Using Click on Stage? Avoid These 5 Common Mistakes

If you’re going to use a click, don’t do it like this.

Playing with a click track can be a game changer for your band. It can make you sound tighter and also open the door to playing with tracks that can fill out your sound.

But there are 5 common mistakes I see bands regularly make. Watch to find out what those mistakes are and why you should avoid them.

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0:00 - Introduction
0:37 - Mistake No 1: Not Everyone has Click
2:37 - Mistake No 2: Using Click without an Accent
4:27 - Hit the Subscribe Button
4:53 - Mistake No 3: Using a Different Click Sound for Every Song
6:23 - Mistake No 4: Not using Cues, Countdowns, Guide Tracks and Slate Tracks
7:48 - Mistake No 5: Not using Click Throughout the Song
10:20 - Getting Started with Click
10:58 - Outro

[Buckchuckster]

I’m just getting started in this and totally appreciate your presentation!!! Will look for your other post’s. Thank you!!

[alexbrandauer]

Thank you! As usual good and valuable info and suggestions. Especially accent click. Never thought about, but it VERY helpful for our band members playing odd signatures most of time in our music😊

[Jolatsmusic]

I’ll give you a thumbs up. that was good advice. Thanks!

[Sunderleaf]

I loved all the points here, just a quick observation, from an artist who is learning all of this. Talking about all members of the band having the click is cool! but is difficult to acomplish without a budget, usually body packs and transmitters are really expensive and confusing tu use. Would be cool if you could talk about this!

[Spladoinkal]

I had Mistake 1 happen to me in a big way at a worship gig once. I was filling in for this youth worship band and on top of that it was my first time playing with a click live. It was a very complex drum part I had to play and I was the only one with the click so I was trying to play this complex part while all the other instruments were fighting my tempo and needless to say I botched it live. Wasn't a very great time.

[danoneill]

I'm probably doing things the long way...but to me, it ensures groove. I'll go in Redrum in Reason, set up a 4/4, 2/4, 6/8 two bar clicks with 8th note shaker, and a cowbell with a little bit of release dialed back so it's mainly attack from the cowbell as the click. I'll also pitch the cowbell up a bit on the 1 and lower cowbell tone on the 234. Sometimes there will be a voice guide (drums in, 3 4....etc...). I just cut and paste the templates into Ableton and boom....no issues. Everyone gets click and everyone is on the same page, especially with video, you need it. I think of the click as a loop to groove to. A good drummer can bounce to it to create a good pocket in my experience.

[byronsanto]

Besides Accent Clicks, I’ve been experimenting with a Rhythmic Grouping Click in conjunction with Accent clicks.

[JaimeMoralesDrums]

Playing to a click, using IEM, helps me play with better touch. Our songs have much better dynamics because of it.

[GenBmw]

What if you're soloist playing saxophone... ? Any advice ? Great information .... I do struggle with in ear noise a click noise is triggering. If the click is like a drum then maybe I could develop my use of click. Thank you

[jpnino]

Where can I learn or get the slate tracks from?

[luthfimuhammad]

Hi, thanks u for this. But i have question. how can we send click signal to other band members? If our drummer uses his own simple mixer behringer xenyx 802. Let say, the others use iem. But how can the drummer send the click signal?

[byronsanto]

And playing with a click creates consistency between performances.

[mikecable]

where can i get cues that say the song before intro? slate tracks

[mvh]

I personally prefer to make/play music with real musicians. I’m not a fan of backing tracks. I’ve been playing clubs for decades and never once had to listen to a “click”

My thoughts - Cheers

[onsesejoo]

"Everyone hears the click... Hm, aren't the band members supposed to hear the drummer to keep it together ? Why to use drummer at all, then ?

[Peaceful_Days]

Click track is really annoying if the song has a syncopated rhythm whereas the click track playing straight.

[wilkopiano]

Click tracks are offensive to telepathic jazz musicians. Headphone mix engineering is also requiring very expensive gear. Try playing in 7/8 then moving to 5/8 then playing classical passages that are rubato in nature. Then Herbie Hancock shouts let’s do question and answer 4 by 4 half way through the second chorus . Playing with click is a skill, playing without is an even higher skill.

[hannesmehner]

A bit too convinced of your own idea... what about performers that are way bigger than you or me or basically anyone you ever worked with that do not use click live?