Why is it very easy to play guitar or bass to a clicktrack, but very difficult to play drums to a click??

Bad time feel :-p

Because drummers are the worst musicians in a band.

Because the click and the drum part are competing bases for the rest of the music. It's also difficult for a drummer to play along with a pianist who thinks he should set the time, or a singer. Those are hallmarks of musicians and singers who have little experience working with others. They think the whole world revolves around them. The drummer sets the tempo and the feel. It can be difficult to adapt to a click because it competes for the job. I can play keyboards or guitar to a click without difficulty. Playing drums to a click is more difficult.

Here's an example of how screwed up drummers are:
I write the vocals
I write the guitars
I write the bass
but if I even dare to make a suggestion about a drum part, the drummer freaks

I read an interview with Stewart Copeland where he compared himself as a composer with himself as a drummer. He wouldn't like Stew the drummer to take the liberties he took in The Police with Stew the composer's work.

I'd like to acknowledge what was written in another thread that the whole band does set the tempo -- the tension, etc. is important. My band recorded a song to a click once, at the insistence of the engineer who wondered where the life went. It was a quick and free session, and we were new, so we were obedient. Dull dull dull. I like my click track for composing, not playing live. FWIW.

Because the click and the drum part are competing bases for the rest of the music. It's also difficult for a drummer to play along with a pianist who thinks he should set the time, or a singer. Those are hallmarks of musicians and singers who have little experience working with others. They think the whole world revolves around them. The drummer sets the tempo and the feel. It can be difficult to adapt to a click because it competes for the job. I can play keyboards or guitar to a click without difficulty. Playing drums to a click is more difficult.

It all boils down to the same thing I said in the beginning, bad time feel. If a drummer, out of all instruments, can't play with a click then he rarely practiced with a metronome (if at all). Practice with a metronome everyday = play perfectly with a click....exception: arhythmic person.

Agreed.

Hi newbie1000-

Why is it very easy to play guitar or bass to a clicktrack, but very difficult to play drums to a click??

After all the "how to humanize a drum track" questions on the forum, this is kind of refreshing!

My guess (and it's only a guess, since I'm not one) is that drummers are used to setting the tempo, not following it. They should of course be able to play in time, even with a click track, but they might also be tempted to slow down or speed up almost imperceptibly, depending on what else is going on. That could be a good thing.

If they just can't stick to the click no matter what, then that's a different story, and you need to get a different drummer!

-Susan

Guess there's no "I" in drummer.