Bury the click!! The click should only be loud enough for you to hear when you’re off-beat. If you’re perfectly on beat you won’t hear the click. The more consistently you can do this the better your time will be!
thats most un real thing ,(some) musicians kept repeating that stupid concept, because you can play a little bit behind or on top, still be on time. you always HAVE TO HEAR THE CLICK! if you are playing to a click.
The rhythm trainer in the Pro Metronome app has been a game changer for me...instant feedback, successive repetitions, and granular difficulty settings. Amazing tool.
I'm a bass player not a drummer but I found an app that seems to be helping. It probably works well for drummers too. I consistently have trouble with rushing at slow tempos and when playing fills at the end of a bar or whatever. The app is Gap Click. It's a metronome but it will periodically lay out for a bar or more, depending on how you have it set. You can set it so that it doesn't click across that problematic fill and if you come back in on the downbeat you know you're good. It's really challenging to me but I'm slowly improving.
In my experience, the single best way to improve your timing is to practice subdivisions a lot. Start with the basic pyramid and then bigger jumps, different time signatures, click only on the downbeat, displace the click, etc. Hours of fun for the whole family.
This is what I've found as well. I had good time from playing other instruments from childhood. But when took up drums and took the advice to use a metronome, my time sense derailed. My solid fix was to go up and down or randomly around the interval pyramid. When I do use a metronome as a cross check, I only set it whole note or half notes.
Drumless tracks are great! Recording yourself (imo) is one of the best tools for truly hearing/seeing myself, and finding my bad habits. Playing live is a whole other animal. Adrenaline, nerves can be killers, especially if you're new to giging. If ya gig consistantly, and follow Steven's advice, it will all fall in place.
@@erictorres4889 Pretty much anything works better than a metronome. Outside of referencing tempo, they aren't nearly as valuable as most seem to think.
I just started putting up covers (and parts) under the name Bubinga Basher, using drumless tracks. It almost feels like I'm doing a huge gig for the first time, as anyone can see em. Anyway, it almost feels like the next step. Click tracks can be great, but also can be a crutch
Never took drum lessons. Started gigging out at 16 in a hair metal band. My sense of tempo and time were developed literally practicing with my band 5-6 days a week (probably too much). But, my drumming was so organic, and I learned by memorizing songs.. There was no reliance on a click , just had floor monitors. At gigs, there were times we could barely hear one another, but were super tight. This was a great video, and the best way to get tighter is to actually play songs, and get feed back from the other people in the band.
I actually think that once you've practiced for a few years with a click recording >>>>>> click click makes it way too easy to "chase" the click and even playing on the offbeats doesn't help from what I've experienced if you record yourself you naturally seem to adjust your time after a few takes, it's like it begins to build an intimate awareness of what you sound like
Good info here Stephen, but I will like to add that in my teaching experience the best way to improve your time is by displacing the click and by developing your 5th limb (your voice). If you play with the metronome on quarter notes, the metronome is PROVIDING THE PULSE and you are just following it. But when the click is displaced, you are forced to CREATE THE PULSE in relationship to where the click is, which is actually very similar to a real life musical situation where you are expected to provide solid pocket in relationship to different bass lines, guitar riffs etc. Also COUNTING is absolutely crucial. The New Breed by Gary Chester and Dave DiCenso´s 'Rhythm and Drumming Demystified' are great books that stress the importance of using your voice to sharpen your rhythmic awareness. Your voice is the primal physical manifestation of your inner time. If you can't sing (or vocalise) in time, you won't be able to play in time. Thanks for the great videos Stephen, keep it up!
The time trainer on the Roland TD27 is a great help. You can choose any two kit instruments ( eg BD & snare, BD and hi hat etc) and it will track and report your beat placement accuracy. I quickly found that I tend to race my beat 1 BD following a fill, so now I’m working on fixing that
5:07 That's good to hear, because most of my playing is along to MP3s, as my lifestyle, tastes, and personality make finding or forming a band highly, highly unlikely. I've also noticed, since I try every now and then just to check, that I don't have much trouble staying lined up to a metronome. However, (I know you're not dissing metronomes) I believe a metronome is a very good tool to develop subdivision transitions; having a constant and exact 1/4 note pulse going while you play around it with the subdivisions will help teach you how they all work around each other, which is VITAL to keeping time; bad subdivision transitions are almost always the culprit when there's a sudden time shift. Being comfortable with recording, listening to, and watching yourself is also important.
Thank you. I was getting frustrated with my band members telling me I am wrong. Been drumming a long time, not used to that. Nobody is perfect. Sabbath Drummer Tucson Az
Yes, I'd say every musician needs to develop their inner timekeeper. I subbed for the orchestra teacher at a school I worked for, and the kids were to take turns leading. The rushing and dragging was not the musically elastic feel of a trained conductor. I had to speak up then and there.
I NEEDED this lesson, and I am glad I haven't spent hours just playing along to a metronome while nursing a completely incorrect notion as to what it's doing for my playing and how to get any real improvement out of it.
I like the Gap Click app. You can program it to click for up to 8 bars, then have the click drop out for up to 8 bars and repeat. When the click returns, you can check if you are still playing in time.
Backbeater app is great for monitoring your time. It reads your back beat and you can see exactly when you’re rushing or dragging. Best tool for adjusting your time.
I'm not a drummer but a composer. And I have timing issues with playing guitars, and singing. And yes the click doesn't solve the problem, but just as you said, I create new issues by getting distracted and start bouncing back and forth between focusing on the click and messing up my playing or doing the playing right but messing up my timing. A few things I realized that worked very well with the timing of my guitar playing was: 1 try to compose the drums first using midi and the grid (if you have a real drummer or play drums yourself too, you an replace the midi drums with the real drumkit later) that helps seriously a lot more than a click track. 2: move along with your body to the rhythm. Like I have a "BOM badadada, BOM badadada" kind of rhythm, so I bang my head forward with every BOM and move my head a little up and down during the badadada. While moving my feet too. 3: try to find a feel that goes well with both ten drums and the guitars. And lastly: mute the previous tracks during dubble tracking, having a guitar in your left ear while playing guitar yourself can be VERY distracting.
