I always arrive early for whatever job I have to do. And a drummer should be earlier than everyone else. If there are any tech issues that come up it gives me time to iron them out before the rest of the team arrives. It makes soundchecks and performances much more relaxed.
Tricks for Clicks
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BECAUSE OF MY RECENT TEACHING EXPERIENCES I’M POSTING THIS AGAIN. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLAY TO THE CLICK. HERE’S HOW…
Today’s discussion is about the famous “click track.”
A term used to literally describe the track on a tape or computer recording system that is dedicated solely to the metronome. A concept first developed in film production when they wanted to align musical cues with the action that was happening on screen. The conductor would listen to a click track printed directly onto the audio portion of a film and conduct the orchestra to match what was happening in the movie. Then it became a staple in studio recording. Now we use it for live playing as much as we do for studio work.
Playing with a click or metronome is one of the biggest challenges for musicians. From my early years of study on drums, percussion, and piano all of my teachers required that I practice with this tool of the trade. And so it is today. I use it for EVERYTHING! Practicing, recording, and live events get the same attention to the mark of the metronome. The infamous b.p.m. (beats per minute) rules the drummer’s life.
I’ve played with clicks, clacks, pops, beeps, dings, and many other sounds. So let me show you a few tricks to make this experience more enjoyable. Hopefully this will help you and the whole band feel like the click track is your friend.
Ultimately you should be able to listen to whatever is sent to you as a click sound. There are still times when I have to listen to an annoying pop or beep.
The main thing is to be the team player and don’t complain. But if you can be the one who creates the click then make it something you want to hear all day.
There are some sessions where they like to hear that old sampled pop that is typical on the Akai MPC machines. I normally like to have a soft sounding high cowbell sound on the quarter notes and then use a small shaker for the subdivisions of the beat. Some want a different sound on the quarter note (or pulse) of the song. Other players I’ve talked to like to hear just a shaker playing 8th notes, 16ths, or triplets depending on the feel of the tune. Be careful with the sound of the shaker you use for a click. There are times the sample hits a little strangely and it doesn’t sound steady. That’s why I normally choose a short snap shaker sound. WOW! Say that fast 4 times. “Short snap shaker sound”…….
There are so many metronome devices on the market today there’s no excuse for all musicians not have one. I just got a music distributors catalog in the mail today and the whole back cover is full of metronomes. Everything from a basic $11 mini version up to multi-functional Yamaha Clickstation that list for $189. I don’t think Yamaha even makes that anymore except as an app for your iPhone or droid. I also like the Tama RhythmWatch or the Boss DB-90.
If you can spend a little more I highly recommend getting one of the little drum machines rather than an ordinary metronome. In stores everywhere and on line there are always drum machines for sale. You can easily spend under $200 and get a machine that will work great. An Alesis SR-16 is a great little inexpensive machine. You can even use a foot switch to start & stop it. I keep the switch by the heel of my hi-hat pedal. I like to use the percussion sounds that I can program rather than a plain click or beep sound. The main point is to start with something that works for your budget. There’s just no reason not to have a metronome.
The first time you play to a click can be a very frustrating experience.
I recommend starting with the metronome playing double time. In other words if you want to play notes at 80 b.p.m. set your device to play 160 b.p.m. and so on. If your machine can play the subdivided notes then you can easily keep the main pulse at 80 and then let the other sound play double time. (ie: cowbell on ¼ notes and the shaker on 1/8th notes) Listen and count for several bars before you start to play. 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4; then begin. We call this “internalizing the time.” Stay very relaxed and keep your strokes smooth. Don’t allow any stiffness in your arms, wrists, or fingers. If you feel your tempo is wandering a little don’t tense up. Just try to feel the pulse and lock into it. If you get totally lost; STOP! Breathe; start counting again; internalize the time; and start again. You should feel your ears and hands locking into the sound of the click. I often tell my students not to think of a click as isolated blips, but as long notes that are connected. Picture in your mind the bouncing ball image. “Follow the bouncing ball!” If you think of clicks and all percussion sounds as having length it should be easier to keep the proper tempo spacing in your playing. I had one teacher tell me to thing of the pulse of music as being “round,” not pointed or square. Whatever picture you can use to get this idea hang on to it. It really does work!
I would also use ear buds or headphones to listen to the click. Most metronomes have a headphone plug. Use it! In most band settings this is the way you should monitor the sound anyway. Don’t send the click sound through the speakers. If you have to, get your own small headphone mixer.
Again, they are easily found in music stores and catalogs. In one channel I have the monitor line sent to me (2 lines if a stereo mix is available). I send my click line into a totally separate channel. If I’m using drum loops, that is also in a separate channel from the click and mix sends. Having the music mix and the click in separate channels allows you to adjust levels according to the moment. In softer songs you can turn the click down, but when everything is loud you might need to turn it up.
Trust me; there have been enough times when I couldn’t control the click volume, and I wished I had taken the time to set up my little mixer. If I have no choice I will ask the engineer to send me the click at a much higher level in my mix so that I know the music will never cover it. This can be very annoying if you have to listen to a loud click the whole time you are playing.
