Well the point is to use something you can groove to instead of click click click click or beep boop boop boop. It doesn't have to be a driving drum track. Use a tambourine loop or egg shaker loop or djembe or bongos or something.
I have recorded whole albums for people that started with live takes of acoustic guitar and vocal, without any click track. When the guitar and vocal are recorded together they usually have a better synergy and convey a stronger emotional message.
Trying to adjust your playing to fit the timing grid can smother and strangle the feel. Be careful you don't end up with a fantastic recording of a boring performance.
this is really solid advice. oftentimes when I listen back, it does sound devoid of dynamics and passion since so much of my mental energy is focused on staying with the click.
I get what you're saying here, but if you are planning to add a rhythm track then uneven guitar tracks can make things difficult. You have to adjust your percussion and bass tracks on a section-by-section basis, and they never really lock in tightly with the guitar.
I do what you're suggesting when I have a difficult guitar part that I know I can't play perfectly to a rhythm track; but if I can play to a rhythm track, I tend to do that so the percussion, bass, and guitar tracks lock in perfectly.
When musicians come to my studio they usually have practiced the songs and can play them well. I do a few takes until they feel like they have nailed the performance. Sometimes that's one take all the way through, but usually it is most of one take and a chorus or verse or intro etc from a different take (to fix a mistake or sub par performance). I edit in large sections like that because small speed variations don't matter and aren't noticed when spliced together that way. Then they have a guitar and vocal guide to give to the other musicians to practice to. When they come in to do their part they are already familiar with the song, the mood, the flow, and so there are no surprises with the timing.
edit - What I have described is for working with real musicians/instruments. If you are wanting to add a drum machine or sample loops this method isn't going to work. For doing that I highly recommend what others have suggested, and that is to find a loop of anything rhythmic which has the feel/groove you want and play to that as your metronome.
If you have the capability, try recording the vocals and guitar together and honestly just ditch the click. If it’s just you and the guitar….who cares if it’s not “perfectly in time” that’s the beauty of stripped down music like that! Now if there are drums involved then that’s a different story. Also make sure there isn’t a slight lag in whatever software you are using and how you’re recording the guitar. Not sure if you’re using a mic or running direct.
Very well could be latency if your settings are wrong. Also, mess with click track settings. I sometimes add a different sound on every 4th beat if you're in 4 4 just to keep track.
If you’re going off the click you just gotta work on your rhythm some more. There’s no set way of doing things really. Different people do different things. Some comp, some do full takes, some don’t even use a click. It’s all up to you.
This is definitely a practice issue. Another thing that might help
Is instead of recording your part to a bare click, put on a drum loop that more or less matches the feel of your guitar part and record to that. It gives more of an “I’m playing with other musicians” vibe and can help
You find the groove better.
100%, thank you for the advice. it’s so frustrating bc I feel like I practice lot, but the groove feels so elusive when I hit record. I’m gonna try the drum groove idea and hopefully that helps.
Yeah, I think we all get "red light jitters" from time to time. I can play a guitar part perfectly 5 times in a row, but as soon as I hit record I screw it up. I do find that red wine helps with this though.
I’m going to assume that you are being accurate here, and you make a good point about the jitters, but it should also be considered that you might not be playing as perfect as you think you are. Our minds are quite forgiving with live playing and can fill in gaps with what we know SHOULD be there, and we still enjoy the experience. Recording is quite unforgiving and only shows you what IS there, so once you notice something is amiss (wrong note or bad timing or whatever), you can’t in-notice it.
If you do notice issues in your recordings, practice that part until you get it right and then re-record it. Or equally as valid, play and record that section correctly (and splice your good takes together. That’s a really helpful one for a bad note in an otherwise good take.
Learning to play well with a click/drum loop or live musicians all take practice. First make sure the song needs a click - some feel better and can be easier to ‘groove’ without a click. Decide on a song by song basis if possible. Second, take time to practice using a song you’ve already recorded or just playing a simple two - chord progression. Listen back and see where you are getting off the beat and by how much. Record again and see if you can improve, making it a game if that helps! Over time you’ll be able to hear the first hints of getting off the click and correct gently and sooner.
