Counting

Bob630

Blues Newbe
With all this time at home now during these crazy times. I decided to go back to the beginning and pay a lot more attention to counting. I am starting with the first 4 licks counting out loud, I might drive my wife crazy but it beats the heck out of listing to QVC. LOL
 

Mr.Scary

A Blues Legend in My Own Mind
The BGU Labs on Albert King got me to counting. Now if I can't quite get it then I have 2 daughters quite capable of helping me write it out.
 

Bob630

Blues Newbe
I seem to be able to count "Sitting Easy Blues" if I pay it at relatively slow speed but when I play it at full speed I find counting out loud impossible. I guess my old brain just doesn't work that fast. After playing it several as fast as I can count, playing it at full speed seems to fall right in place. Is this the way it supposed to work?
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I seem to be able to count "Sitting Easy Blues" if I pay it at relatively slow speed but when I play it at full speed I find counting out loud impossible. I guess my old brain just doesn't work that fast. After playing it several as fast as I can count, playing it at full speed seems to fall right in place. Is this the way it supposed to work?

Yep.
 

jammoore99

Blues Newbie
I too have made a concerted effort to work on counting. It's difficult at times and I get mixed up a bit, but it's definitely worth it. I can hear the difference when I do it right!
 

Robb H

Blues Newbie
I too have "gone back" with an emphasis on counting. I can play Sitting Easy Blues reasonably well most of the time. I can count it out loud and play it but when I bump up the tempo, not so much. The playing is there but not with counting out loud. Then again, some days I'll play it and it sounds like trash. I have moved on but still play/work on it daily.

Full out Blues is also coming along. There seems to be just a couple phrases that I don't get the count right. But I think I have it down enough to move on yet still practice it daily as well. I'm not sure if this moving on but continued practice is the right method or if I should be able to play it like I own it before moving on.

The swing feel counting seems to come and go with me. Usually I have no problem but then I'll have a day that I seem to want to play on all three sub beats instead of # - a. I am able to dial it in but still....

I seem to be taking quite some time to get the strumming lessons down. The strumming seems fine, unless of course I want to hit the C7 in time. LOL. I'm having difficulty hitting that chord. I may still move on to Muddy A Blues and continue with the previous tunes and 'strumming rests' practice for that C7.

I'm certainly willing to listen to suggestions on powering through.

Cheers,
Robb
 

Clem

Blues Newbie
I never counted at all until I signed up. I find it very challenging, especially when added to tab reading, finger placement, string selection.... Ha, guess I got a learning curve.
 

Rob63

Make It Your Own
I never counted at all until I signed up. I find it very challenging, especially when added to tab reading, finger placement, string selection.... Ha, guess I got a learning curve.
I find it a challenge as well as I am "foot tapper". Same as singing and playing at the same time....I think it comes more easily to some.
 

Clem

Blues Newbie
I come from a percussion background,many decades ago. so my rhythm is close, even when I don't count, but I want to get it right.
 

Mike A

BLUES NOODLER
I just started back up at about a year off from guitar. I found myself going back to the beginning . I feel like I forgot everything that I've learned . counting has been tough , it's like I have all these pieces but I can't seem to put it together and counting messes me up worse.Then I get burned out on watching videos I wanna play something
 

Bill_B

Blues Newbie
I guess this thread is infectious. I also started working more on counting, only I got here from a different route. I was watching Griff's video on building speed where he says that the problem isn't in the fingers, but in the counting. After two days I believe he is right. I can play quarter notes at 120, but when I try eight notes (counting aloud 'one and two etc') at 60 I always get off the beat. Is this common? I just don't want to be stuck here forever. The funny this is that when I play the lessons with the rhythm track I seem to be able to stay on time.
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I guess this thread is infectious. I also started working more on counting, only I got here from a different route. I was watching Griff's video on building speed where he says that the problem isn't in the fingers, but in the counting. After two days I believe he is right. I can play quarter notes at 120, but when I try eight notes (counting aloud 'one and two etc') at 60 I always get off the beat. Is this common? I just don't want to be stuck here forever. The funny this is that when I play the lessons with the rhythm track I seem to be able to stay on time.

It IS common and you won't be stuck there for long if you keep at it.
Now, If I could only practice what I preach.
 

MarkDyson

Blues Hound Wannabe
Joining the club. I got to where I was counting the first four licks fairly smoothly, but Sitting Easy Blues is a real challenge for me. Hardest is when, for example, the lick in bar two slides into the first beat of bar three so there's no distinct pause between bars. Going from four-and-uh-ONE-and-uh without a pause is messing me up mentally for some reason.

Clearly the solution is Moar Praktuss. I'll be Sitting Easy on this one for a while. :Beer:
 
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