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Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Why drummers (especially) need to have a Metronome Metronomes, you know the old wooden thing on the piano that had a moving arm that went left to right and ticked quite loudly. Well today of course some are smaller than a wrist watch but do the same job. All musicians have used them but for drummers they are essential especially when starting to learn drums. I often get my students to play to a metronome and if they have never done this before it becomes a real eye opener. Mostly, I find the student playing a rudiment, such as a paradiddle and trying to keep time with the metronome, winds up playing slower or faster than the clicking. Playing faster than the clicking is more common problem. A “click track” is used often when recording a band in a studio. This is in essence a metronome sound that each musician has in their head phones. If everyone is playing to the pace of the click track then it becomes easier in the mixing process to keep the speed of the band constant. Often when I hear a recorded drum track in some song, I become aware of licks than one drummer cannot do all at the same time. This is the result of the recording mixer having the bass and drums lay down a bass and drum track to the “click track” they are hearing and then adding the other musicians (who are listening to the drum and bass tracks along with the drummer sometimes adding more hi hat beats or drum fills later. Now that you are aware of this process, try playing along with some songs that you know and you will be in essence playing along with a click track as that’s the way they were recorded. Of course this does not apply to songs recorded before there were click tracks. I have listened to some very famous hits from the 50’s and 60’s where the time shift in the song is unbelievably obvious. As the drummer, your job is to keep the band together with your good timing. If a guitar layer for example is doing a very tricky solo, he really needs your beat to keep him on time. I have often said that the drummer is the Psychologist in the band. I say this because your vibes on the stand can boost or drag the performance of the other musicians. That’s why drummers are a very special breed. More on drum psychology next time. Here’s to good chops! Cheers, Barry
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Why drummers (especially) need to have a Metronome Metronomes, you know the old wooden thing on the piano that had a moving arm that went left to right and ticked quite loudly. Well today of course some are smaller than a wrist watch but do the same job. All musicians have used them but for drummers they are essential especially when starting to learn drums. I often get my students to play to a metronome and if they have never done this before it becomes a real eye opener. Mostly, I find the student playing a rudiment, such as a paradiddle and trying to keep time with the metronome, winds up playing slower or faster than the clicking. Playing faster than the clicking is more common problem. A “click track” is used often when recording a band in a studio. This is in essence a metronome sound that each musician has in their head phones. If everyone is playing to the pace of the click track then it becomes easier in the mixing process to keep the speed of the band constant. Often when I hear a recorded drum track in some song, I become aware of licks than one drummer cannot do all at the same time. This is the result of the recording mixer having the bass and drums lay down a bass and drum track to the “click track” they are hearing and then adding the other musicians (who are listening to the drum and bass tracks along with the drummer sometimes adding more hi hat beats or drum fills later. Now that you are aware of this process, try playing along with some songs that you know and you will be in essence playing along with a click track as that’s the way they were recorded. Of course this does not apply to songs recorded before there were click tracks. I have listened to some very famous hits from the 50’s and 60’s where the time shift in the song is unbelievably obvious. As the drummer, your job is to keep the band together with your good timing. If a guitar layer for example is doing a very tricky solo, he really needs your beat to keep him on time. I have often said that the drummer is the Psychologist in the band. I say this because your vibes on the stand can boost or drag the performance of the other musicians. That’s why drummers are a very special breed. More on drum psychology next time. Here’s to good chops! Cheers, Barry