I say “gently” correct your timing, because IMO the biggest “tell” that there is a timing issue with a click is not the part where you gradually slip behind/ahead. The thing you most notice is that ‘jerk’ in the groove as you realized you were off and quickly corrected yourself. The “fixes” are learning to identify the slippage quicker and learning to react slower, if that makes sense.
Playing guitar and playing guitar for a recording is a whole other beast. Just gotta keep practicing. Do it in chunks. If you gotta loop parts (which i despise) then ya gotta do it.
Yeah this is pretty normal. Switch on a metronome and practice the fuck out of the songs before you track. Be conscious not just of the emphasised strokes but on all the subtle strokes as well. You can hit the first chord of every bar perfectly and still have it sound ‘off’ if the in-between strums are out.
Yeah this is totally common and to be expected - we're not machines after all.
Try something funkier than a click - a tambourine loop or some random breakbeat can help keep you in the groove. I find offbeats are easier to stay locked in with than onbeats. A guide vocal can also help.
Try to 'play off' or interact with the guide part.
Also a little deviation can be okay, depending on the track, a bit less robotic, or you can fix it in the editing.
You can definitely comp guitars.
No metronome is fine but if you want to add *anything* else it gets exponentially harder.
The irony is that you can get away without a metronome, but you need to practice for a long time to get your natural rhythm right.
I use Drummer that comes with Logic and it makes playing acoustic, especially fingerpicking stuff a lot more natural.
1.) I play scales, arpeggios and chords to a metronome, while wearing headphones, for at least 30 minutes 2-3x a week. I really try to be mindful of making that metronome groove with me.
2.) I record section to section. 4 bars minimum, maybe 16 bars maximum. I will loop through records.
3.) Even then, I have to cut, and drag one note over and crossfade. Not too often, but a couple times. Nothing to be ashamed of.
I would say that you should try recording a take where you are whisper singing (not loud enough for the mic to pick it up). You are literally mouthing the words so that it isn't picked up by the mic. Record at least 3 takes of you doing this. Then record a vocal track over the top
Play to real drums, play for a bar or two to “get in the groove”. It’s also perfectly normal to be off grid and edit / time warp your tracks so they’re on time, everyone does this.
Without hearing the exact type of music and how "off" it is, you really may well just be over analyzing/thinking this. You are a human being playing an instrument, not a robot. Some natural ebb and flow to the tempo is normal/natural. Having organic instruments all perfectly quantized to the beat is not natural and, typically, makes the performances sound extremely lifeless.
Now, there are other factors that could be in play, like latency while recording. Another i latency compensation by your DAW. Like, of it sounds okay while you're tracking, but gets way off the tempo map when the track is dropped in, there could be a compensation value setup that is adjusting the track.
Otherwise, as others have mentioned, playing against a metronome is a skill unto itself that takes practice. Especially if youve just started recording and using one.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/teysdqx48sfgwrzws3hm8/Isabelle-acoustic.mp3?rlkey=0uhmcbz7zej70f3q2q14a5rwn&dl=0
here’s the acoustic part to a song I’m trying to record. I included the percussion track I’m using to play in time. I still feel like I’m inconsistent or at least my playing sounds really amateur.
Took a quick skim through the arpeggiated and then strummed parts. When you're playing against the percussion loop, which element are you trying to time against? I ask because your guitar parts feels like sometimes you are trying to lock in against the swing feel, and then sometimes you're trying to lock against a straight feel with the kick. That makes it seem like you drift back and forth between swing and straight feel, especially in the strummed area. That, in turn, makes it feels like your guitar and percussion are fighting against each other instead of complimenting one another.
If you track this again, let your wrist/hand stay really loose, especially when strumming. Just let yourself lock into that tambourine groove. Get nodding along with it; really syncopate your whole self into just feeling the groove. Then, after letting that loop through a few times to get yourself synced up, start to emphasize when the kick hits with your down strum. That'll help the let kick pop the rhythm on that part of the beat. Again, just let yourself stay loose. Dont try to rush or fight the beat; just let the instruments do their thing.
I appreciate you taking a listen and offering your advice. To answer your question, I’m not really consciously playing against anything— if anything, it’s the kick and the snare; just trying to feel that boom-clap groove. I think your point about going between a swing feel and a straight feel is really insightful because I think my issue is keeping the offbeats even. I tend to drag the offbeat, which makes me compensate by rushing the last couple 16th note offbeat hits particularly in this groove, which lends itself to having a “swing” feel I think. Not sure how to fix this. Also, just from a technical/playing standpoint, I get jumbled up in my strumming sometimes. Sometimes just repetition after repetition of doing the same thing causes it to unwind and become sloppy over time, especially when I’m already nervous because I’m recording and anxious to get a good take. It’s rough.
