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Timing off a bit, suggestions?
So, back story. Me and the ol' click track have never really seen "i" to "eye". I admit I've gotten much better at keeping time/tempo. But, I have a long way to go. It all started in 6th grade, not following the band instructor while he waved his hands, then onto High School, and the drum major's might as well of been swatting at bees. When I recorded an entire album in a home studio, keeping time with the click track was frustrating. A good bit of the time I was off. I swore I was on. Sooo.......
I recorded a song, two guitar parts, Bass, and now have attempted to record drums, the cheatin way. Rock Drum Machine.
Much to my amazement, I appear to be pretty on beat with the click track. My problem is, during each measure, well not all of them, I get off beat slightly, but I end up always starting each measure on the first click, and ending on the last click.
Looking for some advice on what would you do?
Re-track to the drums
Manipulate the drums to fit the track better
Start over and learn how to keep a beat
another option?
Thanks for any thoughts, suggestions, help.
Comments
Subdivide in your head. Other than rudiments, subdivision is the most useful tool I've learned in a formal musical education.
Subdivision basically means breaking down the measure in eighth or sixteenth notes. If I can do it vocally (ie no hot mics going), I'll actually say "one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and-one-and-..." to make sure I'm putting enough concentration to stay on beat. If there's a hot mic, I'm conscious about doing this in my head, and actually try to think more about that than just playing, and play the part almost subconsciously, if that makes sense. Sometimes breaking it down to sixteenth notes, "one-ee-and-ah-two-ee-and-uh", etc.
I find doing this even with a rhythm track going has helped me a lot over the years.
Another suggestion that I'd be remiss not to mention, learning to beatmatch, dj-style. It takes practice but it can pay major dividends as far as having good time and rhythm.
@CalCutta
Thank you so much for the reply/thoughts/advice. I really appreciate it.
No problem! And I just realized the way I put "formal musical education" makes it sound like I went to some Conservatory, hahaha. Full disclosure: It was just lots of band stuff in middle/high school and some private lessons for drum set.
Put a scratch rhythm guitar track down to the metronome (maybe change it to a kick drum so you're hearing a more familiar and less grating sound) > program and record the fake drums according to the structure of your song > do the keeper tracks
The feel of cutting to a full drum set vs. the metronome will help get any notions of counting out of your head. To me, doing that is an active distraction; 'thinking too hard'. The extra initial guitar take and drum programming will help you really nail down your song structure so you know exactly what you're workin with. Then you can just enjoy playing naturally to get good final takes.
I feel like I've been where you are. I have my own rhythmic tendencies and used to have problems feeling a beat period. I've done studio recordings for 10 years and still can't efficiently cut to a metronome. Only in the past few months recording solo at home for the first time have I come around to preferring getting the drums first, but it has gone a long way in increasing my comfort level while recording.
"one-ee-and-ah-two-ee-and-uh" is good stuff. I do the same when I'm feeling the need to. Foot tapping helps me too. If it helped Coltrane, probably help me too, I reckon. One thing I noticed years ago about "one-ee-and-ah-two-ee-and-uh" vs foot tapping is that pronouncing those syllables (even just in your head) makes it much easier to hear if you're flubbing (trouble keeping up) or even just swinging (the syllables slur).
Another idea. I'm all for your quest for timing but is there a chance you're being too in your head as you listen? I know I get in that head space sometimes. Maybe your head is wrong and your arms and gut are right! There are untold oceans of great great music where the timing is "off". It's not though. It's the song/recording/moment and it's wonderful. You're really deep into a particular bit or excited about the next bit and your rush it some. You're sex junk is into some other bit and you start to saunter some. Sometimes the feel of something subconsciously says to you "on for one and two, late for three, early for four". Or maybe you're drunk and just can't keep up. OCEANS. Like, Jupiter sized oceans.
Or maybe you're too in your head when you're tracking? I definitely get there too.
If it's not what you meant to play and you're not hearing what you want/wanted to hear afterwards, that is, of course, a slightly different story. Though sometimes I find my body and my head are not, er, in sync, and no matter what I do, I play it the same way over and over. Eventually I listen to my body. Full disclosure: I am absurdly lazy and, generally speaking, I do not like prog.
Good stuff. I have to get out of my head for sure. Just breathe and chill and everything falls into place. I definitely tend to get a bit giddy!
"Pat your foot and sing the melody in your head while you play."
Thelonius Monk
Great feedback and much needed for me. @syrupcore - I think your comments about being too in your head particularly hits home for me. I tend to overthink and ignore the feel too often.
@oat_phipps
Cool, those are some great ideas. I have some things to try, I'm optimistic, so that is good.
@syrupcore
All I saw when I read the first words of your post were: Ooo Eee, Ooo Ah Ah Ting tang walla walla bing bang. Then, it hit me like a two ton heavy thing. Counting......
It is quite possible that it is a head thing for me, though, it's also entirely possible I can't keep tempo very well. lol.
Hopefully in November I will release the song in all it's glory for the song of the month topic. Which has been an extremely helpful thing/tool for me to be a part of. Even for jsut the one song. I got a lot of great ideas and feedback.
@TGiG
I have high anxiety, so I deff. need to work on the chillin.
@TedBPhx
I do, sometimes it must not be connected to my head/brain, cuz it goes off and does it's own thing.
Thanks guys! I appreciate the ideas/advice/thoughts.
My timing is off too so thanks for the thread.
Yes, counting. Sorry I didn't explain it but thought you'd groked it from @calcutta's post.
Just in case, think of it like 16th notes. 1234 are the downbeats/quarter notes, &s are the off beats (8ths between the quarters), e/a are the 16ths between the 8ths.
1 - e - & - a - 2 - e - & - a - 3 - e - & - a - 4 - e - & - a - 1...Fucking awesome on Coltrane tapes I have in which he does it every song. It is so raw to hear from someone like him.
Yes, I said tape.
Oh yes, I knew that's what you meant
. Just didn't quite catch it on first read. lol
@RustiK : Fucking awesome on Coltrane tapes I have in which he does it every song. It is so raw to hear from someone like him.
Yes, I said tape.
Careful, the young-ins will be confused.....