Playing along to songs is great IF the drummer you’re playing to has good time. A metronome has always helped me stay straight while doing practice pad work. On the kit in the studio, I tend to sound a bit stiff using it. Great video no matter what.
"The less subdivisions the more that click practice is going help your time!" That, is the nut in the shell! Your internal clock has to be the deeper subdivisions.
That is actually an interesting approach. I did it a little different: I start to practice with the click. First only the beats and the fills, first slow, than faster, then the transitions (few bars) then all of it, then I set the metronome to every some bars (has to be different to the general structure of the song so it alternates) set out for a few bars, so I see: if the click is not there: do you still keep it up or not. Do that with different passages and try to stay in there even as the pauses on the click get longer and longer. But I like your approach, too as it might be faster...
Thats the Benny Greb way, Thats why he developed the Gap Click app Im not a drummer (guitarist here) and i dont profit from him in any way, just saying cause its interesting to me.
Practicing to a metronome has DEFINITELY improved my time. I practice subdivisions with a click and now my 16s and 32s sound much cleaner. Even my 8s and paradiddles have that crisp, even flow. It comes down to how you use it, and why you need it. Some people just speed up, no matter how many hours they put in solo and with their coach. I know. I'm one of em. But more than anything, the metronome has changed the way I listen to my own beats and maintain self control.
I have practiced to a metronome which did help, BUT playing to a song with a metronome in a group actually put me off the beat. I now believe you can either feel the beat or not, and we then played a song that i have never heard ( Cold hearted woman, Chris Bell ) so I had to wing it, which actually sounded pretty good, and for me only being 8 months into learning how to play drums is an achievement.
It depends on who you are playing with as well. Many times I am justified trying to keep things together for the group when they start to rush. It makes it more difficult to keep an even tempo. I use a metronome on my phone that is just on visually so I can tell when things are off. But even I can rush at times, mainly when I am playing something that is difficult
I have been playing for a loooooooong time. My time is ok - sort of. Most musicians I play with think I'm a good time keeper. But, I wasn't a reader. Now I am getting into playing with big bands, I have had to learn to site read. I could read a bit, but not good enough to follow a score. I'm getting there - but often I find that if I sight read, it screws my timing. I slow down during challenging passages and speed up again when their is nothing to read than repeat marks. This has been an important lesson for me - concentrating on what I'm doing instead of listening to the music screws my time. A song I know, listening with my ears and singing along in my head, my time is fine.
nice video - but however good your own time is, the problem when playing in a band is when the other members speed up/slow down - sometimes you just have to go with them...and lord knows no guitarist ever practices to a metronome!
Very good advice. I keep offering a spare digital multi track to my brother to record his practice sessions along to pre recorded backing tracks. He wouldn't take the recorder away with him as I felt he should listen back to find out his strengths and weaknesses. He can play but will never improve if he only ever plays along with a CD player (that won't give critical feedback)
Will definitely try this out. Just came back from band rehearsal, where I had the click in my ear and felt like there was no feeling with the songs (however, the rest of the band didn’t feel like this). My feeling was that I really was so focussed on the click, I sometimes came off the click because my band is so loud and they were more forcing than the click and I tried to correct the timing according to the click, that I felt like we didn’t really groove... I think overall my tempo feeling is rather good, but I surely am not a machine. For me it feels that we groove more w/o a click than with a click, but then we have no exact constant tempo. So band rehearsal for me with a click is not really satisfying, doesn’t give me a good vibe, but I know as a drummer I have to be constant as possibly could.... I think your advice and what you said, is THE point in my case.
Sounds more like you don't take your duties as the absolute dictating commander in chief seriously enough... there is only ONE tempo the band should keep, and that is yours. Are you on the beat it is NOT you who should change the tempo. if your bandmates cant keep your time, then THEY are the propblem, not the metronome.
As a drummer, I like playing with the click track. They make it clear who screwed up. When everyone is on, you don't even notice the click track. And absolutely record your practices
Definitely some great tips on here! I would only add: you should still be able to play without a problem to a click; I don't see the metronome as a way to get better at my timing (even though it does help in one way or another) but as a must have tool for practicing and recording, even for playing live, some drummers don't like it but I find it very useful to keep everything consistent, you know, playing to an audience can lead to having more fluctuations in your playing than usual, the click gives me confidence and focus without sacrificing the feeling.
As long as your in tine with the rest of the band, "consistency" doesn't really matter. Theres way too much emphasis on trying to be a robot in music today.
@@iunnox666 You know what? you may be right. I'm having a gig in 2 weeks, I won't use metronome and see the feedback I get from my bandmates. The next practice sessions I'll be alternating with/without metronome and I'm gonna record myself to see if there's an improvement.
Fully agree with Mike Longo on the topic (just google his name with practicing with metronome) -- and as evidence I would like to enter Peterson's SATIN DOLL (MPS label; album: The Way I really Play) that I researched by dividing every chorus very precisely, almost 10 minutes in total, and each chorus is 1.02 minutes, steady as a rock, 8 choruses one after the other, of course the 62 seconds is an approximation, but 32 bars, 128 beats are played in lets assume 62 seconds, that is appr. 2.0645 beats per second, and to convert to Bpm, that would be 123.871 beats per minute... You can not set any metronome to that afaik, and it would be pointless to try, would be an understatement...If I start the track/song, as the rhythm is established, i can turn of the volume, just keep playing the lines and pace in my head, singing and tapping and moving my body, and when I turn up the volume 3 minutes later I am completely in sync, still, with the record. My advice, stay far away from a metronome, and get a record/cd on, get into the groove, keep it going effortlessly after you turned the volume down to zero (or mute), and turn it back up a minute later or so, and see whether you have kept steady.... Trio musicians like Sam Jones, Bobby Durham, Peterson, they keep each other steady, it is inevitable... No metronome can be designed to even remotely get in the vicinity to capture that pulse and feel. If you think it can, you need to brush up on callibration and related physical limitations in time producing devices.
@@michaelb.42112 Ha! Price must've gone up a bit. And rightly so! Helped me identify problem spots more times than I can remember. And it's always nice to just glance over and 'know' you're in the pocket.