But do what you have to keep your tempos steady.
I use a click for everything. Besides always using it “on the job,” I use a click when practicing rudiments, snare and drum kit studies, and even when I’m soloing. At least 95% of my work out is with a metronome or drum machine.
Try different ways of using the click. I’ll set up only a ¼ note pulse for some exercises. If I’m mixing the subdivisions of the beat I don’t want the machine playing them for me. It might be interesting to hear triplets against 1/16th notes, but sometimes I really want to focus on just the main pulse. If the primary feel is heavy with a certain subdivision then I will allow that to keep playing.
For the opposite approach try playing with a click only on the “off beats.”
Rather than hearing the ¼ note pulse, only hear the “and” of the beat (for 8th notes) or the “and ah” part of the beat if you playing a 1/16 note feel. Try other variations of this concept. If you use a drum machine, program a pattern that accents the notes you “don’t” play. When you do this you really get a feel for how well you are grooving around the time, because you can hear the other notes. The ones that you’re “not” playing. You should think of the machine as another player and begin to relax as you play along with the click. Again let me emphasize the word RELAX! Stay loose!
Other tricks that are fun would consist of leaving beats out. Have the machine click 1, 2, 3, but rest on 4. Try any variation of this you’d like. You could also count the clicks as only sounding on beats 2 & 4 and you have to place the 1 and 3 in the gaps along with all the patterns you are trying to play. I got that idea from my friend Don Harris; an outstanding bass player with impeccable time. By the way he always practices with a metronome too.
If you play with a basic click on ¼ notes try keeping the volume of the machine down. When your time is perfect you won’t even hear the click. We call that “burying the click.” This is also a great way to tell when your playing “on top” (a little ahead of the click) or “laid back” (slightly behind the click). Mentally you almost feel like the machine is rushing or dragging, but believe me it’s you, not the click, that’s moving. Don’t become tense when you hear this. Concentrate and become aware of your feel of the time. There are musical settings when you want to change where you feel the tempo. The key is to learn what it feels like and to be able to control it at will. A little pushing and pulling can be very musical, but keep it smooth. Never let it feel like you’re jerking the time around. Again, RELAX!
If you start using a click everyday you should notice your time improving.
Hopefully all the musicians will start doing this as part of their routine as well. But even if no one else does, do it for yourself and for the sake of the music. Your team will notice the difference.
Maybe you can suggest that everyone use a headphone monitoring system and listen to the click with you. Even if they do just at rehearsals it will help. I know several groups that have gotten so comfortable with it that they use it all the time. It’s amazing how the whole band will improve their time as you all play along to your friend the click track.
Jazz Still Inspires Me
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I’ve always loved jazz. I was part of the founding jazz program at Webster University in St. Louis. It started the burn I have for that genre, and the fire never went out. You learn so much about pouring out of your heart & soul, and I believe this relates so much to what I feel in worship music. Even John Coltrane commented that his classic recording “A Love Supreme” was worship to God. Those early inspirations are firmly planted in me. The value of my Bachelors of Music degree is not in the plaque on my wall, but in the passion that it stirred in me as a young musician.
Here’s a clip recorded at Belmont University in Nashville with my friend, Professor David McKay, for his faculty recital. This is David’s tune “Colori.” Our band, Quad Venti, is the outlet for the love of this music. You can check out more QV songs at itunes. To book the group for your event contact my office. (615) 851-2850, or email LMAlbrecht@aol.com.
Playing to the Room: A Drummer’s Perspective
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The most common and controversial statement drummers hear is “Can you play softer?” Drum volume is one of the biggest issues with bands, especially in church and ministry settings. It is the most controversial because opinions are very strong concerning expressing yourself musically & spiritually while trying to keep the volume lower. Musicians often feel like they’re being stifled by the restrictions that are placed on them because of the acoustic environments they deal with. Well today my friends I will give you the answer to this problem. STOP PLAYING DRUMS!!!
…. Of course I’m just kidding. So, let’s talk.
Ultimately all musicians should adjust to the situation they are working in and have the attitude of making the whole team sound great. (*Please read my article- “Still Serving After All These Years.” – in an earlier issue.) The drummer’s job is particularly difficult because by nature drums are a loud instrument. We can’t just turn them down. So let’s work with changing the instrument you use.
The first solution is to use smaller drums and cymbals. A 20” kick is more focused & punchy sounding than a larger kick drum. The standard tom-tom sizes of a 12”, 13”, & a 16” floor tom could be down sized to a 10”, 12”, & 14” tom set up. The snare could be a 14” diameter by 5” deep brass model. Larger snares in general are going to sound more “thick” acoustically, and smaller snares are going to be too bright. For the rest of the kit maple drums sound beautiful, but you may switch to birch or other woods that will not sound as dense or massive. Believe me, a smaller kit will project less volume, but you still have to control your dynamics.
The same theory applies to cymbals. I use a 20” Medium Ride (sometimes a 22″ Custom Dry) , 18” & 19” Medium Thin Crashes, 8” & 12” Splash Cymbals, and 14” Medium Hi-hats for most situations. They are a mixture of Heartbeat Cymbals from their Custom Dry and Classic series. I may change things a little according to the music I’m working on, but I start with this set up. No big “Rock” or heavy cymbals. I only use them when the job requires it.
