Feeling like I'm starting all over.

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Oh, man I'm feeling like a brand new player.
Confession:
I've never counted (except when having a hard time with a particular passage in a solo. once I've figured out where it starts and which notes are on the down beat, I've stopped counting)

Working through the BGU Labs Challenge, I pieced together my solo, but decided to try counting it out loud while playing it.
This counting crap is HARD.
I'm sure I could memorize it, play it and it would sound fine without counting, but maybe not exactly as written (timing wise) so, if I don't keep at it I'll never get counting down.
 

Bob630

Blues Newbe
You are not alone with counting stuff, it is tuff with solos . With the songs in BBG once I hear it a few times and then play it very slow with counting, playing up to speed becomes easy, With strumming it is an absolute necessity.
 

Danno

Blues Newbie
I know the feeling and I have to admit I haven't counted my entire solo either. What I did was learn each lick (with counting), work out the starting and ending points in the 12 bar form and then practice them in context. Then I'm just basically counting at specific points between the licks. And honestly, this is one of the major pluses for me in this challenge. The licks tend to start differently than I would do them so I'm fighting my own instincts on when to start. And some of the rhythms are different than I'd expect but of course they sound wrong in the rhythm I'd normally use.
 

PCM

Spring, Texas
Counting is extremely difficult even with a decent knowledge of theory.
It isn't so much the counting activity itself...it is the multi-tasking that makes it so difficult...lots of digital "brain slices" (another thread)...singing and playing simultaneously is very similar...it is why certain players stop playing when time to sing (BB King comes to mind).
 

Jay Dee

Blues addicted
I am so happy to know I am not alone with this. I wondered if there was something wrong with my brain!
 

PCM

Spring, Texas
I am so happy to know I am not alone with this. I wondered if there was something wrong with my brain!
Counting is designed to help you internalize the tempo/count, especially at faster BPM'S...it is exceptionally difficult if you didn't start on day one...if you can eventually master it, especially after many years of not counting, it is very, very helpful across a broad spectrum of tempo's and styles.
 

CaptOblivious

Blues Junior
"if you can eventually master it, especially after many years of not counting" and that is one big IF for me . . . . generally lose it after the 3rd or 4th measure seems like one to many things for my brain to process with everything else going on.

Have no problem counting while listening to a song while driving so must be the guitar's fault . . . :D
 

PapaBear

Guit Fiddlier
Counting is extremely difficult even with a decent knowledge of theory.
It isn't so much the counting activity itself...it is the multi-tasking that makes it so difficult...lots of digital "brain slices" (another thread)...singing and playing simultaneously is very similar...it is why certain players stop playing when time to sing (BB King comes to mind).
Yes and BB managed to make it an art form
 

Bob630

Blues Newbe
"if you can eventually master it, especially after many years of not counting" and that is one big IF for me . . . . generally lose it after the 3rd or 4th measure seems like one to many things for my brain to process with everything else going on.

Have no problem counting while listening to a song while driving so must be the guitar's fault . . . :D

Actually it’s the strings fault. It’s a lot cheaper to replace the strings than replace the guitar. LOL
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
Counting is designed to help you internalize the tempo/count, especially at faster BPM'S...it is exceptionally difficult if you didn't start on day one...if you can eventually master it, especially after many years of not counting, it is very, very helpful across a broad spectrum of tempo's and styles.

That's the thing, I can internalize it just fine,but I take Griff at his word. "If you can't count it, you don't know it"
 
"if you can eventually master it, especially after many years of not counting" and that is one big IF for me . . . . generally lose it after the 3rd or 4th measure seems like one to many things for my brain to process with everything else going on.

Have no problem counting while listening to a song while driving so must be the guitar's fault . . . :D

:) :thumbup:
 

ReverendBill

Got Root?
Ya, know...I always thought I knew how to count. Then I took a combinatorics course in the computer science department. Turns out I was wrong and I learned to count all over again. Now, here I am again, right back where I started. Hmmm. Seems harder this time. Must be age.
 

Rad

Blues Newbie
I must sadly admit that I only count in order to work out a difficult lick or section.

I guess I should put more effort into counting.

Maybe this guy can help me


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mountain man

Still got the Blues!
Counting, it is indeed my weak point. I've been working one it. I'll continue to work on it. One of my acoustic pieces that I submitted for the fix-it's, Griff pointed out a counting problem where I put in an extra beat. I've never been able to identify it even though I know exactly where it is. So I've put that piece down and will come back to it eventually. I'm just now getting back to practicing after more than a month away from guitar. My new puppy required constant attention if I didn't want my house to smell like the dog run...... But what I'm finding is that some of the things that I couldn't get before on my current course I am getting easier now........ So I hoping the same will be true with counting the more I work on it.
 

Rad

Blues Newbie
Ok, ok, it just could be this Griff guy is on the right track:D

I was working out a new section to a song today and instead of just listening and playing the song over and over and working out the timing I just counted out the timing first. I then just played it......well I’ll be darned, quick and simple :thumbup:
 

snarf

making guitars wish they were still trees
That's the thing, I can internalize it just fine,but I take Griff at his word. "If you can't count it, you don't know it"
This is the part that frustrates me so often. I can count it when I'm not playing just fine, and I can count on and off while I"m playing, so, in my head I feel like I can count it and know it. But the stuff that I have actually struggled through enough that I can count without missing a beat I've got cold. I just wish I could do that all the time.

The other thing that he says "if you can play and talk to your significant other about what you're having for dinner, you know it." Mrs Snarf is a piano player than can talk while she plays. My sister is an incredible piano player (my unbiased opinion), and she can talk to you while she plays. I can't seem to play and talk at the same time to save my life...no matter how well I know something.
 

Randy S

Blues Junior
A
This is the part that frustrates me so often. I can count it when I'm not playing just fine, and I can count on and off while I"m playing, so, in my head I feel like I can count it and know it. But the stuff that I have actually struggled through enough that I can count without missing a beat I've got cold. I just wish I could do that all the time.

The other thing that he says "if you can play and talk to your significant other about what you're having for dinner, you know it." Mrs Snarf is a piano player than can talk while she plays. My sister is an incredible piano player (my unbiased opinion), and she can talk to you while she plays. I can't seem to play and talk at the same time to save my life...no matter how well I know something.
Amen- I am in the same boat. Any distraction whatsoever and I am lost.

Playing and singing is the same issue for me. When I try to do it the rhythm of the guitar notes start to match the rhythm of the vocals. Can't seem to keep them separate.
 

PCM

Spring, Texas
A

Amen- I am in the same boat. Any distraction whatsoever and I am lost.

Playing and singing is the same issue for me. When I try to do it the rhythm of the guitar notes start to match the rhythm of the vocals. Can't seem to keep them separate.
A lot of us are like that...me included. The multi-tasking is quite difficult.

It feels like a 4 or 5 ball juggle....2 in your hands, changing left to right, and 2 or 3 in the air...everything happening at the same time.
 
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