practice time.

N.B.: I said practice and not rehearsal.

drumdrum

I understand your frustration dude!

As has been mentioned numerous times already, practice is key.
You find that the "natural" tempo of a band jamming is NEVER to an exact even click, but this is what gives the song its human element when jamming and its more natural. Seriously, put a click track through the PA when you are jamming next and Id say its a safe bet that the rest of your band will have issues following it!

Unfortunately, as drummers, we often get "blamed" when the timing goes off, wether its our fault or not! What I did was I got a metronome app for my phone which had a headphone jack. So I got me some semi-decent headphones for about E70 and played along with drum pads on me drums. There are many decent apps you can get (For free too!) on your phone. I know the iPhone has a few (if you have an iPhone anyways!) metronomes. I had THIS ONE on my old Nokia which worked great too!

Personally, Im fine with a click track (now anyways!) but like every drummer on the planet it wasn't always so. I find that when recording the volume of the drums is actually the biggest issue as even with the click at full blast, at times the volume of the drums overpower the click. Thats why the studio should have decent headphones for you, because if they dont, then it can get hard to hear! Practice and you will be fine!

DeBunny

Another option is to program the beat your trying to record and play along with that with out the click.
It dramatically speed-ed up the recording process for me.
I use reasons redrum, but I'm sure there's plenty of free drum programs out there.
It's great for practicing as well.

thejigsaw

That_Guy wrote: »

I can keep in time when I'm normally jamming with mates but I just couldn't get my head around the click track

As you found out the hard way theres a difference between being in time when youre jamming with your mates and being in time to a click. From a performance point of view, I think of the studio as like putting a magnifying glass over your playing, you see things that have always been there but you just werent aware of them before. There is no perfectly in time without a click no matter who you are.

Im a guitar player and Ive never had any problems recording to a click but then thats easy for me to say because my job is easier than yours. If I could give you some advice from a fair few years of recording though Id say experiment with the sound and volume of the click in your head phones. For me, and a lot of drummers Ive recorded with, the best way to use a click is to make the sound of it as loud and obnoxious as possible. That way you cant tune it out and your brain cant become unaware of it. It sounds simple but trust me it does help a lot.

Those guys in the studio sounded like asses by the way.

pineapple*soul

thejigsaw wrote: »

Those guys in the studio sounded like asses by the way.

Agreed. Whatever you might say about working in other situations (writing, live performance) there's not doubt that the most stressful and difficult job in the studio is the drummer's. They should've been encouraging and relaxing you, not making you more self-conscious.

Another thing that I've found really helpful is getting builder's ear muffs. You can get them in most hardware stores, but I got mine in the one on Capel Street and they only cost me €5. So you get your in-ear headphones, put the ear-muffs over them and voila! The absolute best noise-reduction system I've ever used, and I've used a lot. The click ends up sounding really clear, and you don't have to have it so loud that it bleeds onto the recording.

Engineers look at me funny when I bring them into the studio, but they're always so much better than the dodgy, loose fitting headphones they provide, expecting you to get a clear click sound out of.

Edit to say: You still need to practice a good deal though

Pat Dalton

I find counting helps when playing music, if you play the drums regularly and know the songs that you're recording well, I think you'd find it easier.
For me a drumming basic is being in control of the tempo.
Keep practising, best of luck.

busttropical

dunno if this has been said, but if you change the "click" to like a hi hat sample or something it does make it a bit easier. Id reccommend always recording with click tracks. Then again, smashing pumpkins guy didnt use one at all on siamese dream, like the best sounding drum album ever in my opinion! But youd want to be that good!

Also i went recording not long ago and found that i did a few songs too fast. Its a biatch if youve limited time in a studio so id make sure to know the bpm of each song or whatever before going in... just a tip!

bogdin

Hey,I am in band atm and i agree with you when you say that theres a difference between playing with your friends and playing with the click track in the studio. I recorded two songs in just 4 hours with a click track and by god it was frustrating so i would say work on your timing.

When i started playing the sound engineer said he was worried when i couldn't play with a click track. I got better throughout the process and did better in the second song but you learn a lot about what you should do and shouldn't do. I found the best way you can practice on timing is you play while you are listening to your mp3. Which i mean when you are practicing stick your earphones/headphones on and try and play with a certain song you like but start with simple songs like coldplays in my place. Then go for harder songs when you feel comfortable

I did that at first to master songs and i am pretty good with timing but when i was in the recording studio it was frustrating having to start a song again when you make a small mistake. The sound engineer said to me that compared with a lot of drummers he's recorded,most of them couldn't play with a click track. When he said that i was pretty surprised but he did say i should play with a metronome before i go into the studio again. Also when you record again don't play complicated rhytms that don't go well withe metronome. I had to change certain parts of the songs to suit the metronome and it aook one or two takes to get use to it.

So thats my advice,good luck with the future!!:D:D
Bogdin

irishthump

thejigsaw wrote: »

Those guys in the studio sounded like asses by the way.

I agree, but hey, this business has more than it's fair share of a*seholes!

There was a time when it was an advantage to be able to play to a click, nowadays it's essential (for recording anyway!)
As was said, the only answer here is practice, the more you do it the more comfortable it will become. A good tip is to ask the engineers to break the click down into smller subdivisions; I find it much easier to play to a click which uses 8th notes rather than just quarter notes. (You can even break this down to sixteenths if the track is at a slow tempo)
You mentioned that you always seem to be in time when you play with your band, well now the whole band, not just yourself, has to look at their playing.

It can be very easy for drummers to "lean" on the other instruments in the band when trying to keep time. The drummer has to realise that while they alone are responsible for keeping a steady tempo, it's the other members' responsibility to keep in time with the drummer's playing.

Flamed Diving

Just keep practising, it takes getting used to. I don't agree with using it throughout the entire track, just the first 30secs or so.

thejigsaw

Flamed Diving wrote: »

Just keep practising, it takes getting used to. I don't agree with using it throughout the entire track, just the first 30secs or so.

I dont agree with that. Using it to count you in isnt enough. If youre only going to use it for the first thirty seconds you may aswell not be using it at all.

Flamed Diving

thejigsaw wrote: »

I dont agree with that. Using it to count you in isnt enough. If youre only going to use it for the first thirty seconds you may aswell not be using it at all.

Agree to disagree.

DrumSteve

i think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that the metronome is the rhythm in the band. The drummer is the rhythm. if you are recording to the click the best way to do it is to think that the click is just another part of the band who you have to stay in time with. i know it sounds odd but it helped me a lot.

(also vary the sound of the click to 8th/16th notes helps a great deal)

davef1000

EVERYONE is responsible for keeping time. Why don't more people realize this? It's not just the drummer's job. Rhythm is one of the most fundamental factors in music, and it's essential for any player of any instrument to have a solid sense of rhythm.

That_Guy

Cheers for the replies lads. I've been practicing a good bit now and it's getting relatively easier but still need a bit of work. I've been starting with slow songs.

I can play 'In My Place' by Coldplay no bother but it was a whole different kettle of fish when I first started playing with a click. Getting there though.

Also to the poster who suggested those builder earmuff things - You deserve an award. Drown out the sound of the drums a lot and so I can focus on the click more.

I think this week I'll move onto something a bit faster.

Cheers for the replies once again and if anyone else has other suggestions I'll be glad to hear them.