Anyone else find that switching your seat height affects your sense of time? I'm a relatively low sitter and whenever I switch to a heigher seat height due to a loaned set or whatever, it's like I have to rewrite some of my muscle memory and really focus on listening to not speed up. I don't see this talked about much. Only that a heigher seat is generally better. I find it harder to groove on a heigher seat.
That is definitely possible. If u cannot lift both feet off the pedals without leaning back the seat height is probably messing with your balance. Subconsciously trying to balance yourself in between foot strikes will throw your time off. You can also try sitting further back on the seat.
Man, i use the click during drills, but absolutely hate it when recording. It takes my nature away, and I don't play free, so even when i keep the time with the click when recording it just sounds flat. I realize the studio wants you and your band to record with a click, but it really bothers me, i know a few drummers and bands who recorded songs without a click and they sound great, where others swear by the click. I'm really trying to avoid using the click whenwe record next, are there any tips you may have for drummers that want to record as good as they can without a click? Apologies for the wordiness, just trying to figure the best way to cure this dlemma without the click.. Thanks In Advance!
The more you use it, the less you will find it limiting, 99% of the music we listen to is recorded to a click and we don't necessarily think "oh, those drums sound flat. I'd love them if they were recorded without a metronome"
I agree completely, the only time I ever play to a click is to placate someone else. Never improves my playing, and the only time it doesn't make me sound flat(because I'm playing with it) is when I ignore it as much as possible. It's a bad habit though imo, ideally every sound should be incorporated into the music.
@@TheJoeyG88 Ignoring sounds/not incorporating them into music. Incorporating a metronome wouldn't sound good in most cases, so you have to essentially ignore it. I like my music alive, and free from slavery to a robotic beat. I realize that most newer music has been recorded to a click, and most musicians practice with metronomes, but I don't believe for half a second that that music wouldn't have been every bit as good if not better without it.
@@iunnox666 i agree, you can't take away the Drummer's total freedom, and feel, yes we are responsible for solid timing, but we should be The ONLY metronome.. ;)
I can relate to listening back to yourself. But regardless, just listen to Nicky Bags, that cat practices with a met every day and he’s got some of the best timing Iv ever heard.
I understand that bands playing at small venues and gigs may not be use to playing with a click, but it is so important when it comes to studio sessions and big live performances. It’s almost kind of a necessity. You just have to learn to play with it. But of course It just takes time. You have to spend a lot of time playing to a metronome and click to gain that perfect unshakable timing. That good timing that allows you to play drums on top of programmed drums in a studio environment and not miss a beat even by a millisecond. If your goal is to be the best, the metronome/click/track is just something you have to learn to play with, or you will never make it as a professional musician in this day and age. Saying that a metronome will not directly improve your timing is a complete and utter lie and is in this case is used for click bait. Unbelievable...
Jerry Jerri 100% agree. I use a click during live performances with backing tracks, with even back tracked drums here and there, so I have to be on point with the click, plus it’s great for chop building and tracking studio sessions. Nobody wants to wait forever for you to nail that one fill. Just practice with one and save everyone and yourself time as well as nailing a performance.
J Borg This is a rediculous thing to say. Of course it’s not mandatory to play with a click and I’m pretty positive everyone in this thread knows that but there are very much instances where playing with a click is necessary.
@@TMIScott I can think of no legitimate use for a click track. The only thing a metronome is actually for is setting tempo, a function made obsolete by recordings. "Nobody want to wait forever for you to nail that one fill." So learn your parts before you go to the studio. Plenty of great music has been recorded before click tracks, and most of it has much better feel.
I feel like people whine too much about staying ribotically tight. I like a natural feel with songs without a metronome some fluctuations it gives life to a song and energy.
One of the things that I learned when I started playing to clicks (mostly for recordings) was to listen to the click passively. I would turn it up loud enough for me to hear it clearly through my headphones when I played but when I did play for the recording, I wouldn’t think about the click. I would instinctively try and keep with the click without thinking about. When I first started playing with the click, that would be all I would listen to. I would get worried if I hit the snare (for example) a 32nd note out and that would make me create more mistakes as I played and noticed my imperfect timing.
I noticed the narrator of this contradicts himself by first saying that playing along with the metronome does not help you but then he later says it helps you if you play along with gaps in between each click.
Sing the song mentally as you play. If you can't sing it comfortably you're pushing the song too fast. If you are dragging the lyrics you need to speed your tempo up. Let the song's lyrics be your guide. If it's an instrumental....hum the main instrument's melody...same rule applies.
I disagree totally with what you’re saying. Playing with a metronome “will” show you where you a rushing or dragging as a matter of course. If you practice with a metronome you are creating neural pathways (muscle memory) in correct time and you can feel îf you are in time when playing. Every great drummer I’ve heard, who play with great time, recommend using a metronome.
Of course he's saying it's quicker to record yourself playing with a metronome and you will see faster improvement in playing if you record yourself as well. He isn't saying metronomes don't work just that they are slower without a recording to look back on.
I actually think he’s telling you to listen back to yourself as it’s very difficult to hear exactly how close or far off the beat you are. When you listen back, you’ll be able to hear whether you’re rushing or dragging.
Don't mind what thousands of professionals and the greatest drummers of all time say. Don't mine what people with doctorates in percussion say. This UA-camr with a few thousand subscribers knows better! 😐
@Dan On Drums Clicks are key. Perfect time doesn't exist. Unlike perfect pitch. We must constantly train our bodies and minds to have good time. And to do that we must use a click while practicing. You can't argue with the OVERwhelming massive majority of every professional and academic drummer whose ever lived.
Disagree. If you play to a click consistently, you eventually don’t hear it. And it will magically make you a better time keeper because you have an internal click.
I am an amateur so take what I am saying with a grain of salt but I disagree with this. From the sounds of it you knew you were off time then went to all the trouble to lay it out with a click track to see your intuition was correct anyway. Also, you're probably underestimating how bad the timing of a beginner like me can be. 😂
That's not the same. There are lots of drummers, and other people, with excellent natural timing whether or not they're using a metronome. But the absolute best drummers in the world practiced their rudiments to a metronome. After ten thousand hours, a metronome absolutely gives drummers an internal clock sense. This is a very disappointing video. Stephen is dead wrong here.
