Am I alone here by hating unnecessary hi-hat clicks?

[Oysterman]

Originally Posted by Tim Cole

What erks me is loud, open high hat crashes to cue a song. Click the freakin sticks.

On a recent gig, my drummer did just that to cue the first song, click the sticks. The rest of us couldn't hear it (noisy venue) and were surprised when he suddenly started playing. Lightning-fast reactions managed to save our asses that time, but since then it's high hat for everyone!

[dain bramage]

Why do bass players always find something to whine about? I have no problem with drummers, guitarists, or vocalists.

[steveksux]

The longer the break, the more you need the HH clicks to keep everyone in time. Even if you nail it 90% of the time, sooner or later someone goofs up, hits something a little out of time, throws everyone off just a bit. Where's the beat now? 4 different answers are about to appear when everyone comes back in.... at different times. Then the fun begins as everyone tries to decide who's right, as they scramble to get back together. One train wreck like that is way more aggravating than a little ch-ch-ch-ch every time during the break.

If you're playing with experienced pros who all have good time, you can get away without it most of the time.

But most of the singers out there, and guitar players too, (and more bass players than will admit it) can't hold steady meter for long without an outside reference to keep everyone in sync. That reference is the high hat in these cases.

Randy

[basses5]

Originally Posted by Joey3313

And this post was a sign of an amateur player.

Ever great drummer (save for solo-ers) use clicks to keep time, and it's a good idea they do. Guitarists especially pay little attention to time, and bassists come in a close second (the only difference is they'll deny it to the death).

It is the only viable option aside from in-ear monitors, which are kinda costly for a bar cover band (and pointless, your audience is so drunk they could usually give a ****).

I say they are a necessity.


Although, for the record, that sort of time keeping should be done with the hi-hat pedal and not just "clicks" as you call them...but whatever.

What a load of crap great drummers mark time in their head when the tune doesn't have the feel for the annoying clicks they should not be there. That's what a metronome is for.

[basses5]

Originally Posted by RoMeRz

I wouldnt totally agree with that - the dummer is "suposed" to be Mr. Timing.

It could very well be down to the drummer supporting inexperienced guitar players or bass players eh?

Even if the tune doesn't call out for a beat per minute or staight eight click you are saying the drummer just needs keep on clicking away? By the way I have been a professional bassist for 35 years. I play with drummers who only click when it sounds functional and fits and do not click all the time because they can't mark time in their head.

[Dkerwood]

Originally Posted by basses5

Even if the tune doesn't call out for a beat per minute or staight eight click you are saying the drummer just needs keep on clicking away? By the way I have been a professional bassist for 35 years. I play with drummers who only click when it sounds functional and fits and do not click all the time because they can't mark time in their head.

When did anyone say anything about a drummer playing clicks all the way through every tune?

[basses5]

Originally Posted by Dkerwood

When did anyone say anything about a drummer playing clicks all the way through every tune?

Nobody did say that my beef is with unnecessary clicks the kind where the drummer is doing nothing more really than marking time. If the music you all are playing does not have these clicks written into it or they just don't "feel" right to everyone they should not be there.If they are not needed a good drummer can internalize these time marking devices and keep them out of the mix. It has been my experience with some drummers you let'em have a couple of clicks and they'll try to fit'em into the whole tune.

[Dkerwood]

Sounds like a gross generalization to me. Do you ever bother to ask the drummer *why* he puts the clicks there?

Or do you simply assume he's a mindless buffoon?

[Joey3313]

Originally Posted by basses5

What a load of crap great drummers mark time in their head when the tune doesn't have the feel for the annoying clicks they should not be there. That's what a metronome is for.

Wow. Maybe it's just me, but I would expect a 51 year old "professional" player to have a more open point of view. Then again, I guess that's why your playing bars in Kansas as oppose to being a true proffesional.

[basses5]

Originally Posted by Joey3313

Wow. Maybe it's just me, but I would expect a 51 year old "professional" player to have a more open point of view. Then again, I guess that's why your playing bars in Kansas as oppose to being a true proffesional.

Why hijack the thread dude about where I play and where I live the fact is I have been getting paid to play for a long time (aka professional) with alot of different drummers. This thread is about if anyone else finds unnecessary hi-hat clicks annoying. To not be annoyed by or to justify a drummer wanking on his hi-hat unnecessarily merely exhibits your lack of professionalism and inexperience

[Dkerwood]

Hey, at the risk of hijacking the thread TOTALLY, I'm from the Wichita metro as well...

Who do you play with? I wonder if I've seen you play...

Weird. Small world.

[basses5]

Originally Posted by Dkerwood

Hey, at the risk of hijacking the thread TOTALLY, I'm from the Wichita metro as well...

Who do you play with? I wonder if I've seen you play...

Weird. Small world.

I PM'd you Dkerwood.