Help! How do I count this song?

[=^-..-^=]

Chris Tomlin - All to Us

The sheet music says 4/4, but I think it's a 3/4 + a 1, like 1 2 3, 1, 1 2 3:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riWye9M0L4E"]YouTube - Chris Tomlin - All To Us - Lyrics[/ame]

Any help would be appreciated b4 tomorrow, when I have to play it

[atomcorr2]

sounds like 4/4 to me . but i could be wrong .

[=^-..-^=]

Okay, I just tried counting 4/4 to it, and the vocal phrases begin on the 4 beat, and the down beat comes on the 3rd word of the vocal phrase, so I should deemphasize the second back beat, something like ONE & TWO & three & (four) & ONE. . .

Tricky!

[Zeta]

you're right its not 4/4, its 8/8

[Drumbledore]

Chris Tomlin - All to Us

The sheet music says 4/4, but I think it's a 3/4 + a 1, like 1 2 3, 1, 1 2 3:

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - All To Us - Lyrics

Any help would be appreciated b4 tomorrow, when I have to play it

Yeah, you're sorta on the right track. Where you're finding the "3", that's not so much your downbeat, as more of an upbeat. In other words, this kind of feel is what's called "halftime", where there's a downbeat (kick) on beat one, and the snare on or around beat three. You can still have hi-hats going on 1+2+3+4+, or even a simpler 1 2 3 4 (1/4 notes), but you need to at first try a real simple kick on 1, snare on 3, which feels really different to placing the snare on 2 & 4.

Now, once you've got the handle of this, try putting another kick to flavour up the groove a bit....but don't do this every bar, just every second bar, or even think of every 4th bar. What you do is this:

Assuming you now can play 8th's on hi-hat, with snare only on beat 3:

try as a 2 bar pattern for your kick:
1(+)(2+)(3+)(4)+1(+)(2+)(3+)(4+)
Add the snare on 3 to this and you should get this feel:
1(+)(2+)3(+)(4)+1(+)(2+)3(+)(4+)

or for a 4 bar pattern:
1(+)(2+)3(+)(4+)1(+)(2+)3(+)(4+)1(+)(2+)3(+)(4)+1(+)(2+)3(+)4+)

Now, bear in mind that this is for when the tune has kind of built up a bit.....when you gradually have to bring the drums in, whether you have 1/8's or 1/4's on the hi-hat, ride or whatever you're keeping time on, don't as yet bring the snare, or the full snare sound on beat 3. You need to play somewhat what I pointed out, kick going on beat 1, with a few choice '+1' s here and there (listen to the music to help you determine this). Then, maybe try a cross-stick/rim-click on the snare on beat 3, instead of the full snare sound....this will somewhat gently introduce the idea of a backbeat without stepping to much on the vocals and music. Probably in the part where it says "in the Glory of The Name" (?)...around the 1:30 mark....that's where you can punch up the dynamic a bit by hitting the snare. Above all, as you probably already know, you need to do your job and support the song. If you can do that, then people will want you on the drums....a lot!....lol.

Hope this helps, as this is sometimes a little tricky for new church drummers who haven't been exposed much to this feel....best of luck!

[Northern Redneck]

Its 4/4,stop over thinking the song, just relax and get into the groove, you will "feel" the accents.

[Larrysperf]

Its 4/4,stop over thinking the song, just relax and get into the groove, you will "feel" the accents.

Ditto Nuff Said

[VIbes]

Definately 4/4 it's like a slow 4/4 Count: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and it's easy. the first word is a pick up to the 1 downbeat. Like: Precious Cornerstone,, Corner is on 1,,,, Stone is on 2,,,,, like daa daa deeeee daa the Deeeee is on the one. It's called a pick up line.

[Constinator25]

We played this at my youth group a few weeks ago and our vocalist kept screwing up and using the "its an odd time" excuse. Everyone kept telling her it was 4/4 but she didnt believe us so I sat there while she sang and counted it and she still didnt believe me.

[pastor_bob]

Definately 4/4 it's like a slow 4/4 Count: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and it's easy. the first word is a pick up to the 1 downbeat. Like: Precious Cornerstone,, Corner is on 1,,,, Stone is on 2,,,,, like daa daa deeeee daa the Deeeee is on the one. It's called a pick up line.

Yep, he comes in on the 4th beat of the previous measure.

[Drumbledore]

We played this at my youth group a few weeks ago and our vocalist kept screwing up and using the "its an odd time" excuse. Everyone kept telling her it was 4/4 but she didnt believe us so I sat there while she sang and counted it and she still didnt believe me.

Yeah it's like that. Had a problem with a guitarist like that....thought that I was playing in 2/4!

[jazzkat]

its 4/4,stop over thinking the song, just relax and get into the groove, you will "feel" the accents.

+1

[AndyC]

Yep, it's 4/4 and the vocal comes in on the 4.

Andy

[drmn4life]

is this a serious question? lol, clearly 4/4

[=^-..-^=]

Okay, when I couldn't feel the song at first, I was thinking 'odd time.' I really just needed to sit and listen and COUNT with the song a couple more times, and feel the 4/4 with the vocal phrase coming in at a strange point on the 4 . After 30 years of playing, I was surprised some dumb little church song was throwing me off. I feel sorta sheepish now. I guess church will do that to you!