DRUMS
TRICKS FOR CLICKS | Carl Albrecht
Playing with a click or metronome is still one play. 1, 2, 3, 4; 1, 2, 3, 4; then begin. We call the beat if you playing a 1/16 note feel. Try other
of the biggest challenges for all musicians. this “internalizing the time.” Stay very relaxed variations of this concept. If you use a drum
From my early years of study all of my teachers and keep your strokes smooth. If you feel your machine, program a pattern that accents the
required that I practice with this tool of the trade. tempo is wandering a little don’t tense up. Just notes you “don’t” play. When you do this you
I use it for everything! Practicing, recording and try to feel the pulse and lock into it. If you get really get a feel for how well you are grooving
live events get the same attention to the mark totally lost, stop! Breathe; start counting again; around the time, because you can hear the
of the metronome. The infamous b.p.m. (Beats internalize the time; and start again. I always tell other notes. You should think of the machine as
Per Minute) rules the drummer’s life. my students not to think of a click as isolated another player and just relax as you play along
blips, but as long notes that are connected. with the click. Again let me emphasize the word
START WITH DOUBLE TIME Picture in your mind the bouncing ball image. relax! Stay loose!
When first learning to play to a click I recommend “Follow the bouncing ball!” If you think of clicks starting with it playing double time. In other as having length (legato) it should be easier to TRY VARIATION
words, if you want to play at 80 b.p.m. set your keep the proper tempo spacing in your playing. Have the machine click 1, 2, 3, but rest on 4.
Try any variation of this you’d like. You could
device to play 160 b.p.m. and so on. If your
machine can play the subdivided notes then USE EAR BUDS OR HEADPHONES also count the clicks as only sounding on beats
you can easily keep the main pulse at 80 and Use ear buds or headphones to listen to the 2 & 4 and you have to place the 1 and 3 in the
then let another sound play double time. Listen click. Most metronomes have a headphone gaps along with all the patterns you are trying
and count for several bars before you start to plug. Use it! Get your own small headphone to play. If you play with a basic click on ¼ notes
mixer for your work on stage even if your band try keeping the volume of the machine down.
is still using speakers. In one channel I have When your time is perfect you won’t even hear
the monitor line sent to me (2 lines if the mix the click. We call that “burying the click.” This
is stereo). I send my click line into a separate is also a great way to tell when you’re playing
channel. If I’m using drum loops, that’s in a “on top” (a little ahead of the click) or “laid back”
separate channel from the click and mix sends. (slightly behind the click). Mentally you almost
Having the music mix and the click in separate feel like the machine is rushing or dragging, but
channels allows you to adjust levels according believe me it’s you, not the click, that’s moving.
to the moment. There have been enough times Don’t become tense when you hear this.
when I couldn’t control the click volume, and I Concentrate and become aware of your feel of
wished I had taken the time to set up my own the time. There are musical settings when you
mixer. If I have no choice I will ask the engineer want to change where you feel the tempo. The
to send me the click at a much higher level in my key is to learn what it feels like and to be able to
mix so that I know the music will never cover it. control it at will. A little pushing and pulling can
This can be very annoying if you have to listen be very musical, but keep it smooth. Never let
to a loud click the whole time you are playing. it feel like you’re jerking the time around. Again,
But do whatever it takes to make it work. relax! If you start using a click every day you
should notice your time improving.
USE IT DURING PRACTICE
Besides always using it “on the job,” I use a
click when practicing. Sometimes I’ll just listen
to a ¼ note pulse. If the primary feel is heavy
with a certain subdivision then I will put that in
the mix. For the opposite approach try playing
with a click only on the “off beats.” Rather than
hearing the ¼ note pulse, only hear the “and”
of the beat (for 8 notes) or the “and ah” part of
th
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January 2019
Carl Albrecht
Professional drummer for 30+ years, playing with
Paul Baloche, Don Moen, Ron Kenoly, Abe Laboriel,
LeAnn Rimes and others. He’s also a clinician,
author & pastor.
Contact Carl for coaching, online lessons, producing,
or sessions. I’m still growing too..
www.CarlAlbrecht.com
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