If you’ve heard me say it once, you’ve probably heard me say it 1000 times – you don’t want to start your licks on beat 1 of a bar.
Why? It goes back to the old call-and-response thing… let the band establish the chord on the “call,” and you play as the “response.”
Me saying it is one thing… you hearing it is a “whole ‘nuther” thing (as we say in the midwest, where I’m from.) So I took a generic blues lick, one you’ve likely heard and played, and I’ll show you how it sounds starting on beat 1, and then starting off of beat 1.
I’m hoping that the improvement will be obvious – if it isn’t, I may need to rethink my line of work 😉
22 replies to "On Beat 1 Vs. Off Beat 1"
The awkward feel is exacerbated by finishing on the off beat. What if it finished on the on beat – there is some improvement
Griff,
Does this apply to every bar of the progression when changing chords? That makes sense, but what about if I want to play an extended run over bars I-IV on the I chord or if doing a full 12 bar solo (or two)? Would this matter for each measure, just the chords changes or only the I chord at the beginning if a full 12 bar solo?
Hopefully my question makes sense. Thanks Gary!
How about a combo of drum and bass instead of just a rhythm guitar . I believe most would really hear the difference . The drummer is the lead the bass follows that is call then guitar .
Like singing a song. You don’t start on the first strum of the cord.
I had a hard time hearing the differance.
In the explanations of why the lick does not work, they say because if you started on beat one, the other notes don’t fall in the correct places. If that is true, then slightly change the lick so the note DO fall in the right place. I have learned licks that were intended to start on beat three but I liked them some much I changed them slightly to start anywhere I wanted, like holding a note a little longer so I end up in the same place. Ive started licks where my ear can tell me the intended lick is ending way too early before the chord change, so I hold on the last note, maybe, and give it vibrato. No one would know I never intended to do that. BUT I like the sound of NOT starting on beat one. The strum and/or drum beat is like an exclamation point to get started. The best reason to do it is because THAT IS THE SIGNATURE of the blues, along with the blues note. Sure there are exception. Like when you play a lick that is so long it continues through the next chord change. The easiest way for me when I was learning was to count like I did when I was a kid starting a race with my friends. Someone would say ON YOUR MARK, GET, SET, GO. In the race, you start on GO (beat one), with the blues, be the last horse out of the gate.
Anthony my friend..nail on the head. If you’re playing a solo and it’s a well known song you might play it more or less the same if say it’s a version that’s very well known. But then again you might not.
You say you let your ear tell you when…and that’s the thing.
If you listen to a songs rhythm it will tell you what it wants and when.
Some licks might start on beat 3, or somewhere else.
And as Griff says there are times when it works on beat one.
Sometimes it feels right to me to start on beat one somewhere in the solo, but then I’ll go back off the beat again.
And as you rightly say where do you end the lick or that part of the solo?
Just as important as where to start.
Do vocalists always start on beat one?
Your solo takes over from the vocals, Listening to the vocalist is also a good idea, try to match them, at least to some degree.
I often base a solo or fills on the rhythm of the vocalist as well because the vocals have to fit in with the rest of the band. So does your solo.
So yes, let your ears do the work for you.
Does this apply to rhythm guitar as well?
No, this only applies to melody lines, whether guitar, vocal, sax etc. When playing rhythm you are usually playing a pattern, which could be a beat on the and of one and a beat on three, or whatever and ideally what you are doing is working with the bass and drums. You can alter it to put in a extra strum or leave one out if that’s tastier but you are trying to fit into a groove and be a foundation for the lead instruments or the vocalist. So you need to keep a steady beat even though it’s not wrong to add a strum if it’s in time. I’m sure Griff would be able to explain it 100% better. His course on Rhythm guitar is really good if you’re interested.
Off the beat sounds better because in the first measure, the quarter note is solidly on beat three, the following triplet occupies beat four, etc. In the on-beat version there are all sorts of ties across beats that just don’t feel natural.
One thing to keep in mind when counting is be sure to count all the rests. So if you were learning this from tab or notation, and didn’t count the first eighth note rest, you would be off on the wrong foot from the get-go.
Hi
With your sample ,r there other places in the bar where you could start and it would still sound good , or is it just a half beat either side of beat 1.
Is there a rule
Thx Joe
Hi!
It´s so nice to find this place outside Youtube to get in contact.
I´ve been a subscriber for a while so I want to tell you a couple of things.
The first one is that I love your lessons.
The second, take it please as coming from a friend, I think you deserve more subscribers.
The explanation, your performance etc is great!.
Have you ever think about giving some more light in your videos, they look a bit darky.
It´s just an opinion and I´ll keep on watching though.
GUSTAVO
Ya gotta respect the COUNT to “feel” the difference.
When starting on beat 1, everything else comes in early, as well. (On the video at about 3:26 you can actually watch the whole lick jump up a half-step.)
Comparing them in Standard Notation on the pdf, they are written entirely differently. For example, check out the bend on the 10th fret.
Starting on beat 1, it happens at the end of a triplet on beat 4 and carries over to the next measure. In the second example it starts more “naturally” on beat 1 of the second measure.
Oops! A half beat, not step!!!
great explanation…sometimes I do “add” an intro note on beat one but I’ve gotten used to coming in later…again, like the explanation…later.
cowboy
Griff, I have thought about this for quite awhile and your video totally cleared it up for me! A picture is worth a thousand words! Definitely could hear the difference and will start practicing it today! I am also a home player, but can see the value of not starting on beat one! Your clarifying that it is like call and response also helped me understand why to do it this way!
Awesome Griff!
Thanks
Dave
It definitely sounded bluesier in the second example but if you wouldn’t have explained what you did differently I wouldn’t have had a clue why. But I’m only still working on the first DVD of BGU so my ear definitely isn’t developed nor is is my playing yet.
Have to say, I don’t hear the difference. I listened to this a dozen times and it only sounds a tad awkward where it ends, not where it began.
I know I am probably in the minority here. I also find it awkward NOT starting on beat one most of the time. It makes me feel like I just missed the bus and now I am running to catch up to it.
I would imagine this comes from years of playing only by and for myself. I know that it would take lots of practice and training to get used to starting other than beat one but as far as this video goes, it did not convince me that it’s better to start on anything but beat one. It fact, it probably did the opposite.
If you only play by yourself, that is exactly what I would expect. Playing solo (by yourself) you are responsible for both call and response, so you need something on beat 1… but try a low string chord root instead. That will sound more musical I believe.
Thanks for the personal response Griff. Much appreciated. What do you mean by “try a low string chord root instead”?
Hi Chubby. I think Griff means that you should try playing the Root of the Chord on a low-sounding string. In this example, play the C note at the 8th fret of the 6th string on the ONE, then play the full-step bend that starts the lick on the AND… so you are effectively playing the bass note of the chord (as the bass player in the band would do) on the ONE, and then starting your lick a half-beat later.
Cheers from Australia, ChrisG
Ah, gotcha. That makes sense. Thanks Chris!
The idea above is a good example of the whole mess, because almost everybody starts our playing alone and has nothing to go by as a example . Even playing to a backing can help, but may not. But playing with another player that starts the song Usually brings it out. He starts and you follow. you are the trying to play the lead but you never lead off. Well almost never, there are no never s in music. It will be a drum stroke or Bass note. or a the vocal starts. When playing alone a good thing to make this work for you. Is to play one stroke of the I chord to start and then go into you lick. Or a stroke on the root note. Then leave a space that says I’m coming in now. A Beat or half a beat, even a quarter. You’ll find it helps you begin you songs too when playing alone.