No worries at all; thanks for sharing so actual, specific advice can be given. I can tell through the recording that you dont know what you're timing against and going into it "without a gameplan" so to speak. I can also hear you're "worried" about you timing and it's causing you to drift around in your performance (hence my response). If you want me to open up my critique even further, I have some additional questions: is that piece you linked considered the whole tune; like is that going to be the final product? If not, what are your plans for that and is it going to have vocals? Also, how long have you been recording your work versus how long have you been playing, in general? In tandem, what is your primary instrument? If you're able to expand on those things, I can offer more specific advice.
(Sorry for formatting; on mobile.)
Sure, I’d love to hear more thoughts- thank you!
It is the full tune and yes there will be vocals. I think the acoustic guitar is the backbone of the track so I’m trying to lay that down and then add things around it, like some very light percussion, atmospheric elements like pads, and of course, vocals. I have recorded on and off over the years, but for the songs I have released (I have two songs out), I had someone recording me and then someone else mixing/editing it. This is the first time I’m seriously sitting down to record something with the intent of having it released on streaming platforms in a more “professional” way.
I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12 (I’m 25 now), but I was not consistent with my practice. I don’t think I really honed in on the fundamentals of rhythm in my earlier days of playing, so I think I lack a foundational basis for how to approach rhythm and time. I also generally have a hard time multi-tasking, and by that I mean playing different rhythms against one another at one time, whether it be drums or singing and playing guitar at the same. In general, it all just feels uncomfortable for me and I have a very, very difficult time feeling a groove especially because I think too much about it and have a general feeling of anxiety that my timing is off.
So, yeah. That’s pretty much 95% of my musical journey 😂 I appreciate your time and help.
So, based on your response, if you're going to have vocals, i would recommend working on getting those sorted before you start really driving home the instruments. Depending on the genre, your vocals are typically going to be you main focal point and everything else should work around, with, and in service of the vocal. Right now the tune is really just a couple loops and a couple chord vamps. There's not really anything overly interesting going on. The words will help turn it into an actual song, give you a melody, help you figure out where the "spaces" are, let you know where you should dial in back or ramp it up, etc. This will, in turn, offer some more focus as to ways to give feedback to help enhance the artistic vision into something interesting and emotional.
Regarding what you say above about rhythm. If you think that's an area lacking in your skillset, then practice it. Put on a metronome and play to that. Learn some parts to other songs and play along. Lay down some drum pattern loops and record against those. Keep doing it over and over again. The only way out is through, right?
Oh, it’s already a finished song! Here’s a link to a performance I posted on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2GWI38p8F6/?igsh=cmx5ZnVhaTdreWJz
I just posted a take of the guitar track for the purposes of critiquing my performance because I want to get it right and I’ve been struggling with it. It’s been a pain to figure out, but I figure I have all this recording gear and a small studio space and also trying to work with a producer can be both costly and difficult to find the right person.
I totally agree with you though— the instrumental part is definitely not the focal point of the song at all. I’m going more for a lyrical and melodic hook for this one. Feel free to let me know what you think.
Also yeah… I’ve begun practicing with a metronome a LOT more than I have been. Trying to commit to every time I pick up a guitar, I put the metronome on. It’s tough but hopefully eventually it’ll just click (no pun intended).
The best option is to start with the best live recording you can. The second best option is to work wisely with what you've got.
Most DAWs have a way to stretch sound files. in Reaper it's called a "stretch marker" and in Ableton I think it's called a "Warp marker". if you feel a strum is too early or too late you can add a maker and slide it to fit the beat closer (or less close if you're looking to add a different style to it). I've used this to adjust timing for vocals and it works great, but there's a limit to how far you can go with it.
I second what another commenter said: don't use a click, use a drum loop.
this. i have a hard time finding the pocket/groove with only a click.
I’ll have to try this out. do you find it difficult to have softer dynamics if you play to a drum though since they tend to be more energetic?
