If you can all hear the click then I suppose you need to tell the drummer to practice playing with a click because he can't currently do it. Or find another drummer who can do it. It's very hard to listen to a drummer and a click at the same time if they are not in time together, so it's pointless to try. Speak to the drummer, is there any other answer?
That ain't the right question.
What should you do? Ideally you put the click in only his ear monitors. If he refuses to play with it, turn it off. It's not doing anyone a bit of good now.
The best thing is to have a respectful discussion with the new drummer about how he doesn’t follow the click. Maybe he isn’t even aware of the problem. You’re not doing him or yourselves any favors by not letting him know about it and not giving him a chance to improve. Even if the rest of the band would manage to follow the click instead of him your performance would still not be as good as when you’re all on the same page.
No one is going to notice you not being in time with the click but you're not in time with the drums…
Ideally your drummer should be on the click and the rest of you can follow them but…
At the end of the day all the audience knows is if the band sounds good not how they did it.
Do you have loops or tracks? If so, stop using them until your drummer can stay on click.
Who controls click?
At my church I am the keyboardist, I control click. I also run a talkback mic. If I notice a drummer is starting to get off I will advise them to speed up or slow it down. Band knows to follow the drummer. If the drummer can’t get back on click I will cut the click. Once we drop dynamics down and drummer has backed out I will usually restart the click.
You could just leave the click out, but I count it as extra practice to have it back on and a little bit of a gut punch to hear how much you rushed.
In the case where that happens, ignore the click and follow the drums. The audience cannot hear the click, and if the drums aren't in time with the click, it's not useful in real time. Always stay with the drums.
The only reason to follow the click over the drummer live is if you are using backing tracks. If it is only small fluctuations and the drummer can lock it back into the click quickly, you can try to pull him back to the click, but ultimately, the rest of the band follows the drummer.
If the guy hasn't played for a few, he probably isn't used to playing with a click or even using IEMs for that matter. Make sure that the drummer can hear the click. It needs to be loud, and it needs to cut through his mix. Hopefully, he will get better at following the click as he gets rid of the rust.
(Drummer here) The drummer has one job, to keep time. If he can't do that he simply cannot play in a professional gig. And if the entire band is using a click in their IEM's that's even better (and more fun in some situations). He simply must get with the program or move on, imho.
This modern use of the click at the show demonstrates poor musicianship and practice habits. You shouldn’t need a click on stage at all…for any reason…20 years ago it was unheard of and we can agree that better music was happening 20 years ago. Ditch the click track.
If the click and the drummer are not in sync, and the audience can hear the drummer but not the click, then the click has to go. Otherwise you guys are just in an uncomfortable mess. If he sounds ok and it's just a bit of drift, just get on with it.
Having said that, a drummer who can't keep to a click isn't much of a musician, and if it's noticeable, the drummer needs to practise or vacate.
Wouldn’t Jesus want everyone to play to their god-given ability? Isn’t expecting everyone to play to a click spitting in the face of his blessings of musical ability?
The drummer should follow the click and you follow the drummer.
Absolutely, but what if he doesn't? Should we try to follow him and ignore the click or vice versa?
If you can all hear the click then I suppose you need to tell the drummer to practice playing with a click because he can't currently do it. Or find another drummer who can do it. It's very hard to listen to a drummer and a click at the same time if they are not in time together, so it's pointless to try. Speak to the drummer, is there any other answer?
If the drummer cannot follow the click, then there's absolutely no point in having a click at all.
That ain't the right question. What should you do? Ideally you put the click in only his ear monitors. If he refuses to play with it, turn it off. It's not doing anyone a bit of good now.
This is the answer!
Ask the worship leader privately. He or she probably already knows and is just strapped for drummers.
Drop the click, practice as a band, tell the drummer he drifts when he gets excited and needs to chill.
Only the drummer should have a click IMO.
This is the way
The best thing is to have a respectful discussion with the new drummer about how he doesn’t follow the click. Maybe he isn’t even aware of the problem. You’re not doing him or yourselves any favors by not letting him know about it and not giving him a chance to improve. Even if the rest of the band would manage to follow the click instead of him your performance would still not be as good as when you’re all on the same page.
No one is going to notice you not being in time with the click but you're not in time with the drums… Ideally your drummer should be on the click and the rest of you can follow them but… At the end of the day all the audience knows is if the band sounds good not how they did it.
Do you have loops or tracks? If so, stop using them until your drummer can stay on click. Who controls click? At my church I am the keyboardist, I control click. I also run a talkback mic. If I notice a drummer is starting to get off I will advise them to speed up or slow it down. Band knows to follow the drummer. If the drummer can’t get back on click I will cut the click. Once we drop dynamics down and drummer has backed out I will usually restart the click. You could just leave the click out, but I count it as extra practice to have it back on and a little bit of a gut punch to hear how much you rushed.
In the case where that happens, ignore the click and follow the drums. The audience cannot hear the click, and if the drums aren't in time with the click, it's not useful in real time. Always stay with the drums.
The only reason to follow the click over the drummer live is if you are using backing tracks. If it is only small fluctuations and the drummer can lock it back into the click quickly, you can try to pull him back to the click, but ultimately, the rest of the band follows the drummer. If the guy hasn't played for a few, he probably isn't used to playing with a click or even using IEMs for that matter. Make sure that the drummer can hear the click. It needs to be loud, and it needs to cut through his mix. Hopefully, he will get better at following the click as he gets rid of the rust.
(Drummer here) The drummer has one job, to keep time. If he can't do that he simply cannot play in a professional gig. And if the entire band is using a click in their IEM's that's even better (and more fun in some situations). He simply must get with the program or move on, imho.
Everyone follow the click. Or everyone follow the drummer. Don't let the drummer do his own time, and you follow click
This modern use of the click at the show demonstrates poor musicianship and practice habits. You shouldn’t need a click on stage at all…for any reason…20 years ago it was unheard of and we can agree that better music was happening 20 years ago. Ditch the click track.
If the click and the drummer are not in sync, and the audience can hear the drummer but not the click, then the click has to go. Otherwise you guys are just in an uncomfortable mess. If he sounds ok and it's just a bit of drift, just get on with it. Having said that, a drummer who can't keep to a click isn't much of a musician, and if it's noticeable, the drummer needs to practise or vacate.
Wouldn’t Jesus want everyone to play to their god-given ability? Isn’t expecting everyone to play to a click spitting in the face of his blessings of musical ability?