Friday, June 3, 2011

Click or NO Click?

I have had many conversations recently and over the past few years on whether or not using a click during recording has dumbed down the "true" vibe of creativity. Like so many others I have my preferences but I've really enjoyed hearing others thoughts and opinions on this. A friend of mine told me the other day that for true creative music...."to really FEEL the music from the soul, you really need that natural shift in the tempo to experience the raw energy and chemistry from a band".

Do you agree?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this...

4 comments:

  1. I think it depends on the songs. Some songs yes, no click. It's just better without it. But others, it opens up a lot more opportunities if you use a click. Just what I've learned from my experience. Great question!

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  2. I foremost agree with you Adam! I believe that using a Click opens the door for so much more creativity...in fact it invites more opportunities to create! However, I do love to hear a band or a track that is free on it's movements and tempos ranges. When a band travel together and move together as one even with the tempo flexing and waving a bit...it's kind of refreshing!

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  3. It's all in the persons ability and acquaintance with a click. Personally, I can play as soulfully with a click as I can without, but I've been playing with one all my life. The click helps give a pulse, so it is easy as a drummer to lock into that pulse which helps fuel the music. I play a lot of soul / blues / gospel, and a click does well to keep time from slipping away in the midst of a quick fill or build.

    However, I also like the ability to turn the click off and not be bound by it. There is a freedom that comes when the band can tactfully mess with tempo during a song for creative purposes. The check must be the musicians though. Tempo doesn't need to control the musician, rather musicians should take advantage of tempos to express a new idea.

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  4. I completely agree with you Mathew. There have been several times where I have set up clicks for all songs in a set list and ended up doing maybe just 1 or 2 songs with click. I've found that using a click to start off a set or for faster songs is a HUGE plus...but not so much for the slower more intimate stuff...you know? Thanks for the input!

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