Help my drummer play to a click track!!!

[Raymeous]

"I'm having trouble keeping time with this annoying click in my ear".

Here's something I heard along the way, and unfortunately I can't remember who said it.

"If you can hear the click, you're probably not playing in time." - kinda makes sense when you think about it.

 

[grimtraveller]

"If you can hear the click, you're probably not playing in time." - kinda makes sense when you think about it.

I can dig where the sayer of that saying is coming from, but again, it makes no sense. So much 'mystical' claptrap is ascribed to music making when actually, it's pretty practical and under the control of the musicians, even when improvising. You want to hear the click otherwise there'd be no point in using it ! What you don't want is to be dwarfed and intimidated by it, nor put off from doing your own thing to it.

 

[Farview]

That happens to me, but its not that I can't hear it when Im right on, it simply becomes part of the music being played. If you fall off the click, the click will stand out because it isn't in time. (obviously the click is in time, but it no longer lens with what is being played and becomes jarring)

 

[Greg_L]

That happens to me, but its not that I can't hear it when Im right on, it simply becomes part of the music being played. If you fall off the click, the click will stand out because it isn't in time. (obviously the click is in time, but it no longer lens with what is being played and becomes jarring)

This ^^^^^

It really is that simple. When you're on the click, everything locks in and the click essentially vanishes. If you need/want to get off of it, then get off of it. For a good player this is all second nature.

 

[Raymeous]

Exactly,

For me, I am a self taught drummer. I am primarily a guitarist, which lead to bass, then keys, and eventually drums. I hate clicks just like the next guy, but what I used to do at the very beginning, was program something into my keyboard, including any drum ideas (so I could learn how to play them). After that I would pop on the headphones or run it through the PA (Pair of Cerwin Vega 15" 3-ways at the time) and I'd just try to keep up.

Like any other skill, you have to put in the time and effort to get used to it. I wouldn't expect any drummer to be comfortable with a click if they never did it before.

 

[Greg_L]

I wouldn't expect any drummer to be comfortable with a click if they never did it before.

I disagree. I think any competent drummer could easily play along to a click - even for the very first time. Some people act like click tracks are this horrible phenomenon that kills music. Those people are dumb.