Click Track Virgin

Illsidgus

Illsidgus

Desiccated Member
For the past three years I have read many threads extolling the virtues of the click track. This evening I finally decided to try it. I first recorded my metronome at 120 bpm with a one measure count. This procedure went okay, I mean how hard is it to record a metronome. I then proceeded to "try" to record a basic rhythm guitar track...what a nightmare. I quickly discovered that playing to a click track, at least for me, is not the same as playing to a drummer. Trying to follow the click track and pay attention to what I was playing was so distracting that I sounded like I had been playing for 50 minutes rather than of 50 years. The bottom lines is, I need to practice playing to a click until I am comfortable with it just as though I were learning a new song for the first time.

Did any of you encounter this kind of problem when y'all first tried to play along with a click track?
 
Why don't you write a simple drum track that has the feel of the song and practice playing to that?

Alan.
 
I re-learn to play to a click every time I record a song.

Another thought, you said you 'recorded' a click track. If you're using a DAW, use the built-in click track. It will be aligned to the timeline and editing, snapping, etc is so much easier.

If you're not using a DAW, then disregard.
 
Illsidgus said:
Did any of you encounter this kind of problem when y'all first tried to play along with a click track?
Click to expand...

Not me. But I learned to play by playing along to Ramones and AC/DC records. Those bands are steady.

If the beep-boop bugs you, use a more natural drum sound. Maybe a cowbell tink-tonking away. Any sound will work. You shouldn't have to concentrate on the click track. Ideally it will just fade into your subconscious as you go along with it. It's just a guide. No different than a foot tapping.
 
Thank you for the input guys. I am recording on a TASCAM 244 Chili so there is no built-in click track. As for a drum track Alan, I do have a super cheap ass Yamaha DD 9 that I could use, its just that those drums sound so awful. Greg, like you most of us old timers grew up learning to play by playing along with our favorite records. The bands that I played along with go back a bit farther than yours. I played along with Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Standells, Blue Cheer, Mountain and many others. I think that practice is my only real solution.
 
Illsidgus said:
Greg, like you most of us old timers grew up learning to play by playing along with our favorite records. The bands that I played along with go back a bit farther than yours. I played along with Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Standells, Blue Cheer, Mountain and many others.
Click to expand...

I think you're ready for a DAW now...:thumbs up:
 
Have you tried playing to click tracks that do ralls, or sudden tempo changes? Horrible. I play for production shows and in theatres and clicks are the name if the game, and the system really matters. A click in one ear and track in the other works for me, but friends often just have one headphone on, ignoring the track. If you do have changes to the tempo, consider a guide track mixed in with the click that counts you through the complicated sections. A voice saying something like "tempo two three four, one....two.....three........... Four really helps you manage these things.

If your click is simply a constant tempo, then it's much much easier.
 
Illsidgus said:
Thank you for the input guys. I am recording on a TASCAM 244 Chili so there is no built-in click track. As for a drum track Alan, I do have a super cheap ass Yamaha DD 9 that I could use, its just that those drums sound so awful. Greg, like you most of us old timers grew up learning to play by playing along with our favorite records. The bands that I played along with go back a bit farther than yours. I played along with Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Standells, Blue Cheer, Mountain and many others. I think that practice is my only real solution.
Click to expand...

Right. If you can play along to a record, then you can play to a click. You just need to get used to playing along to a sound instead of a band.
 
I very often use a drum loop and click. Drum loop for the groove, click to stay on target. I have a hard time with just a click, but find I need it if I am dodging in and out of a groove (playing with the timing).

I think the problem you are having is not so much timing, but how to groove to the click. At least that is my problem.
 
I feel pretty much the same as a lot of people. Playing to a click just takes a little getting used to. If I haven't done it for a while, I have to get used to it again (but I can do it in about a half a song). And drawing out a kick/snare pattern is better than a series of little "blip blip blip's".

Just practice it for a while and I think you'll get it.
 
I just use a drum loop. Hate the 'tick-tick-tick-bing'. If there's a tempo change (and I'm not sure where/what it should be), I'll record a scratch track to th esteady drum loop, then go back add the tempo changes, then re-record the scratch track to make sure it's all good.
The only time I'll use a click track is when sending a project to a drummer.
 
