Paleo
Student Of The Blues
Using the same syllables/symbols ("and"/+ and "uh"/u) for counting subdivisions of both 2 and 3 may be confusing.
When subdividing a beat by 2 the “and” (+) falls exactly half way through the beat: 1 + 2 (1 1/2 2)
Subdividing by 4, the "+" still falls half way, but now there is an “e” at one fourth and an “uh” at three fourths of the beat. 1 e + uh 2 (1 1/4 1/2 3/4 2)
However, when subdividing by 3, we also use "and" and "uh", but “and” will fall one third of the way and “uh” will fall two thirds of the way. 1 + uh 2 (1 1/3 2/3 2)
The same symbols, + and uh, fall at different places when subdividing by 3 than when subdividing by 2 or 4.
Moreover, when "swinging" eighths, instead of saying all 3 counts out loud, 1 + uh, we may stop saying the + and just say the 1 (+) uh.
To make things more confusing, you might hear some people say 1 +, putting the + where the uh goes. 1 (+) +
1 uh 2 uh 3 uh 4 uh = 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and ("and" at 2/3, not 1/2 as in straight 8ths)
Either way, the point is that the first note is held for 2 counts and the second note gets 1, coming in 2/3 of the way through the beat, i.e. the 1st note gets twice the time value of the second = "metric modulation".
Some people look at this as the + is “delayed” compared to counting straight eighths.
Again, in straight the + is at 1/2 and in swing eighths it is at 2/3, 1/6 of a beat later.
If you were to set all these counts on the same timeline/ruler you would have:
1 e and and uh uh 2, the subdivisions of 8ths and 16ths in red and triplets in blue. (1 1/4 1/3 1/2 2/3 3/4 2)
It's like going back to studying fractions in school.
When subdividing a beat by 2 the “and” (+) falls exactly half way through the beat: 1 + 2 (1 1/2 2)
Subdividing by 4, the "+" still falls half way, but now there is an “e” at one fourth and an “uh” at three fourths of the beat. 1 e + uh 2 (1 1/4 1/2 3/4 2)
However, when subdividing by 3, we also use "and" and "uh", but “and” will fall one third of the way and “uh” will fall two thirds of the way. 1 + uh 2 (1 1/3 2/3 2)
The same symbols, + and uh, fall at different places when subdividing by 3 than when subdividing by 2 or 4.
Moreover, when "swinging" eighths, instead of saying all 3 counts out loud, 1 + uh, we may stop saying the + and just say the 1 (+) uh.
To make things more confusing, you might hear some people say 1 +, putting the + where the uh goes. 1 (+) +
1 uh 2 uh 3 uh 4 uh = 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and ("and" at 2/3, not 1/2 as in straight 8ths)
Either way, the point is that the first note is held for 2 counts and the second note gets 1, coming in 2/3 of the way through the beat, i.e. the 1st note gets twice the time value of the second = "metric modulation".
Some people look at this as the + is “delayed” compared to counting straight eighths.
Again, in straight the + is at 1/2 and in swing eighths it is at 2/3, 1/6 of a beat later.
If you were to set all these counts on the same timeline/ruler you would have:
1 e and and uh uh 2, the subdivisions of 8ths and 16ths in red and triplets in blue. (1 1/4 1/3 1/2 2/3 3/4 2)
It's like going back to studying fractions in school.
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