Have you ever been asked if you can play to a click track as a drummer? In the modern music world, click tracks are everything. They’re used for performances, recording, and practicing.
Some older drummers swear against the click track, but you won’t find many professional environments where they aren’t used. So, it’s important to be able to play drums to one. We’re going to help you out in this article and give you a few tips for improving your click track game.
A click track is a track that gives you a constant pulse. It’s essentially a metronome that beats the pulse of the song you’re playing. If a click track only has a clicking sound, it could simply be considered a metronome, and all drummers are fine with playing to that, right?
However, click tracks are often accompanied by music tracks in live music settings. The whole reason a band will play to a click track is to stay in time with the music track that is supporting the song. That music track will have elements that can’t be recreated by physical instruments.
For the sake of this article, we’re mostly going to be talking about a click track on its own. We’ll discuss how to play to a click in your practice room, the recording studio, and at a live gig. As a drummer, you should be able to do all three of those things.
A click track keeps you accountable for the timing of a song. If a click track is running, it’s impossible to rush or drag the drum parts, keeping the song sounding professional and smooth.
Some musicians argue that rushing and dragging are part of music in a way. While that’s arguably true, most modern music is straightforward and sounds better when the beat of the song stays exactly the same.
You’ll see songs slow down and speed up in jazz and classical music, so bands in those genres don’t often use click tracks. However, some click tracks are modular, allowing the band to shift tempos. Before you get to that place, though, you need to be able to play comfortably to a standard click track.
The practice pad is always the best place to start when learning something on the drums. It allows you to focus on a particular concept without the distractions of drums around you. So, playing a few patterns on a pad while a click track is clicking is an excellent method of improving.
You should put a click on and then play through all your favorite rudiments at varying tempos. If the click doesn’t line up with your strokes, then you know you’re off time. The best way to practice staying on time is to make the click as fast as possible. When it’s clicking quickly, play your strokes at the same time as the clicks.
Once you’ve done that for a while, halve the speed of the metronome but keep your strokes at the same speed as before. This will leave a bit of space between your strokes and the click, and your goal is to land your strokes at the same time as the click.
After working on the pad for a while, you should be comfortable with hearing a click track while you’re playing. Now you can move to the drum set. An excellent way of getting used to the click track is playing backing tracks that have a click in them.
You get to play to music this way while also having the benefit of using a click track. There are several incredible YouTube channels that have drumless backing tracks. Search for them, and then find backing tracks of your favorite genres. Jam along and have fun, but make sure to stay on time with the click.
It helps to find backing tracks with varying tempos so
Your next step is to record yourself playing along with a click track. When drummers record themselves playing, things often go wrong. You may get nervous and stumble as the camera will feel like there are a pair of eyes watching you. This is a great way to practice playing to a click track while under pressure.
Get a click track running, turn on the camera, and work on whatever concepts you’ve been focusing on. When you watch the video afterward, you’ll be able to see if you were able to stay on the click or not.
Watching recordings of yourself is the best way to improve, as it will allow you to see things that you wouldn’t have noticed when playing.
The final step is to turn on a click and improvise. If you can improvise over a click track, it will show that you’re comfortable with it, and using it in stressful settings won’t be an issue.
When improvising, you should switch between beats, fills, rudiments, and general playing around the kit. Make sure to stay on the click most of the time, but also try to play off it and catch it again. Playing at a different tempo to the click and catching it again is a great way of preparing for a live gig setting where something may go wrong.
Again, it’s important to do this at varying tempos. Drummers often get used to improvising at a certain tempo, making them a bit weaker at playing with faster or slower ones.
Get a click track running, turn on the camera, and work on whatever concepts you’ve been focusing on. When you watch the video afterward, you’ll be able to see if you were able to stay on the click or not.
Watching recordings of yourself is the best way to improve, as it will allow you to see things that you wouldn’t have noticed when playing.
Yes. Most professional settings require you to use a click track, whether they are live gigs or studio recordings. In modern music, live gigs aim to recreate the sound of what can be heard on albums. This often means that tracks are used with the live band. The only way for the musicians to stick with the tracks is for a click track to be used as well.
Professional drummers also use click tracks to practice at home as well as do studio recordings. The studio used to be the main place where click tracks were used. However, they’re now used in most settings.
The purpose of a drummer is to be the timekeeper in a band. The purpose of a metronome is also to keep time for musicians. So, drummers and click tracks go hand-in-hand.
The click track is a vital tool for drummers to improve their skills. To develop good timekeeping abilities, you have to practice with a metronome. You’ll often find that the best drummers are amazing at playing with click tracks. Drummers who struggle with playing to a click tend to struggle with keeping time in a band setting.
Yes. Most professional settings nowadays require the entire band to have a click track in their ears. If the band is using in-ear monitors, there’s a high possibility that a click track is being used for the whole performance. It’s less likely when the band is using wedge monitors on stage.
Some musical styles, such as jazz and classical music, don’t have the musicians using click tracks. This is because the music is up and down when it comes to tempos.
Playing to a click track refers to when you have a metronome clicking while you’re playing. A metronome will click a pulse indefinitely, but a click track will click a pulse that is connected to a song. Once a song stops, the click track will stop as well.
You could play to a click track in a practice room, on a stage, or in a professional studio setting.
Developing solid timekeeping skills is one of the most important things drummers should focus on, and being able to play drums to a click track forms part of this. If you struggle to play to a click track, the chances are high that you’re more likely to rush and drag when playing with a band.
So, make it a priority to practice drumming to a click. It will help your sense of timing tremendously. The click track should become your best friend. You’ll find that when you’re locked in with it, you’ll barely hear it when playing live, but you’ll know that you’re staying in time with the music.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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