I feel beyond being able to play precise rhythms and pitches, there is great value in being able to be off-grid in a meaningful, purposeful way.
While it is useful to be able to be precisely on grid if you want to be so — be it with the timing of your notes or the pitches played — many musicians I know are so overly fixated on the metrum of click track or the accurate pitch the forgot how to feel the ebs and flow that comes with great music that is just played in its own space and time. And pitch is no different here, sliding into or out of pitch of being able to sing/play slightly of grid is a very powerful skill.
But technique as the ability to pull it off is one thing, the knowledge when to use it and how much only comes with years of practise.
Nowadays many beginning musicians tie themselves so much to these grids, they can't imagine playing without them. To quote a musician that was asked by the sound engineer to play without click to make the track less mechanical: "That is allowed?"
While it is useful to be able to be precisely on grid if you want to be so — be it with the timing of your notes or the pitches played — many musicians I know are so overly fixated on the metrum of click track or the accurate pitch the forgot how to feel the ebs and flow that comes with great music that is just played in its own space and time. And pitch is no different here, sliding into or out of pitch of being able to sing/play slightly of grid is a very powerful skill.
But technique as the ability to pull it off is one thing, the knowledge when to use it and how much only comes with years of practise.
Nowadays many beginning musicians tie themselves so much to these grids, they can't imagine playing without them. To quote a musician that was asked by the sound engineer to play without click to make the track less mechanical: "That is allowed?"