Should You Introduce CLICK TRACKS To Your Worship Team? || 4 Reasons TO Do It And 3 Reasons NOT To

[@theRealRileysChurch]

Great video! One thing we did was to have a test run on the 1st Sunday....that way the band gets a little practice run during rehearsal, but we don't actually have to use it "live" until the next week! - Curtis Riley

[@AdamZDrumming]

Love this man! As a church drummer I was getting driven crazy at my old church that never used a click. I would always come prepared knowing the tempos and would have a visual click as a reference point so I could start the song off at the right tempo. I can't even count how many times we would get into debates in rehearsal about the song being too fast or slow. The click removes any arguments about the speed of the song. Would love to collaborate with you sometime if you're open to it.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Yes. This is one of my favorite points...Objective reference point removes any doubt of who is slow or fast. The click doesn't lie! haha. I just saw you have a channel...I'll go check it out!

[@matnapp]

I’ve used click and tracks for years! It’s a great resource to help you musicians grow and it help you as a leader on the weeks where you don’t have a full band. Even with a full band, it’s great to have those extra effects and sounds that you just can’t replicate live.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

For real! Sometimes it's the little things

[@thegramwilson]

I grew up in a drumline context so we were always using a dr. beat through a loud speaker, i hear a metronome in my sleep haha. but after doing it for 10 years, playing to a click really does develop your timing skills.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Metronome in your sleep! I know man, when I don't have it I can really feel it.

[@donaldburns4462]

I need ideas on how to explain why we need a backing and click tracks also why we need a DAW in general. My thoughts are backing tracks, click tracks, more effect plug -ins which will improve the sound and ability to separately record each track so we as sound guys can improve our mixing. Will be meeting Wednesday to explain my request to purchase software for the DAW.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Sorry I'm late to this comment but I would start with the "why." Don't just add to add, but for me, a click gives us an "objective reference" for staying on time. Tracks and Loops allow us to fill in supplemental sounds if needed, and allows me to upload practice tracks with guide cues which has been a huge blessing to our volunteers. Also, if a someone like a bass player can't make rehearsal, I can always unmute mute that track and keep trucking!

[@RAMDASTAR]

Thank you sir!!

[@practicalworship]

Solid video... good job!

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Thanks man! Long time subscriber to your channel! Means a lot!!

[@practicalworship]

Hey Worship Leader That’s awesome! I sense a Sean Cannell/ThinkMedia/Video Influencers vibe to your style. I dig it. Keep it up!

[@Music_Mandalorian]

My first worship team used click tracks and as a new musician (when I started I was 6 months in to learning the electric) it helped my timing greatly. What I can say is a click didn’t prepare me for when I played without one. I played with my old churches men’s team and the leader hates tracks and clicks and he would purposely slow down or speed up depending on the “moment” and I could not for the life of me follow the “organic” tempo. As for backing tracks I’ve seen that people tend to use them as a crutch, meaning if they didn’t practice they could just mute and the track would be there to cover for them. I think having a crutch can hinder your actual skill. I think backing tracks should only be in if the band lacks the instrument, for most churches that probably synth parts. Love your content, it’s helped stretch my thinking and skill, keep it up!

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

That's great man. A lot of truth here. I have not been using tracks as much either because we have the people we need to get the sound we want. And going from playing with a clic to playing without one can be difficult if people do what you said...purposefully speed up and slow down. It's hard to find that 'organic' tempo if what feels organic to you is different than the tempo setter. And that is something to practice over time in a band situation, but in a church context where you are dealing with different volunteers all the time, it's better to have that objective tempo setting the pace. Thanks for you encouragement!

[@josephdriskill4311]

Man, you cracked me up with this one lol

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

haha!

[@budgetgearguru4211]

I wish I could come play at your church man.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Dude! Come on. haha

I’ve never used and I don’t even know what it is! How about a video explaining what is that?

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Great insight. I didn't explain what it was. haha That's a great idea! Thanks

[@fallguy1771]

Yes with backing tracks. And it is a full on challenge. Cues are ignored Train wrecks have become consistent. Tracks are started when people have not been given a chance to move their capo. People rush through vocal parts and then ignore the cues to get back on and the people around them just follow the new placement and it is all off and short of ripping my earbuds out it is near impossible to enjoy playing.

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Oh man that's tough. One way I have begun to train my people is to upload the tracks to Planning Center and tell them to practice with the loops AND cues. If they are consistently messing up..I would have a conversation and see where the breakdown is...presonal practice time? or just can't sing to the click? Then re audition them when they are ready.

[@eternalharvestfarm]

@@HeyWorshipLeader This is great, but I've never been a in a church where every worship team member actually practices the songs every week. There is always a couple that do and a couple that wing it. I've been both, it all depends on my week. It's easy for everyone to practice and get good at playing to loops and cues and clicks, if they have the time to dedicate to that. At this point at my church I def am above average on practice time, and that's hard homeschooling 3 kids, running a ministry focused farm, renovating a house and volunteering here, there and everywhere. But if one person doesn't have enough time, it goes off the rails, WAYYYYYYY too fast and things turn into a catastrophe pretty quick in my experience. I miss when musicians cued each other, and played off one another, and went where they felt like going in a piece, and moved the tempo as the mood, piece, or phrasing demanded. With clicks, cues AND loops. I wonder why so many churches bother fighting to get volunteers and spend all that money on equipment when a single channel sound board and a phone with a play button will achieve what you are working so hard to get half a dozen volunteers to do: Sound exactly like the record. Plus it's tough to exclude someone from worshipping God with their instrument because they can't play to a very specific system a church has crafted. It's one thing if someone simply can't play their instrument well enough, it's another thing if they can't play to a very specific and arbitrary system, or if they can, yet it becomes so distracting that they are focused on the performance and not on Worship. I think click tracks are creating amazing professional performances in churches. It's that very thing that is killing worship.

[@WorshipLeaderCoaching]

I love click! But it’s ruined me. Now I slow everything down without one!

[@HeyWorshipLeader]

Haha! I do the same thing sometimes!