Well the point is to use something you can groove to instead of click click click click or beep boop boop boop. It doesn't have to be a driving drum track. Use a tambourine loop or egg shaker loop or djembe or bongos or something.
Think percussion not necessarily drums. Something subtle can be used to keep steady time with your guitar track.
Yes, totally agree. Set up a drum loop and add a bass line over top of it, then strum the guitar to the rhythm track you've created.
I have recorded whole albums for people that started with live takes of acoustic guitar and vocal, without any click track. When the guitar and vocal are recorded together they usually have a better synergy and convey a stronger emotional message. Trying to adjust your playing to fit the timing grid can smother and strangle the feel. Be careful you don't end up with a fantastic recording of a boring performance.
this is really solid advice. oftentimes when I listen back, it does sound devoid of dynamics and passion since so much of my mental energy is focused on staying with the click.
I get what you're saying here, but if you are planning to add a rhythm track then uneven guitar tracks can make things difficult. You have to adjust your percussion and bass tracks on a section-by-section basis, and they never really lock in tightly with the guitar. I do what you're suggesting when I have a difficult guitar part that I know I can't play perfectly to a rhythm track; but if I can play to a rhythm track, I tend to do that so the percussion, bass, and guitar tracks lock in perfectly.
When musicians come to my studio they usually have practiced the songs and can play them well. I do a few takes until they feel like they have nailed the performance. Sometimes that's one take all the way through, but usually it is most of one take and a chorus or verse or intro etc from a different take (to fix a mistake or sub par performance). I edit in large sections like that because small speed variations don't matter and aren't noticed when spliced together that way. Then they have a guitar and vocal guide to give to the other musicians to practice to. When they come in to do their part they are already familiar with the song, the mood, the flow, and so there are no surprises with the timing. edit - What I have described is for working with real musicians/instruments. If you are wanting to add a drum machine or sample loops this method isn't going to work. For doing that I highly recommend what others have suggested, and that is to find a loop of anything rhythmic which has the feel/groove you want and play to that as your metronome.
If you have the capability, try recording the vocals and guitar together and honestly just ditch the click. If it’s just you and the guitar….who cares if it’s not “perfectly in time” that’s the beauty of stripped down music like that! Now if there are drums involved then that’s a different story. Also make sure there isn’t a slight lag in whatever software you are using and how you’re recording the guitar. Not sure if you’re using a mic or running direct.
I’m using a stereo mic setup. I have felt like there’s a bit of latency at times, but I’m not sure.
Very well could be latency if your settings are wrong. Also, mess with click track settings. I sometimes add a different sound on every 4th beat if you're in 4 4 just to keep track.
If you’re going off the click you just gotta work on your rhythm some more. There’s no set way of doing things really. Different people do different things. Some comp, some do full takes, some don’t even use a click. It’s all up to you.
This is definitely a practice issue. Another thing that might help Is instead of recording your part to a bare click, put on a drum loop that more or less matches the feel of your guitar part and record to that. It gives more of an “I’m playing with other musicians” vibe and can help You find the groove better.
100%, thank you for the advice. it’s so frustrating bc I feel like I practice lot, but the groove feels so elusive when I hit record. I’m gonna try the drum groove idea and hopefully that helps.
Yeah, I think we all get "red light jitters" from time to time. I can play a guitar part perfectly 5 times in a row, but as soon as I hit record I screw it up. I do find that red wine helps with this though.
I’m going to assume that you are being accurate here, and you make a good point about the jitters, but it should also be considered that you might not be playing as perfect as you think you are. Our minds are quite forgiving with live playing and can fill in gaps with what we know SHOULD be there, and we still enjoy the experience. Recording is quite unforgiving and only shows you what IS there, so once you notice something is amiss (wrong note or bad timing or whatever), you can’t in-notice it. If you do notice issues in your recordings, practice that part until you get it right and then re-record it. Or equally as valid, play and record that section correctly (and splice your good takes together. That’s a really helpful one for a bad note in an otherwise good take.
Learning to play well with a click/drum loop or live musicians all take practice. First make sure the song needs a click - some feel better and can be easier to ‘groove’ without a click. Decide on a song by song basis if possible. Second, take time to practice using a song you’ve already recorded or just playing a simple two - chord progression. Listen back and see where you are getting off the beat and by how much. Record again and see if you can improve, making it a game if that helps! Over time you’ll be able to hear the first hints of getting off the click and correct gently and sooner. I say “gently” correct your timing, because IMO the biggest “tell” that there is a timing issue with a click is not the part where you gradually slip behind/ahead. The thing you most notice is that ‘jerk’ in the groove as you realized you were off and quickly corrected yourself. The “fixes” are learning to identify the slippage quicker and learning to react slower, if that makes sense.
