Elevate Your Band with Click Tracks and Loops.
At DRWC, we prioritize practical advice for worship bands. One common issue, especially in smaller congregations (under 500 people), is the infrequent use of click tracks. A click track, often paired with a guide track and stems or loops, can significantly enhance your band's musicality and overall sound quality.
What is a Click Track?
A click track is a metronome set to the time signature of a song, often subdivided to match the tempo. For example, a song at 100 bpm in 4/4 time would have a click subdivided into eighth notes. When combined with a guide track (which indicates song sections like verse or chorus) and stems or loops (pre-recorded musical parts not played live), it helps the band stay synchronized and in tune.
Implementing Click Tracks and Loops
Using a click track with stems or loops is straightforward but requires a decent in-ear monitoring (IEM) system. Fortunately, quality IEM systems are now more affordable. Typically, you route the click and guide tracks to one channel on your IEM system and front-of-house (FOH) board, and the stems or loops to another. This setup ensures that only the band hears the click while the audience hears the loops.
Benefits of Using Click Tracks and Loops
Maintain Consistent Timing: A click track ensures your band stays in time. Without it, you might start a song at one tempo and end up much faster or slower by the end. The click acts as a metered anchor, preventing the messiness of each musician following a different tempo.
Guided Navigation Through Songs: While everyone should ideally know the songs well, many band members are volunteers with busy lives. A guide track provides valuable cues, boosting confidence and helping the team play each section correctly.
Fill Out Your Band's Sound: Click tracks and loops are especially helpful for new or rebuilding bands. They allow you to add virtual musicians by using loops, ensuring a full sound even if a live musician is unavailable. For example, if your bass player is absent, you can simply turn up the bass stem in the tracks.
Getting Started
For those new to clicks and loops, here are two recommended resources:
Loop Community: Offers economical options with a variety of user-made and artist-made loops.
Multi-Tracks: Known for its high-quality stems directly from recordings, though at a higher price. It also provides free apps to easily integrate loops into your setup.
Inspirational Example
When I first introduced click tracks at my church over ten years ago, the drummers were resistant. However, today, hardly anyone wants to play without them. The transformation in our band's cohesion and sound quality has been remarkable. Click tracks and loops have become invaluable tools that enhance our worship experience.
Embrace the potential of click tracks and loops to elevate your band's performance and create a more polished and engaging worship experience.