Hmm.. Yeah, just turning on a metronome will not fix your timing just like eating a pound broccoli will not make you healthy.. It takes practice being able to play to a click. Just ask any recording engineer working with some armature band coming into their studio. Basically, you need to get used to playing with a click. Yes, there are certain things that make people tend to speed up or drag..ei fills, rests, change in the rhythm . The Blues song "Messin' with the Kid" to mind Hosting many a Blues Jams, people always speed up on the hits of that turnaround.. Sight reading to a metronome will point out those spots where your timing gets off track. Spend ten mins a day sight reading to a metronome for two weeks and you'll see, even better, you'll feel a big difference. This goes for any instrument
Why would I want to practice to be able to react to or play anything other than music? The only thing you should hear is music, anything else will detract from your playing.
@@iunnox666Great question actually.. That's exactly why you practice to a metronome, to learn to control and be conscience of how you react to music.. If your reaction to playing fills is to speed up or your reaction to the band getting quiet is to slow down or you speed up again when the dynamics get louder. then you need to learn how you react to music because a lot of people react to music (often unknowingly) vey poorly.. As a music educator I deal with this all the time. I had a young girl who is a singer song writer taking guitar lessons from me. She was very talented, but when ever her songs would get louder, her strumming hand would go off the rails and you could hear her struggling to get the lyrics in.. The 1rst thing we did was get her timing under control. I taught her the difference of behind the beat or on top of the beat. Once she got that, she suddenly had so much more freedom to sing and put more emotion into the lyrics, because she was now in control of how she reacted to music. Her playing and singing was able to match the emotion she was going for. That's just one example..
@@live2groove There is nothing about that story that suggests to me that a metronome was necessary to address that problem. Far better to work on your awareness and self control than it is to hypnotize yourself with robotic ticking imo. I advocate against these types of practices because people who adhere to them almost always seem to have difficulty with aspects of playing that are incredibly simple to me. If they have difficulty they run to their crutch and derail the jam to try to make it fit their paradigm. All I ever have to do is slow it down then speed back up once I get it. I have played to clicks before, and they're an annoying unmusical distraction at best. That being said, its better than listening to someone whine about it not being there. You really want "perfect" time, there's no reason to ever pick up an instrument. Just sit down at a computer and start programming, that will achieve your goals far better than anything you could do with your hands ever would.
@@iunnox666 Okay.. but to be clear, you're not making any real argument, just stating your opinion on experience limited to yourself.. What is your musical experience..?
@@live2groove I fail to see how you've done any different. I will admit, I do not have the most extensive "musical experience", but I have been playing for 10 years, been in a few bands and have played on a (semi?)pro recording(with a click iirc). Despite that, there are plenty of notable musicians who never used a metronome(or only used them to set tempos, eg most of the great composers) and advocated against their (over)use.
Nope. It's good for referencing tempo and some practice stuff, but thats it. The idea that it improves your playing is laughable. Play to music, not a click.
@@iunnox666 the idea that you think you are playing in time when you play to music is laughable. I promise you that you can't hear all the timing mistakes you make when you play along to music. Every drummer needs to practice with a metronome. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely not a good drummer.
@@duhquadman You, and every other metronome advocate like you is a complete moron if you think it's impossible to play in time without one. I've recorded myself plenty of times, and the only time I have timing issues is if I'm trying to play something beyond my ability, which I usually can hear when I'm playing. I also don't count(another unnecessary practice many adopt), and play all sorts of odd time signatures without issue. I'm sure this all just sounds like wild magical claims to someone who has bought into the robotic music paradigm, though.
I estimate roughly 99.9 percent of drummers suck. Nothing can be done to improve them. I usually ask them if they are a drummer or a musician. The answer usually tells me all I need to know
How any musician could ever play with a metronome, passes my humble understanding. It is not only an inartistic, but a downright antiartistic instrument. ~ Constantin von Sternberg
Bury the click!! The click should only be loud enough for you to hear when you’re off-beat. If you’re perfectly on beat you won’t hear the click. The more consistently you can do this the better your time will be!
thats most un real thing ,(some) musicians kept repeating that stupid concept, because you can play a little bit behind or on top, still be on time. you always HAVE TO HEAR THE CLICK! if you are playing to a click.
Wow this is great advice imma try this thank you!
Actually if can't you hear the click your actually 10ish milliseconds in front of the beat
@@ddrummer1821no, it means you’re exactly on the beat.
@@ddrummer1821if we are talking about ms then we have to take sound speed/electronic delay into considerations. To me it’s way overkill 😂
The rhythm trainer in the Pro Metronome app has been a game changer for me...instant feedback, successive repetitions, and granular difficulty settings. Amazing tool.
I'm a bass player not a drummer but I found an app that seems to be helping. It probably works well for drummers too. I consistently have trouble with rushing at slow tempos and when playing fills at the end of a bar or whatever. The app is Gap Click. It's a metronome but it will periodically lay out for a bar or more, depending on how you have it set. You can set it so that it doesn't click across that problematic fill and if you come back in on the downbeat you know you're good. It's really challenging to me but I'm slowly improving.
In my experience, the single best way to improve your timing is to practice subdivisions a lot. Start with the basic pyramid and then bigger jumps, different time signatures, click only on the downbeat, displace the click, etc. Hours of fun for the whole family.
This is what I've found as well. I had good time from playing other instruments from childhood. But when took up drums and took the advice to use a metronome, my time sense derailed. My solid fix was to go up and down or randomly around the interval pyramid. When I do use a metronome as a cross check, I only set it whole note or half notes.
I listened to this video with a click
Drumless tracks are great! Recording yourself (imo) is one of the best tools for truly hearing/seeing myself, and finding my bad habits. Playing live is a whole other animal. Adrenaline, nerves can be killers, especially if you're new to giging. If ya gig consistantly, and follow Steven's advice, it will all fall in place.
