Issues With Counting

D

DBF

Blues Newbie
The counting part of this is really kicking my arse.

I am used to the usual 1&2&3&4& style of counting, which is then further subdivided to 1e&2 or 1e&a2, or whatever is needed. But trying to count 1&a and play on the '1' and the 'a' is kicking my butt.

I get why Griff suggests this, but is it absolutely necessary? Could one get by just as well following the traditional counting method? Or should I just stick to it for as long as it takes to get this down? And if so, how would this counting method then be applied to other styles of music that one might want to play (rock, etc.)?
 
D

DBF

Blues Newbie
Thanks for that.

Since he says that he doesn't care what we call it, I think I will try counting in triplets as he advises but will count 1e&2e&3e&4e&. Maybe I have a mental block going on as well as the physical adjustment and doing that might make the adjustment slightly easier as I am used to playing on the '&'.
 
Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
I can usually count while playing without much difficulty now but every once in a while I learn something that produces that same mental block. The fix always seem to be to slow it down to an absolute crawl and then progress until it clicks.
 
Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Elio said:
I can usually count while playing without much difficulty now but every once in a while I learn something that produces that same mental block. The fix always seem to be to slow it down to an absolute crawl and then progress until it clicks.
Click to expand...
... another approach that also helps a lot is to just count it loud several times while listening but not playing. After that it is much easier to begin playing along with the count.
 
Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Some thoughts that may be helpful regarding triplets.


Looking at one beat : 1 & uh

The 3 eighth notes are now 1/3 of a beat each rather than the "normal" 1/2 of a beat.

(There is no such animal in our system as "a third" note. The 8th note can serve either function.)


For "swing 8ths", rather than thinking of not playing on the &, think of holding the first note through the & and playing a second note on the "uh".

That's what this symbol at the beginning of a piece means:

BBG.jpg



You treat "swing 8th's" like a quarter note followed by an eighth, i.e. the first note is held twice as long as the second.

The first one is still counted like a quarter note, 1 &, but followed by an "uh".

The &, which "usually" occurs at 1/2 a beat, now occurs at 1/3 of a beat and the "uh" is at 2/3 of the beat.

So what you actually play (and count if you don't vocalize the &) will sound like this:

1 uh 2 uh 3 uh 4 uh : (vocalizing the & : 1 & uh 2 & uh 3 & uh 4 & uh)

But your ear will be drawn to the two notes together (ba-dum ba-dum) which will start sounding like this:

uh 1 uh 2 uh 3 uh 4 : (uh 1 & uh 2 & uh 3 & uh 4 &)


What might throw some people off is thinking that the "ba-dum" is 2 notes of the same beat (1 &), when they are actually the last "piece" of a previous beat and the first "piece" of the next, i.e. uh 1.

You'll hear a difference at the very beginning in the count-in, whether Griff starts on 1 or uh:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & = Straight

uh 1 uh 2 uh 3 uh 4 uh = Swing

(Some people will still say "&" rather than "uh" : &1 &2 &3 &4, moving the "&" from halfway through "straight 8ths" to 2/3 of the way through "swing 8ths, replacing "uh".)
 
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dwparker

dwparker

Bluesologist
Listen to some blues shuffles and count along with the song. Tap your foot as well so you "feel" the rythm in the song. When I count to get that shuffle/ swing feel it sounds like ooonnne uh, tooooow uh, threeeee uh, foooouuur uh, or playing triplets without the middle note, though even with the latter you need to make sure you have that swing feeling. Ya gotta learn to feel it. Listen to the music, the beat and rythm is in the songs.
 
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