How do you usually establish a tempo?

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jerberson12

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I found out that there's two ways to establish a tempo, but which one do you or the pro usually use? Are both ways are evenly use?

A: Record a strum guitar, then use a beat detector to detect those guitar strum attack so that the DAW will produce a tempo out from the guitar.

Pro: The guitar remains untouch and will sound natural and real
Cons: you will hear a slight tempo changed (ex. 88 -> 88.2 -> 87.5 -> 86 depending on the guitar strum)

or

B: Record a midi drum, quantized for perfect alignment and tempo, record a strum guitar following the midi drum, delete and repeat portion where guitar did not aligned with the drum beat, (alternatively, copy paste similar guitar measures)

Pro: Drums will sound tight and perfect
Cons: Guitar will sound looped and fake.
 
I choose B but make sure that your GTR loop must not be less than 4-8bars so it doesn't sounds fake
 
i choose B make sure that ur gtr loop must not be less than 4 bars so that it doesn't sounds fake
 
I tap the on the little tempo box in Reaper, it tells me the tempo. I start the metronome, play the drums and play the guitar.

Pros, drums and guitar are tight and perfect.
Cons, none.
:)
 
saads said:
I tap the on the little tempo box in Reaper, it tells me the tempo. I start the metronome, play the drums and play the guitar.

Pros, drums and guitar are tight and perfect.
Cons, none.
:)
Click to expand...

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

I record a scratch track, just me playing guitar, no click.
Figure out tempo by tapping tempo box along with what I just recorded.
Delete original scratch, record another scratch along to click track at new locked in tempo
Record drums to new scratch track and click
Delete scratch, and record everything for keeps to drums
 
Greg_L said:
This ^^^^^^^^^^^

I record a scratch track, just me playing guitar, no click.
Figure out tempo by tapping tempo box along with what I just recorded.
Delete original scratch, record another scratch along to click track at new locked in tempo
Record drums to new scratch track and click
Delete scratch, and record everything for keeps to drums
Click to expand...

Pretty much the exact same thing I do. Always has seemed to work for me and it elimates trying to guess what BPM to set a click to.
 
I turn the click track on and then play - if I'm out of sync, I stop slow or speed the tempo accordingly, and try again. In Cubase the preset is 120 bpm at 4/4 - I usually have to change both of those values. And some timing is hard for me to figure out - mostly because I don't speak music.
 
I guess I'm real old school....I play the song on my guitar at the speed that feels the best, then tap my foot and count the number of beats in one minute = BPM for the song.

Works every time. :)
 
jerberson12 said:
How do you usually establish a tempo?
Click to expand...
Usually, I work out the tempo as I write the song. Then when I come to record it, usually with a drummer or percussionist, we just do it. If it feels too fast or too slow, we just do it again until it feels comfortable. Everything that follows goes against guitar/drums {pcsn} or bass/drums {pcsn}.
If I'm starting a thingy on my own, I'll set the metronome until it's at the comfortable tempo that I want. I rarely bother with a scratch track. I'll just dive in.
You did ask.
jerberson12 said:
which one do you or the pro usually use?
Click to expand...
 
For me I just play the drums however they seem right and then record the guitar over the top. Yes it will be slightly off in places but if it's to a noticible amount then the drumming is no good and would sound bad with a click anyway. I prefer this way because it sounds more real and less robotic. Everything over the top and you're good to go. If the click has to be perfect then just take a guess at the bpm and play along to it and adjust until it feels right.
 
instatic said:
if it's to a noticible amount then the drumming is no good and would sound bad with a click anyway.
Click to expand...
That doesn't make sense. It wouldn't sound bad with a click if you PLAYED to a click and followed it.
I prefer this way because it sounds more real and less robotic.
Click to expand...
I'm so sick of reading that from drummers who aren't able to play to alcick.That's the classic excuse of those who can't play to a click. It might sound robotic when YOU play to a click because you don't usually do it. But for good drummers who are used to practicing with a metronome and playing to a click track, the whole "robotic" argument is moot.
 
I generally have the tempo figured out weeks before I turn on the DAW

Play it at the speed that sounds right, tap my foot and count the beats there's the tempo
Use a mentronome to rehearse all the parts at the correct pace. adjust if something doesn't seem to feel right.
 
RAMI said:
I'm so sick of reading that from drummers who aren't able to play to alcick.That's the classic excuse of those who can't play to a click. It might sound robotic when YOU play to a click because you don't usually do it. But for good drummers who are used to practicing with a metronome and playing to a click track, the whole "robotic" argument is moot.
Click to expand...

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 
RAMI said:
That doesn't make sense. It wouldn't sound bad with a click if you PLAYED to a click and followed it.I'm so sick of reading that from drummers who aren't able to play to alcick.That's the classic excuse of those who can't play to a click. It might sound robotic when YOU play to a click because you don't usually do it. But for good drummers who are used to practicing with a metronome and playing to a click track, the whole "robotic" argument is moot.
Click to expand...

What I was trying to say was that if a drummer is so unsteady that you notice them speeding up and slowing down, then they probably aren't a great drummer and wouldn't sound good with a click simply because they can't play well.

And I still stand by my second point, it's not that I can't play to a click it's that I choose not to. It's simply what I prefer but I like it when the tempo increases marginally at the more upbeat parts and slows down at others. Not by noticeable amounts but by a couple of bpm or less so you don't realise it happened but it goes with the song. By robotic I mean lack of fluctuations in the song that would naturally be there, not robotic in the sense that any given beat would be too rigid and soulless. I apologise, I feel my choice of words didn't quite convey what I wanted them to.
 
I think what RAMI is going for is that good drummers (not saying you aren't) will be able to make those fluctuations while playing to a click, and still be in the pocket of the song. And it doesn't matter what it sounds like against the click...the click is going to be taken out anyways...
 
I see your point, if a drummer prefers to do it that way and it works then they should definitely do it. It's just personally I find that once I start playing around the click instead of strictly to it then it starts getting distracting. Also I would assume it depends a lot on the music style. The style of music I play doesn't really require it, like I don't know, jazz or something. For pop or metal or something like that then I would definitely go down the click route.
 
instatic said:
sounds more real and less robotic.
Click to expand...

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I read the rest of your posts, my experience with drummers who refuse the click is 100% laziness and has nothing to do with "feel." Even the good ones that don't use it still slow down and speed up like assholes.
 
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