JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Bass and Drum Forum Do Click Tracks Stink???

Matt, and anyone esle:

THAT is exactly why being in time and knowing you are in time works, (with the aid of a clicker). FOR, the very reason of being able, (by artistic expression) to NOT RUSH any fill or transition chord. Most players who don't have good timing rush some of their playing, which tends to have other things sound if they are late arriving to the party! That is not artistic at all. It's just plain careless and sloppy, to be honest.

With a click, (at any time of practicing or whatever), the pocket and feel of a song and all it's playing become VERY expressive, and very nice to listen to by any listener who of course won't hear the click that was laid down or in your ear.

Imagine 1/8 notes needing to be played by the drummer on some fill, or 1/8, or 1/16 note guitar riffs, for example. IF NOT in time, one of those players will most likely get to the finish line too fast, and mess up the FEEL. When a click is present to have as a subconscious aid, (after time getting used to it), there is a world of time to complete any riff, no matter how many notes!

Or better example yet,,,,when there are very few notes to play in one measure. One can then purposely play n the back end of the beat, (a hair),,,not sounding off,,,but feeling really soulful and nice! THAT is done by knowing where the time is. Jumping all around with all the instruments, with so many parts out of wack does not make for artistic expression. It only show a lack of skill for playing music in a good pocket, with having some educated or feeling leeway that makes for a great feel. IT ALL comes much easier and more musician like with the clicker.

The other way to look at it is to ignore timing. Music is timing. Drums and bass are what people can lock onto to when in good timing.(The primal feel of music). The players then stay with the drummer, (their click), not rushing ahead and not leaving the bass drum or snare all to its lonesome,,, and with that, results in a good sounding tight band that feels good to the listeners.

Really, when playing with a drummer, the main thing to listen to is the hit hat, (that will give you the 1/8 notes most of the time, to which then those gaps in between beats are nicely laid out to play "WITH". No need to strain to heaer the bass drum. The Hi hat will let you know when that will be on the downbeat. Same for any upneats!

It just makes playing that much more expressive, to relax in that nice timing already done for everyone,,,through the drums using the click!

When just playing my piano at home,,,,I set the click to whatevr song I'm about to play. Then I just FEEL the music and flow right along,,,,confident I won't be ending a slow song as a medium tempo one, or a fast song ending in a too fast pace,,,Rushing is always what seems to happens by nature.

Think about it this way too: Time in life seems to go by faster, even with a clock set in perfect seconds! So, without speeding up a song, as one might feel a need to do,,,,,it will already be fast enough at the end if sticking to the clock!

Always play with a clicker,,for anything,,practice,,,,writing a song even, to get that right pocket feel, which could then lead to even more expressive ideas,,,,for the player has all the good time in the world!

There's a reason Marnie, Iggy, Roon, Doc and I are excited about playing the songs more than when Marnie hadn't met Sub yet.

FEELING is a by product of the click,,,,,not an enemy. Once any player experiences that when playing ALL the time with one, it's even there when not able to have one on, like at some party or at some place to play solo, etc. You'll soon feel your good timing habits of the click caring over into those impromptu playing!

John