Toast Tee yup that’s what I did and that works better then a metronome in my experience.
@@erictorres4889 Pretty much anything works better than a metronome. Outside of referencing tempo, they aren't nearly as valuable as most seem to think.
I just started putting up covers (and parts) under the name Bubinga Basher, using drumless tracks. It almost feels like I'm doing a huge gig for the first time, as anyone can see em. Anyway, it almost feels like the next step. Click tracks can be great, but also can be a crutch
Never took drum lessons. Started gigging out at 16 in a hair metal band. My sense of tempo and time were developed literally practicing with my band 5-6 days a week (probably too much). But, my drumming was so organic, and I learned by memorizing songs.. There was no reliance on a click , just had floor monitors. At gigs, there were times we could barely hear one another, but were super tight. This was a great video, and the best way to get tighter is to actually play songs, and get feed back from the other people in the band.
I actually think that once you've practiced for a few years with a click
recording >>>>>> click
click makes it way too easy to "chase" the click and even playing on the offbeats doesn't help from what I've experienced
if you record yourself you naturally seem to adjust your time after a few takes, it's like it begins to build an intimate awareness of what you sound like
Good info here Stephen, but I will like to add that in my teaching experience the best way to improve your time is by displacing the click and by developing your 5th limb (your voice). If you play with the metronome on quarter notes, the metronome is PROVIDING THE PULSE and you are just following it. But when the click is displaced, you are forced to CREATE THE PULSE in relationship to where the click is, which is actually very similar to a real life musical situation where you are expected to provide solid pocket in relationship to different bass lines, guitar riffs etc. Also COUNTING is absolutely crucial. The New Breed by Gary Chester and Dave DiCenso´s 'Rhythm and Drumming Demystified' are great books that stress the importance of using your voice to sharpen your rhythmic awareness. Your voice is the primal physical manifestation of your inner time. If you can't sing (or vocalise) in time, you won't be able to play in time. Thanks for the great videos Stephen, keep it up!
The time trainer on the Roland TD27 is a great help. You can choose any two kit instruments ( eg BD & snare, BD and hi hat etc) and it will track and report your beat placement accuracy. I quickly found that I tend to race my beat 1 BD following a fill, so now I’m working on fixing that
EFNote drum controller has they same type of tracker - good tool
5:07 That's good to hear, because most of my playing is along to MP3s, as my lifestyle, tastes, and personality make finding or forming a band highly, highly unlikely. I've also noticed, since I try every now and then just to check, that I don't have much trouble staying lined up to a metronome.
However, (I know you're not dissing metronomes) I believe a metronome is a very good tool to develop subdivision transitions; having a constant and exact 1/4 note pulse going while you play around it with the subdivisions will help teach you how they all work around each other, which is VITAL to keeping time; bad subdivision transitions are almost always the culprit when there's a sudden time shift.
Being comfortable with recording, listening to, and watching yourself is also important.
Thank you. I was getting frustrated with my band members telling me I am wrong. Been drumming a long time, not used to that. Nobody is perfect. Sabbath Drummer Tucson Az
I am not a drummer, I play guitar. Anyway, this is valuable information, thanks for sharing! My first sub to a drum channel!
Yes, I'd say every musician needs to develop their inner timekeeper.
I subbed for the orchestra teacher at a school I worked for, and the kids were to take turns leading. The rushing and dragging was not the musically elastic feel of a trained conductor. I had to speak up then and there.
I NEEDED this lesson, and I am glad I haven't spent hours just playing along to a metronome while nursing a completely incorrect notion as to what it's doing for my playing and how to get any real improvement out of it.
Every one should watch this video
I like the Gap Click app. You can program it to click for up to 8 bars, then have the click drop out for up to 8 bars and repeat. When the click returns, you can check if you are still playing in time.
That bowling ball analogy is brilliant
Backbeater app is great for monitoring your time. It reads your back beat and you can see exactly when you’re rushing or dragging. Best tool for adjusting your time.
I'm not a drummer but a composer. And I have timing issues with playing guitars, and singing. And yes the click doesn't solve the problem, but just as you said, I create new issues by getting distracted and start bouncing back and forth between focusing on the click and messing up my playing or doing the playing right but messing up my timing. A few things I realized that worked very well with the timing of my guitar playing was: 1 try to compose the drums first using midi and the grid (if you have a real drummer or play drums yourself too, you an replace the midi drums with the real drumkit later) that helps seriously a lot more than a click track. 2: move along with your body to the rhythm. Like I have a "BOM badadada, BOM badadada" kind of rhythm, so I bang my head forward with every BOM and move my head a little up and down during the badadada. While moving my feet too. 3: try to find a feel that goes well with both ten drums and the guitars. And lastly: mute the previous tracks during dubble tracking, having a guitar in your left ear while playing guitar yourself can be VERY distracting.
Playing along to songs is great IF the drummer you’re playing to has good time.
A metronome has always helped me stay straight while doing practice pad work. On the kit in the studio, I tend to sound a bit stiff using it.
Great video no matter what.
I dont understand how people can tell if something is in time but think they can't play like that without a click.
"The less subdivisions the more that click practice is going help your time!" That, is the nut in the shell! Your internal clock has to be the deeper subdivisions.
That is actually an interesting approach. I did it a little different: I start to practice with the click. First only the beats and the fills, first slow, than faster, then the transitions (few bars) then all of it, then I set the metronome to every some bars (has to be different to the general structure of the song so it alternates) set out for a few bars, so I see: if the click is not there: do you still keep it up or not. Do that with different passages and try to stay in there even as the pauses on the click get longer and longer. But I like your approach, too as it might be faster...
Thats the Benny Greb way, Thats why he developed the Gap Click app
Im not a drummer (guitarist here) and i dont profit from him in any way, just saying cause its interesting to me.
aaa yeas, using cajon as a lamp stand. best use for it (jk) :D anyway, great video. this practice idea should be preached more!
Practicing to a metronome has DEFINITELY improved my time. I practice subdivisions with a click and now my 16s and 32s sound much cleaner. Even my 8s and paradiddles have that crisp, even flow.