You may be playing a smaller kit and trying to play softly, but it never seems to be soft enough. Some rooms are not “drum friendly.” Hard floors, brick walls, and lots of windows are not helpful to the acoustic challenges of a modern worship band.
Be sure to set up on a nice rug. The floor reflects sound too and that will help to control it. Try NOT to set up in a corner. It acts like a megaphone for the drums. If you must do that try to hang a theatre curtain or heavy cloth around the back of the kit and even the whole band if you can. As a last resort build a booth for your drums or order one from the ClearSonic company (www.clearsonic.com). If necessary you can totally enclose the drums. You can match the color & décor of the auditorium and everyone will be happy with the sound AND the look.
If you use a shield or a booth be sure to make it large enough so you can still walk around the drums. It should also be at least two feet higher that your highest cymbal. A drum kit must “breath” or move the airwaves freely to sound its best. If the booth is too small the drums will sound choked & harsh. Test this by holding your hand in front of your mouth while you are speaking and then gradually move it away. Notice how your tone sounds warmer as you allow more space between your mouth and hand. Drums have a similar response in a booth.
There’s no use putting up a small shield. It will only cut down 5% to 10% of the decibel level. If you go to all of this effort do it completely. You can start in phases. Maybe begin with just the front panels. Add the back to it if that’s not enough. Then the last step would be a top if necessary.
If a booth is not an option then you have to physically control your volume. Remember playing louder does NOT make you more spiritual or dramatic. What’s in your heart when you play is what matters. So be able to play at whatever dynamic level is needed for the room you are in and play passionately.
In your stick bag should be many different sizes & weights of sticks, brushes, mallets, Hot Rods, etc. etc. Your favorite standard size stick (5A) should be plentiful. Heavier sticks for big outdoor events or other loud situations, and very light (jazz) sticks for smaller rooms. Hot Rods (by Pro Mark) or Splashsticks (by Vater) are excellent for keeping you volume down & still hearing some “snap” when you play. Even have lighter “blasticks” or “ultrflex” brushes for those super soft settings.
I always hear drummers say that it doesn’t sound as “cool” or real when they use other sticks or “rods.” My response is that they are correct! The tone is different. But that’s the adjustment we have to make for the music to really blend in a difficult room. The key is too find the right technique on the drums & cymbals when you use other “tools.” Sometimes I’ll play with a little more snap when using brushes or rods. I might also experiment with where I hit the drums or how I make a rim shot just to get the right sound. Approach this as a challenge not as a handicap. It will add to your creativity if you choose to make it so.
It’s also very important to practice everything you do at a variety of dynamic levels. Use a metronome to play all of the songs and exercises you play. While you do that switch to every type of stick, brush, & rod you have in your bag. Make it feel great with anything you pick up. Even your bare hands! You’ll be amazed how versatile you will become. Adjusting the height of your stroke when you are playing will definitely affect your volume. Practice until you are comfortable playing very high strokes (loud) with a lot of wrist and arm action as well as low strokes (soft) just barely raising the sticks off of the drums. At the softer dynamic levels be sure to use more finger control and less wrist action. It may take time to get your soft playing under control if you have been playing loud for a long time. Be patient and keep practicing it. And YES, with the metronome!
Be aware of the dynamics of your feet as well. Your kick drum volume will have to be in balance with the rest of the kit. Although in most “popular” music the kick is played harder as compared to jazz styles. The main thing is for you to develop your control for whatever setting you are playing in. The hi-hat foot will probably not be as critical, but be attentive to it as well.
I know that many of you have played electronic drums to solve the volume problem. That’s a great idea if there are no options to make your real drums work in the situation you’re in. The technology is amazing for digital drums. Roland, Yamaha, Ddrums, etc. are all making fantastic instruments. If you play electric kits be sure the P.A. system in your auditorium or church can really handle all the extra channels and reproduce the sound. That is big concern in churches. You should also use headphones or earbuds to monitor the sound. NO speakers allowed for monitoring. I would use the small drum or keyboard amps they make for these set ups for the band to hear the kit on the platform. Even though you’re trying to reduce your volume the drums still must blend in and feel like part of the music. I usually put the amp on one side of my electric set up with an extension speaker on the opposite side. This creates the sense that there is a real drum kit on the platform. Using amps and microphones is not to make your drums louder than other musicians, but to create a musical blend and to give them definition in the room. (Hmm. Maybe I should do an article on drum microphones & techniques. – We’ll see.)
Even when playing a great digital drum kit I still add a real snare to the left of the hi-hat pad. I also add a few real cymbals and some percussion toys for those moments when I want to do something really delicate. But I won’t use the “real” instruments for any loud hits. That is reserved for the pads.
Remember our job as drummers is to create a strong musical & spiritual foundation so everyone can enjoy what’s happening. Our focus is to serve the Lord & the people with the skills He has placed in us. It’s all for His glory!!
Now go play softly and this time WITH FEELING!!!
Blessings,
Carl
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