Drummer Metronome

[IbanezBass69]

Well, didn't mean to start a fight. I know everyone has to keep time, and everyone kind of has to keep everyone moving at the correct pace. It is like the checks and balances of the government (not starting political fight). It is why there are "drum machines" and not a lot of talk about "bass machines" or "guitar machines". All I am saying is, a lot of the time, the drummer's primary concern is keeping time, not just playing random garbage and hitting big wooden cylinders. But I know that everyone else also has to keep time pretty well, otherwise the whole thing falls to crap, you get booed off stage, you cry, you quit music forever. And that is certainly no one's goal.

[Rebecca]

If the drummer is asking you to rehearse with a metronome, it's because the beat is wandering too much, in his opinion. So it all boils down to whether his opinion is reasonable, or whether he's too anal. So just check it out by listening back to your rehearsals and discussing it as a band. I played in a group where the lead guitar asked us to rehearse with a metronome sometimes, because the drummer wasn't solid on the tempo. Guitarist was dead right.

As far as practicing, I like practicing to s drum machine rather than just a stereotypical metronome. It gives you that steadiness, but is more fun. I just use a free iPhone app, not a real, programmable drum machine, but it suits my purpose: a variety of beat patterns, and I can set the tempo by tapping or keying in the bpm. And I just plug it into my practice amp.

[omnimutant]

Consider yourself lucky, that he's concerned about time. I've played with more then my share of drummers who aren't consistent and it sucks, and throws the rest of the band off. My Current Drummer can keep pretty good time in practice, but at the Gig he's either too slow or too fast depending on what he's been drinking/smoking before the show o.O Trust me it could be worse.

Plus, as much as it may annoy you, it's for the best. The tighter a band sounds together the better in most genre's.

[Stumbo]

I suggest the drummer play with a click track/metronome through headphones. With him matching the click track, all should be well. He could do gigs like this as well to satisfy his time keeping needs.

If you practice with recordings at home, seems to me that they would substitute for a metronome.

[Joronamo]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

I suggest the drummer play with a click track/metronome through headphones. With him matching the click track, all should be well. He could do gigs like this as well to satisfy his time keeping needs.

If you practice with recordings at home, seems to me that they would substitute for a metronome.

He does already.

[Stumbo]

If he's already playing to a metronome at rehearsal, why is he bugging you?
He's the metronome for the band?

I am mainly confused because I thought my timing was generally good but now I feel degraded as a bass player.

I suggest asking the other band members if you timing is off. If not, tell him to stop bugging you.

Don't feel degraded, that's what he wants you to feel. The control freak's best weapon.

[Joronamo]

Thats what I dont understand. I have never felt I played out of time. Hes playing to a metronome so how can we be playing out of time then? Also he refused to play a song because it changed tempo mid-song and he cant set the metronome to two different speeds mid song so he said it was a waste of time to practising it unless you make a click track which he said he cant do. Thats ********!

[archer121]

It's good for him to want to play in time accurately but it seems like he is using the metronome as a crutch rather than internalizing the timing. The metronome is great for practice but he shouldn't "need" a metronome all the time.

[treshipp]

Originally Posted by Marko5657

Not disagreeing, but I’m not following ya.

Everyone can’t keep their own individual time; someone has to establish and manage the tempo, probably should be the drummer (even though it doesn’t always work that way).

You are correct, everyone cannot keep their own individual time. You must all keep the SAME time, which is why everyone in the band needs to be able to keep good time. If you are "following" the drummer, you are behind by definition.

[Waster]

So, your problem is that your drummer wants to play the songs RIGHT?!?!

What a douche...

[Joronamo]

Thread is 2 years old Waster, but I am pleased to say he was right and now my timing is awesome and I also demand metronome'd rehearsals from others. However you are also right that he was a major douche for personal reasons and I am no longer in a band with him .