It comes down to how you use it, and why you need it. Some people just speed up, no matter how many hours they put in solo and with their coach. I know. I'm one of em. But more than anything, the metronome has changed the way I listen to my own beats and maintain self control.
I have practiced to a metronome which did help, BUT playing to a song with a metronome in a group actually put me off the beat. I now believe you can either feel the beat or not, and we then played a song that i have never heard ( Cold hearted woman, Chris Bell ) so I had to wing it, which actually sounded pretty good, and for me only being 8 months into learning how to play drums is an achievement.
It depends on who you are playing with as well. Many times I am justified trying to keep things together for the group when they start to rush. It makes it more difficult to keep an even tempo. I use a metronome on my phone that is just on visually so I can tell when things are off. But even I can rush at times, mainly when I am playing something that is difficult
I have been playing for a loooooooong time. My time is ok - sort of. Most musicians I play with think I'm a good time keeper. But, I wasn't a reader. Now I am getting into playing with big bands, I have had to learn to site read. I could read a bit, but not good enough to follow a score. I'm getting there - but often I find that if I sight read, it screws my timing. I slow down during challenging passages and speed up again when their is nothing to read than repeat marks. This has been an important lesson for me - concentrating on what I'm doing instead of listening to the music screws my time. A song I know, listening with my ears and singing along in my head, my time is fine.
nice video - but however good your own time is, the problem when playing in a band is when the other members speed up/slow down - sometimes you just have to go with them...and lord knows no guitarist ever practices to a metronome!
Time to explain to your guitarist he has to comply, or change guitarist
So true man, sometimes it feels like tug of war.
Slow down, practice, speed up. There's absolutely no reason why you would be able to hear whether something is time but not be able to play it.
Very good advice. I keep offering a spare digital multi track to my brother to record his practice sessions along to pre recorded backing tracks. He wouldn't take the recorder away with him as I felt he should listen back to find out his strengths and weaknesses. He can play but will never improve if he only ever plays along with a CD player (that won't give critical feedback)
Good points! ...and some great suggestions. Thanks Stephen!
Will definitely try this out. Just came back from band rehearsal, where I had the click in my ear and felt like there was no feeling with the songs (however, the rest of the band didn’t feel like this). My feeling was that I really was so focussed on the click, I sometimes came off the click because my band is so loud and they were more forcing than the click and I tried to correct the timing according to the click, that I felt like we didn’t really groove... I think overall my tempo feeling is rather good, but I surely am not a machine. For me it feels that we groove more w/o a click than with a click, but then we have no exact constant tempo. So band rehearsal for me with a click is not really satisfying, doesn’t give me a good vibe, but I know as a drummer I have to be constant as possibly could.... I think your advice and what you said, is THE point in my case.
Sounds more like you don't take your duties as the absolute dictating commander in chief seriously enough... there is only ONE tempo the band should keep, and that is yours. Are you on the beat it is NOT you who should change the tempo. if your bandmates cant keep your time, then THEY are the propblem, not the metronome.
Cool analogy about maintaing a solid groove and drive the car straight on the road avoiding unwanted zig zag!
Agreed. The right analogy makes for a lesson that sticks - thanks, Steven and drumhead!
As a drummer, I like playing with the click track. They make it clear who screwed up.
When everyone is on, you don't even notice the click track.
And absolutely record your practices
great video! applicable to other instruments too (guitarist here)
My first metronome was AC/DC Back In Black
Mine too!!! The first time I ever played I jammed to that album.
The atomic clock guys has Phil Rudd on speed-dial to help them set the time
Definitely some great tips on here! I would only add: you should still be able to play without a problem to a click; I don't see the metronome as a way to get better at my timing (even though it does help in one way or another) but as a must have tool for practicing and recording, even for playing live, some drummers don't like it but I find it very useful to keep everything consistent, you know, playing to an audience can lead to having more fluctuations in your playing than usual, the click gives me confidence and focus without sacrificing the feeling.
As long as your in tine with the rest of the band, "consistency" doesn't really matter. Theres way too much emphasis on trying to be a robot in music today.
@@iunnox666 You know what? you may be right. I'm having a gig in 2 weeks, I won't use metronome and see the feedback I get from my bandmates. The next practice sessions I'll be alternating with/without metronome and I'm gonna record myself to see if there's an improvement.
Fully agree with Mike Longo on the topic (just google his name with practicing with metronome) -- and as evidence I would like to enter Peterson's SATIN DOLL (MPS label; album: The Way I really Play) that I researched by dividing every chorus very precisely, almost 10 minutes in total, and each chorus is 1.02 minutes, steady as a rock, 8 choruses one after the other, of course the 62 seconds is an approximation, but 32 bars, 128 beats are played in lets assume 62 seconds, that is appr. 2.0645 beats per second, and to convert to Bpm, that would be 123.871 beats per minute... You can not set any metronome to that afaik, and it would be pointless to try, would be an understatement...If I start the track/song, as the rhythm is established, i can turn of the volume, just keep playing the lines and pace in my head, singing and tapping and moving my body, and when I turn up the volume 3 minutes later I am completely in sync, still, with the record.
My advice, stay far away from a metronome, and get a record/cd on, get into the groove, keep it going effortlessly after you turned the volume down to zero (or mute), and turn it back up a minute later or so, and see whether you have kept steady....
Trio musicians like Sam Jones, Bobby Durham, Peterson, they keep each other steady, it is inevitable... No metronome can be designed to even remotely get in the vicinity to capture that pulse and feel. If you think it can, you need to brush up on callibration and related physical limitations in time producing devices.
When I play to a click I’m always like a millisecond early, but consistently. I can’t seem to change it. What should I do to try to get with the beat?
same... terribly frustrating.
If ur just ever so barley off, I wouldn't worry about it much. That's just human
Good info. Didn't mention the LiveBPM app though. Instant feedback in a live setting. Think it's $3? Worth every penny IMO.
Thanks for the info !
I just bought it. $3.99 !!
@@michaelb.42112 Ha! Price must've gone up a bit. And rightly so! Helped me identify problem spots more times than I can remember. And it's always nice to just glance over and 'know' you're in the pocket.