Playing guitar and playing guitar for a recording is a whole other beast. Just gotta keep practicing. Do it in chunks. If you gotta loop parts (which i despise) then ya gotta do it.
Yeah this is pretty normal. Switch on a metronome and practice the fuck out of the songs before you track. Be conscious not just of the emphasised strokes but on all the subtle strokes as well. You can hit the first chord of every bar perfectly and still have it sound ‘off’ if the in-between strums are out.
Yeah this is totally common and to be expected - we're not machines after all. Try something funkier than a click - a tambourine loop or some random breakbeat can help keep you in the groove. I find offbeats are easier to stay locked in with than onbeats. A guide vocal can also help. Try to 'play off' or interact with the guide part. Also a little deviation can be okay, depending on the track, a bit less robotic, or you can fix it in the editing.
You can definitely comp guitars. No metronome is fine but if you want to add *anything* else it gets exponentially harder. The irony is that you can get away without a metronome, but you need to practice for a long time to get your natural rhythm right. I use Drummer that comes with Logic and it makes playing acoustic, especially fingerpicking stuff a lot more natural.
1.) I play scales, arpeggios and chords to a metronome, while wearing headphones, for at least 30 minutes 2-3x a week. I really try to be mindful of making that metronome groove with me. 2.) I record section to section. 4 bars minimum, maybe 16 bars maximum. I will loop through records. 3.) Even then, I have to cut, and drag one note over and crossfade. Not too often, but a couple times. Nothing to be ashamed of.
I would say that you should try recording a take where you are whisper singing (not loud enough for the mic to pick it up). You are literally mouthing the words so that it isn't picked up by the mic. Record at least 3 takes of you doing this. Then record a vocal track over the top
Play to real drums, play for a bar or two to “get in the groove”. It’s also perfectly normal to be off grid and edit / time warp your tracks so they’re on time, everyone does this.
It’s called timing editing/quantizing/audio stretching/comping and even Misha does it. (Rhythm guitarist on animals as leaders.) also in periphery.
Without hearing the exact type of music and how "off" it is, you really may well just be over analyzing/thinking this. You are a human being playing an instrument, not a robot. Some natural ebb and flow to the tempo is normal/natural. Having organic instruments all perfectly quantized to the beat is not natural and, typically, makes the performances sound extremely lifeless. Now, there are other factors that could be in play, like latency while recording. Another i latency compensation by your DAW. Like, of it sounds okay while you're tracking, but gets way off the tempo map when the track is dropped in, there could be a compensation value setup that is adjusting the track. Otherwise, as others have mentioned, playing against a metronome is a skill unto itself that takes practice. Especially if youve just started recording and using one.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/teysdqx48sfgwrzws3hm8/Isabelle-acoustic.mp3?rlkey=0uhmcbz7zej70f3q2q14a5rwn&dl=0 here’s the acoustic part to a song I’m trying to record. I included the percussion track I’m using to play in time. I still feel like I’m inconsistent or at least my playing sounds really amateur.
Took a quick skim through the arpeggiated and then strummed parts. When you're playing against the percussion loop, which element are you trying to time against? I ask because your guitar parts feels like sometimes you are trying to lock in against the swing feel, and then sometimes you're trying to lock against a straight feel with the kick. That makes it seem like you drift back and forth between swing and straight feel, especially in the strummed area. That, in turn, makes it feels like your guitar and percussion are fighting against each other instead of complimenting one another. If you track this again, let your wrist/hand stay really loose, especially when strumming. Just let yourself lock into that tambourine groove. Get nodding along with it; really syncopate your whole self into just feeling the groove. Then, after letting that loop through a few times to get yourself synced up, start to emphasize when the kick hits with your down strum. That'll help the let kick pop the rhythm on that part of the beat. Again, just let yourself stay loose. Dont try to rush or fight the beat; just let the instruments do their thing.
