When starting a session I always ask, “do you want to do this to a click?” Most of the time the answer is yes. When recording on a computer it is so tempting to always play to a click so you can have all the parts of your song aligned nicely on the grid. Editing is easier this way. It makes it easy to set up delays or tremolos that sync perfectly with your song. It can also kill the feel of the track if you’re not careful.
Preproduction is important here. Decide weeks (or months) in advance of recording if you want to use a click track. And spend time finding the right tempo for your songs. It’s amazing how much difference there can be between 112 BPM or 113 BPM. Many metronomes, and all DAWs I’m aware of, allow for more tempo detail than that (try 112.6534 BPM, for example).
Now that you’ve got your tempo, make sure everyone in the band practices at that tempo. This will make a world of difference when it’s time to record. It’ll also make a world of difference to your live shows.
Practicing with a click will help you improve your timing in general. This advice doesn’t just apply to drummers. It doesn’t matter what instrument you play, practicing to a click will help you perform better with a click in the studio, or without one at gig.
Electronic music aside, the click should just be a reference. The drummer should choose where the beats actually fall. Without practice playing to a click can be very awkward. You can end up listening to click more than thinking about the song, and that’s not good. Once the drums are recorded, turn off the click, and play to the drummer!
If you chose to forgo the click, practice is just as important, perhaps more so! Choosing to record without a click track is better suited to live-off-floor style recordings, where the band all play together with minimal overdubs.
A third option is to start with a click to get the tempo right off the top, and then turn it off halfway though and let the rest of the song go on feel.
Some bands are so good they don’t need a click. Some bands are so bad they can’t play to a click! Ultimately, it’s up to you. But the key is to decide before you start recording. -mc
2 comments ↓
I’ve found that bands will naturally adjust their tempo while playing certain parts of the song. Most of the time, the verse is slightly slower than the chorus. This gives the chorus a bit of a “lift”; a little more energy. However, in the studio, it can wreak havoc on the recording, as the band gets ahead of the click, then tries get back in sync with it. Or, it could impact the overall feel of the song, leaving the hook flat.
With this in mind, during preproduction I’ll sit with the band and record scratch guitar/bass/vocals over a basic beat to get the tempo for individual sections of the song. From there, I’m able to create a tempo map with a click that shifts naturally from section to section. It takes a little more work, but the results are well worth it. Of course, as the band practices to it there may need to be some additional tweaks made, but it’s all about capturing the best possible and most natural performance once they hit the studio.
I agree completely. Capturing the best possible and most natural performance is key.
As I recall, The Golden Dogs’ “Elevator Man” was recorded half to a click, half without. Michael “played” the click track on that recording, turning it off going into the choruses and turning it back on for the verses. Fun! Nothing was ever simple with that band… (and I mean that in the nicest way!)
Leave a Comment