@@theGurthee I agree !! It seems like such a simple, yet useful app. Thanks again !!!
Anyone else find that switching your seat height affects your sense of time? I'm a relatively low sitter and whenever I switch to a heigher seat height due to a loaned set or whatever, it's like I have to rewrite some of my muscle memory and really focus on listening to not speed up.
I don't see this talked about much. Only that a heigher seat is generally better. I find it harder to groove on a heigher seat.
That is definitely possible. If u cannot lift both feet off the pedals without leaning back the seat height is probably messing with your balance. Subconsciously trying to balance yourself in between foot strikes will throw your time off. You can also try sitting further back on the seat.
Great video! Klick tracks are support wheels for me. Didn’t realise it until I played without it recently.
Stephen a very good lesson and video. What is the recording device you mentioned? Thanks.
Man, i use the click during drills, but absolutely hate it when recording. It takes my nature away, and I don't play free, so even when i keep the time with the click when recording it just sounds flat. I realize the studio wants you and your band to record with a click, but it really bothers me, i know a few drummers and bands who recorded songs without a click and they sound great, where others swear by the click. I'm really trying to avoid using the click whenwe record next, are there any tips you may have for drummers that want to record as good as they can without a click? Apologies for the wordiness, just trying to figure the best way to cure this dlemma without the click.. Thanks In Advance!
The more you use it, the less you will find it limiting, 99% of the music we listen to is recorded to a click and we don't necessarily think "oh, those drums sound flat. I'd love them if they were recorded without a metronome"
I agree completely, the only time I ever play to a click is to placate someone else. Never improves my playing, and the only time it doesn't make me sound flat(because I'm playing with it) is when I ignore it as much as possible. It's a bad habit though imo, ideally every sound should be incorporated into the music.
@@iunnox666 Just for clarity what do you feel is a bad habit? Thanks in advance
@@TheJoeyG88 Ignoring sounds/not incorporating them into music. Incorporating a metronome wouldn't sound good in most cases, so you have to essentially ignore it.
I like my music alive, and free from slavery to a robotic beat. I realize that most newer music has been recorded to a click, and most musicians practice with metronomes, but I don't believe for half a second that that music wouldn't have been every bit as good if not better without it.
@@iunnox666 i agree, you can't take away the Drummer's total freedom, and feel, yes we are responsible for solid timing, but we should be The ONLY metronome.. ;)
Great video. Thank you!
As a guitar player, what a metronome does help me with is my finger accuracy for some reason
I can relate to listening back to yourself. But regardless, just listen to Nicky Bags, that cat practices with a met every day and he’s got some of the best timing Iv ever heard.
I’m not a drummer, I play beatsaber, but this really helps me keep tempo
🥶
I understand that bands playing at small venues and gigs may not be use to playing with a click, but it is so important when it comes to studio sessions and big live performances. It’s almost kind of a necessity. You just have to learn to play with it. But of course It just takes time. You have to spend a lot of time playing to a metronome and click to gain that perfect unshakable timing. That good timing that allows you to play drums on top of programmed drums in a studio environment and not miss a beat even by a millisecond. If your goal is to be the best, the metronome/click/track is just something you have to learn to play with, or you will never make it as a professional musician in this day and age. Saying that a metronome will not directly improve your timing is a complete and utter lie and is in this case is used for click bait. Unbelievable...
Jerry Jerri 100% agree. I use a click during live performances with backing tracks, with even back tracked drums here and there, so I have to be on point with the click, plus it’s great for chop building and tracking studio sessions. Nobody wants to wait forever for you to nail that one fill. Just practice with one and save everyone and yourself time as well as nailing a performance.
Sad how many musicians aspire to be robots nowadays. No wonder so much modern music is so soulless.
J Borg This is a rediculous thing to say. Of course it’s not mandatory to play with a click and I’m pretty positive everyone in this thread knows that but there are very much instances where playing with a click is necessary.
@@TMIScott I can think of no legitimate use for a click track. The only thing a metronome is actually for is setting tempo, a function made obsolete by recordings.
"Nobody want to wait forever for you to nail that one fill."
So learn your parts before you go to the studio. Plenty of great music has been recorded before click tracks, and most of it has much better feel.
I feel like people whine too much about staying ribotically tight. I like a natural feel with songs without a metronome some fluctuations it gives life to a song and energy.
One of the things that I learned when I started playing to clicks (mostly for recordings) was to listen to the click passively. I would turn it up loud enough for me to hear it clearly through my headphones when I played but when I did play for the recording, I wouldn’t think about the click. I would instinctively try and keep with the click without thinking about. When I first started playing with the click, that would be all I would listen to. I would get worried if I hit the snare (for example) a 32nd note out and that would make me create more mistakes as I played and noticed my imperfect timing.
I noticed the narrator of this contradicts himself by first saying that playing along with the metronome does not help you but then he later says it helps you if you play along with gaps in between each click.
can we see your video of playing What would you say 😃
good stuff
Excellent
Sing the song mentally as you play. If you can't sing it comfortably you're pushing the song too fast. If you are dragging the lyrics you need to speed your tempo up. Let the song's lyrics be your guide. If it's an instrumental....hum the main instrument's melody...same rule applies.
Nobody:
All drummers:
Pshh I don't need this. My timing is perfect ok
I've been in the pocket ever since day 1!
Time guru is a good gap click app.
Golden!
I bury the click on quarters but i literally suck in subdivisions..
before watching the video, groove. Don't force your hits and If you are CRRAPP and keeping any beat then yes use a metro
I disagree totally with what you’re saying. Playing with a metronome “will” show you where you a rushing or dragging as a matter of course. If you practice with a metronome you are creating neural pathways (muscle memory) in correct time and you can feel îf you are in time when playing. Every great drummer I’ve heard, who play with great time, recommend using a metronome.
I 100% agree with you metronomic skills are a necessity
Not sure if you watched this video or just looked at the thumbnail 🤔
Of course he's saying it's quicker to record yourself playing with a metronome and you will see faster improvement in playing if you record yourself as well. He isn't saying metronomes don't work just that they are slower without a recording to look back on.