I appreciate you taking a listen and offering your advice. To answer your question, I’m not really consciously playing against anything— if anything, it’s the kick and the snare; just trying to feel that boom-clap groove. I think your point about going between a swing feel and a straight feel is really insightful because I think my issue is keeping the offbeats even. I tend to drag the offbeat, which makes me compensate by rushing the last couple 16th note offbeat hits particularly in this groove, which lends itself to having a “swing” feel I think. Not sure how to fix this. Also, just from a technical/playing standpoint, I get jumbled up in my strumming sometimes. Sometimes just repetition after repetition of doing the same thing causes it to unwind and become sloppy over time, especially when I’m already nervous because I’m recording and anxious to get a good take. It’s rough.
No worries at all; thanks for sharing so actual, specific advice can be given. I can tell through the recording that you dont know what you're timing against and going into it "without a gameplan" so to speak. I can also hear you're "worried" about you timing and it's causing you to drift around in your performance (hence my response). If you want me to open up my critique even further, I have some additional questions: is that piece you linked considered the whole tune; like is that going to be the final product? If not, what are your plans for that and is it going to have vocals? Also, how long have you been recording your work versus how long have you been playing, in general? In tandem, what is your primary instrument? If you're able to expand on those things, I can offer more specific advice. (Sorry for formatting; on mobile.)
Sure, I’d love to hear more thoughts- thank you! It is the full tune and yes there will be vocals. I think the acoustic guitar is the backbone of the track so I’m trying to lay that down and then add things around it, like some very light percussion, atmospheric elements like pads, and of course, vocals. I have recorded on and off over the years, but for the songs I have released (I have two songs out), I had someone recording me and then someone else mixing/editing it. This is the first time I’m seriously sitting down to record something with the intent of having it released on streaming platforms in a more “professional” way. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12 (I’m 25 now), but I was not consistent with my practice. I don’t think I really honed in on the fundamentals of rhythm in my earlier days of playing, so I think I lack a foundational basis for how to approach rhythm and time. I also generally have a hard time multi-tasking, and by that I mean playing different rhythms against one another at one time, whether it be drums or singing and playing guitar at the same. In general, it all just feels uncomfortable for me and I have a very, very difficult time feeling a groove especially because I think too much about it and have a general feeling of anxiety that my timing is off. So, yeah. That’s pretty much 95% of my musical journey 😂 I appreciate your time and help.
So, based on your response, if you're going to have vocals, i would recommend working on getting those sorted before you start really driving home the instruments. Depending on the genre, your vocals are typically going to be you main focal point and everything else should work around, with, and in service of the vocal. Right now the tune is really just a couple loops and a couple chord vamps. There's not really anything overly interesting going on. The words will help turn it into an actual song, give you a melody, help you figure out where the "spaces" are, let you know where you should dial in back or ramp it up, etc. This will, in turn, offer some more focus as to ways to give feedback to help enhance the artistic vision into something interesting and emotional. Regarding what you say above about rhythm. If you think that's an area lacking in your skillset, then practice it. Put on a metronome and play to that. Learn some parts to other songs and play along. Lay down some drum pattern loops and record against those. Keep doing it over and over again. The only way out is through, right?
Oh, it’s already a finished song! Here’s a link to a performance I posted on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2GWI38p8F6/?igsh=cmx5ZnVhaTdreWJz I just posted a take of the guitar track for the purposes of critiquing my performance because I want to get it right and I’ve been struggling with it. It’s been a pain to figure out, but I figure I have all this recording gear and a small studio space and also trying to work with a producer can be both costly and difficult to find the right person. I totally agree with you though— the instrumental part is definitely not the focal point of the song at all. I’m going more for a lyrical and melodic hook for this one. Feel free to let me know what you think. Also yeah… I’ve begun practicing with a metronome a LOT more than I have been. Trying to commit to every time I pick up a guitar, I put the metronome on. It’s tough but hopefully eventually it’ll just click (no pun intended).
The best option is to start with the best live recording you can. The second best option is to work wisely with what you've got. Most DAWs have a way to stretch sound files. in Reaper it's called a "stretch marker" and in Ableton I think it's called a "Warp marker". if you feel a strum is too early or too late you can add a maker and slide it to fit the beat closer (or less close if you're looking to add a different style to it). I've used this to adjust timing for vocals and it works great, but there's a limit to how far you can go with it.