How To Play and Sing With a Click

Everyone can play with a click. It takes effort, but it’s doable!

Whether you’ve tried to play with a metronome before and failed or this is the first time, but it seems too hard, you are in the right place. We’ll talk through the benefits, about how you won’t sound robotic, and how to encourage other musicians around you to join in. Pull out your metronome and give it a shot!

Playing with a click may be difficult at first but the benefits last a lifetime.

If you’re new to playing with a click or metronome it can be frustrating. It can even feel futile. However, playing well to a click, as it is called, is a professional skill you should have. Here’s why. The click gives every player in the band a definitive beat to follow. There’s no guesswork about how fast or slow the song should be. There’s no playing based on how the drummer or pianist is feeling that particular day.

It also allows your group of musicians to play consistently. Whether you keep the metronome in for the entire song or only for the first few measures, it brings everyone together to the right beat. One word of caution, however, keep as much of the click in your ear mix as you need, but careful not to let it bleed into the microphones around you. The best way to do this is to use both in-ears in your ears. Some musicians will leave one in and one out. This is a surefire way to allow the audience to hear the metronome.

Using a click also allows for supporting tracks and the potential for the tie in of other technologies; i.e. lights, lyrics, sound automation, etc. Now, you may be wondering what in the world I’m talking about. And that’s completely normal! Over the last ten years, software and apps have been developed to the point where they can communicate with one another. This allows for certain automation to exist. For instance, when playing with tracks, when you arrive at a chorus the track computer or device can trigger the lyric computer to show the chorus lyrics. It can also trigger the lighting console to change the lighting cue. Playing well with a click and tracks allows for a world of new possibilities in your church or for your events.

You won’t become a robot musician.

The greatest push back for using a click or metronome is the idea that you would play robotically. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You’ll still have ebb and flow to your rhythm and feel. But now you’ll sound more consistent in your timing. Were you to eliminate the click in live scenarios you would still play better having practiced with it. Consistency is key to becoming a professional musician. No one wants to play with someone who can’t play in time.

How to encourage others to join you in this new pursuit.

You could be the first on your team to find the click useful. Be a pioneer. Be the one who brings the click to the rest of the team. Someone has to be that person for each stage to open up new possibilities. Be careful to implement it slow. Big ships require small, but consistent turns to change course. It’s easy to overwhelm players with too much change too quickly. Think back to when you first began using the metronome. Perhaps you are still in the beginnings of it yourself. Be kind, but work towards adding this tool to your team’s tool chest. It’s worth it!

Summary & Action Steps

It’s now time! Pick up that metronome or app and practice with the click. Let us know in the comments how it goes. What worked well right away? Is there anything that still seems questionable or needs further explanation? We’d like to continue the discussion. Comment below.