I actually think he’s telling you to listen back to yourself as it’s very difficult to hear exactly how close or far off the beat you are. When you listen back, you’ll be able to hear whether you’re rushing or dragging.
thanks!
Don't mind what thousands of professionals and the greatest drummers of all time say. Don't mine what people with doctorates in percussion say. This UA-camr with a few thousand subscribers knows better! 😐
@deadend I did. Blahblahblah. People need to practice with metronomes. The end! Bye-eeeeee!
Well said
@Dan On Drums Clicks are key. Perfect time doesn't exist. Unlike perfect pitch. We must constantly train our bodies and minds to have good time. And to do that we must use a click while practicing. You can't argue with the OVERwhelming massive majority of every professional and academic drummer whose ever lived.
Disagree. If you play to a click consistently, you eventually don’t hear it. And it will magically make you a better time keeper because you have an internal click.
How could you tell anything was in time before you got your internal click?
I play by ear and I play by feel. I am an OLD SCHOOL DRUMMER
nice sm57 ad
I am an amateur so take what I am saying with a grain of salt but I disagree with this. From the sounds of it you knew you were off time then went to all the trouble to lay it out with a click track to see your intuition was correct anyway. Also, you're probably underestimating how bad the timing of a beginner like me can be. 😂
I’ve been saying that . I knew I was right thanks for the video .my timing is off the chain and never used a metronome.
That's not the same. There are lots of drummers, and other people, with excellent natural timing whether or not they're using a metronome. But the absolute best drummers in the world practiced their rudiments to a metronome. After ten thousand hours, a metronome absolutely gives drummers an internal clock sense.
This is a very disappointing video. Stephen is dead wrong here.
Hmm.. Yeah, just turning on a metronome will not fix your timing just like eating a pound broccoli will not make you healthy.. It takes practice being able to play to a click. Just ask any recording engineer working with some armature band coming into their studio. Basically, you need to get used to playing with a click. Yes, there are certain things that make people tend to speed up or drag..ei fills, rests, change in the rhythm . The Blues song "Messin' with the Kid" to mind Hosting many a Blues Jams, people always speed up on the hits of that turnaround.. Sight reading to a metronome will point out those spots where your timing gets off track. Spend ten mins a day sight reading to a metronome for two weeks and you'll see, even better, you'll feel a big difference. This goes for any instrument
Why would I want to practice to be able to react to or play anything other than music? The only thing you should hear is music, anything else will detract from your playing.
@@iunnox666Great question actually.. That's exactly why you practice to a metronome, to learn to control and be conscience of how you react to music.. If your reaction to playing fills is to speed up or your reaction to the band getting quiet is to slow down or you speed up again when the dynamics get louder. then you need to learn how you react to music because a lot of people react to music (often unknowingly) vey poorly.. As a music educator I deal with this all the time. I had a young girl who is a singer song writer taking guitar lessons from me. She was very talented, but when ever her songs would get louder, her strumming hand would go off the rails and you could hear her struggling to get the lyrics in.. The 1rst thing we did was get her timing under control. I taught her the difference of behind the beat or on top of the beat. Once she got that, she suddenly had so much more freedom to sing and put more emotion into the lyrics, because she was now in control of how she reacted to music. Her playing and singing was able to match the emotion she was going for. That's just one example..
@@live2groove There is nothing about that story that suggests to me that a metronome was necessary to address that problem. Far better to work on your awareness and self control than it is to hypnotize yourself with robotic ticking imo.
I advocate against these types of practices because people who adhere to them almost always seem to have difficulty with aspects of playing that are incredibly simple to me. If they have difficulty they run to their crutch and derail the jam to try to make it fit their paradigm. All I ever have to do is slow it down then speed back up once I get it.
I have played to clicks before, and they're an annoying unmusical distraction at best. That being said, its better than listening to someone whine about it not being there.
You really want "perfect" time, there's no reason to ever pick up an instrument. Just sit down at a computer and start programming, that will achieve your goals far better than anything you could do with your hands ever would.
@@iunnox666 Okay.. but to be clear, you're not making any real argument, just stating your opinion on experience limited to yourself.. What is your musical experience..?
@@live2groove I fail to see how you've done any different.
I will admit, I do not have the most extensive "musical experience", but I have been playing for 10 years, been in a few bands and have played on a (semi?)pro recording(with a click iirc).
Despite that, there are plenty of notable musicians who never used a metronome(or only used them to set tempos, eg most of the great composers) and advocated against their (over)use.
Attention drummers:
Always use a met. No matter what anyone says.
Every amazing drummer you talk to will tell you to use a met.
Nope. It's good for referencing tempo and some practice stuff, but thats it. The idea that it improves your playing is laughable. Play to music, not a click.
@@iunnox666 the idea that you think you are playing in time when you play to music is laughable. I promise you that you can't hear all the timing mistakes you make when you play along to music.
Every drummer needs to practice with a metronome. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely not a good drummer.
@@duhquadman You, and every other metronome advocate like you is a complete moron if you think it's impossible to play in time without one. I've recorded myself plenty of times, and the only time I have timing issues is if I'm trying to play something beyond my ability, which I usually can hear when I'm playing. I also don't count(another unnecessary practice many adopt), and play all sorts of odd time signatures without issue.
I'm sure this all just sounds like wild magical claims to someone who has bought into the robotic music paradigm, though.
No it does
There’s a reason this video has so little views. It’s because he’s wrong
I estimate roughly 99.9 percent of drummers suck. Nothing can be done to improve them. I usually ask them if they are a drummer or a musician. The answer usually tells me all I need to know
could it be that you just have insanely high godly standards for some reason
@@positive.juice.apartment anything is possible in the universe. It's all still a hot topic of debate.
@@jamesmoran7511 okay
Disagree bro, respectfully
How any musician could ever play with a metronome, passes my humble understanding. It is not only an inartistic, but a downright antiartistic instrument. ~ Constantin von Sternberg
yeah dude you don't know how to use a met, if you are practicing individually you should use the met off beat more than using it on 1-4
wrong
this was the least informative video I have ever EVER seen
yawn
I think this video was pointless to watch.. 🙄
This video is a joke lmao