The trick is to play with it, not to it. Change the click to a cowbell or something that sounds like a musical instrument, then just imagine that you are in a band and the guy in the percussion section is keeping time on the cowbell for you.

If you can follow a drummer or.keep.time with a record, you have the skills necessary to.do this.

There are two reasons why people have a hard time playing to a click:

1. They have no idea how to count the part they are playing, so they can't relate it to the click

2. They have it stuck in their head that it is some strange, unnatural thing to do and psych themselves into not relating to it.

I'll bet you are a #2 and if it were a hi hat, stick click, cowbell, or.kick snare pattern you would do just.fine
 
A lot of people think that a click track is some unholy abomination destroying music from within. Those people are stupid. Don't be one of them.
 
Farview said:
The trick is to play with it, not to it. Change the click to a cowbell or something that sounds like a musical instrument, then just imagine that you are in a band and the guy in the percussion section is keeping time on the cowbell for you.

If you can follow a drummer or.keep.time with a record, you have the skills necessary to.do this.

There are two reasons why people have a hard time playing to a click:

1. They have no idea how to count the part they are playing, so they can't relate it to the click

2. They have it stuck in their head that it is some strange, unnatural thing to do and psych themselves into not relating to it.

I'll bet you are a #2 and if it were a hi hat, stick click, cowbell, or.kick snare pattern you would do just.fine
Click to expand...

That may be the problem. When you play to a drummer's beat the drums are a part of the overall music structure. I think that the "tic,tic,tic,tic" just feels unnatural. I will try using my DD 9 pos with a more musical sound for the click and see if that helps. I want to get comfortable with a click track and explore how that can improve my recording experience.
 
I personally find a 'side stick' sample to be the most comfortable. So have the last 6 drummers that have recorded here.

At least it isn't a beep. Can easily be cranked up and eq'd without brain damage.
 
I've always recorded to clicks or drum machines, so I've never thought about if it was a challenge.
Just went back and listened to some of my earliest recordings. The first were done directly to a drum machine; the second major project had a live drummer who was the click.
Turns out, I was right. I am on point when it comes to playing to a click!
 
Farview said:
The trick is to play with it, not to it.
Click to expand...

Right.

Tap your foot....use a click....same thing.

Don't listen to the click...just start the metronome, tap you foot along with it, and then play.
After a couple of measures the click melts into the background and it's not even obvious any more...but subconsciously you'll still follow it, just like you follow your foot tapping...or another player...or a drummer.

It's like....the more you think about it and listen to the click, the harder it seems to follow it because you start waiting for the click, and at that point you're too later, beat after beat...so then you feel like you are chasing it.
Don't listen to it with focused attention, just feel the beat, and then find your groove within the clicks.
 
I guess it came natural to me because I played trombone school band in middle school (had to look at sheet music and pay attention to director) and in marching band as a snare drummer in high school. So when I moved to recording my own music it wasn't hard at all. I too record a click track to a recorder, I don't mind it other that having to map out the song.
 
DM60 said:
I very often use a drum loop and click. Drum loop for the groove, click to stay on target. I have a hard time with just a click, but find I need it if I am dodging in and out of a groove (playing with the timing).

I think the problem you are having is not so much timing, but how to groove to the click. At least that is my problem.
Click to expand...

I'd say that's exactly my problem as well. I suck at playing to a click, but I can play to a simple drum loop much more easily. Something about that brief anticipation of hearing the kick and the snare fall on the 1/3 and 2/4, it helps my awful sense of timing.

I do the same when I play bass, I have to have the kick and snare in there to know where to land my accents.
 
I often find my students are unable to tap their foot while playing guitar. A metronome is a nightmare to them. I substitute a drum machine that sounds much better than a metronome but it is still the same principle – playing in time to the beat.

The real problem is not that you CAN’T play to a click track, but more because you DON’T play to one. There was a time when you couldn’t play guitar. If you want to improve your timing, then you have to start playing in time, its as simple as that. Lets face it, if you cant tap your foot or play to a metronome, then you have a timing problem, not a click track problem. Whether you use a metronome, drum machine or just tapping your foot, you will get better with practice.

The two most important things in playing music are 1. Play in tune and 2. Play in time. If both of these are good, you will sound good no matter what your experience. If either of these are bad, you will sound bad, no matter what your experience…
 
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