Can you relate to this?

[studio]

I have been lucky enough not play with tracks in church. On the other hand, I don't have any objection to playing with a click. There are times when we turn the click off on sparse, slow reflective songs so that we have some freedom to change tempo. Over all though, I think a click helps all the musicians, especially the less experienced ones stay together even though they may chafe at it because they bump up against it often. If your church uses all pros, then you may not need the click, but ironically the pros will welcome (maybe even demand) the click in my experience because they recognize what it does for them.

I've witnessed pro drummers using a click but only as reference before the song begins. They get a sense of the tempo then take it upon themselves to carry it through the song. Good players will latch on to that given tempo and help establish it like good band of musicians should!

But wearing cans for the entire song with a click in your ear is bordering on abuse!

 

[CapnCrunch]

I've witnessed pro drummers using a click but only as reference before the song begins. They get a sense of the tempo then take it upon themselves to carry it through the song. Good players will latch on to that given tempo and help establish it like good band of musicians should!

But wearing cans for the entire song with a click in your ear is bordering on abuse!

I haven't played with a ton of true professional players but I have played with a few. I played with a pro drummer last night, and he had the click on for each song. If you're using a click that pretty much means you're using IEM's and it's easy to turn the click down so that it barely registers in your ears. Also, you could just turn it off along with the piano or other instruments you don't want to play with......That last sentence is mostly a joke by the way. However, you can truly turn the click off if you want to.

 

[Teladjacent]

Also, you could just turn it off along with the piano or other instruments you don't want to play with......

Why would I want to turn the piano off? They are always playing all the parts.

 

[CapnCrunch]

Why would I want to turn the piano off? They are always playing all the parts.

I was totally joking even though there are lots of times where I would love to be able to turn them completely off.

 

[hotraman]

Once we get going, I'm not even aware of the click. Its a great help to set the "tempo" of the song.

 

[CapnCrunch]

Once we get going, I'm not even aware of the click. Its a great help to set the "tempo" of the song.

That's pretty much how it works for me also. I don't have it set super high in my ears so it kind of disappears unless I really consciously listen for it.

 

[hotraman]

That's pretty much how it works for me also. I don't have it set super high in my ears so it kind of disappears unless I really consciously listen for it.

Yep, me too.

 

[ravindave_3600]

I use a click or lay down a basic drum part when I'm recording demos for others because it seems to help them learn. Our drummers at church sometimes have tempo problems (not always, just on Sundays) so they use cans.

Deep inside they all want to be this guy:

 

[Lineville65]

The click track made me love even more the personal mixer for my in-ear. It’s gone now. I guess I outlived it.

 

[dougstrum]

Why would I want to turn the piano off? They are always playing all the parts.

Drummer I used to work with told this joke:
Q: why is a drummer like American Express?
A: because they're everywhere you want to be~
Guess that can also apply to piano, or anyone with a propensity for overplaying.

 

[GoldieLocks]

Better than a click track: use a drum machine or just part of the samples in a drum machine. Just Hi-hats perhaps!

 

[Ascension]

Drummer I used to work with told this joke:
Q: why is a drummer like American Express?
A: because they're everywhere you want to be~
Guess that can also apply to piano, or anyone with a propensity for overplaying.

The absolute hardest thing to learn playing in a worship team isn't what to play but what NOT to play. And this can be radically different from team to team. Played in teams where it was very minimalistic and stay in the pocket then others it was wail your brains out all the time. It places where a little 20 watt 1/10 combo was a struggle and in others where I struggled to hear myself over the band and crowd with a 100 watt tube half stack. The trick is understanding what fits where you are and acting accordingly.
PS my former pastor used to play Bass with Moen in a band called Living Sound so--.

 

[soundchaser59]

Setting aside playing with tracks, it seems that the drummer playing with a click is ok if they need it. Ideally, everyone else should groove with the drummer.

There you have it. It's the drummers job.

 

[studio]

Deep inside they all want to be this guy: View attachment 941731

I don't think he's listening to a click!