Counting

[AndyC]

Saw another thread about counting and there is something that no-one mentioned. It's SO important I thought I would start another thread to explain it. the other thread was about 3/4, I'll explain it in 4/4 but it applies in just about all time signatures.

Counting in 4/4.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 4 + etc.

Why? well, when you are reading music, in 99% of situations, 99% of the time, you are counting repeat bars. Often regular numbers, but not always. The bar counts are usually put above the stave, (and if they're not, I pencil them in,) so you know that it is say a 4 bar intro, followed by 15 bars of verse, followed by a one bar fill, followed by a chorus etc. This gets particularly important playing odd numbers of bars, where there is say a nine bar section, then you have to know exactly how many bars you have played. I once saw a drummer, I kid you not, following a chart with this finger to make sure he didn't get lost!

With practice, the above counting method becomes an unconscious habit, and you will NEVER get lost in a section of a chart again.

cheers

Andy

[gonefishin]

Saw another thread about counting and there is something that no-one mentioned. It's SO important I thought I would start another thread to explain it. the other thread was about 3/4, I'll explain it in 4/4 but it applies in just about all time signatures.

Counting in 4/4.

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 4 + etc.

Why? well, when you are reading music, in 99% of situations, 99% of the time, you are counting repeat bars. Often regular numbers, but not always. The bar counts are usually put above the stave, (and if they're not, I pencil them in,) so you know that it is say a 4 bar intro, followed by 15 bars of verse, followed by a one bar fill, followed by a chorus etc. This gets particularly important playing odd numbers of bars, where there is say a nine bar section, then you have to know exactly how many bars you have played. I once saw a drummer, I kid you not, following a chart with this finger to make sure he didn't get lost!

With practice, the above counting method becomes an unconscious habit, and you will NEVER get lost in a section of a chart again.

cheers

Andy

So true , after a while you just do it in your head.

Welcome to the forum to .

[pastor_bob]

An excellent point AndyC! Thanks for the input, and welcome to Drum Chat!

[Drumslave]

Welcome to the DC! Yeah, I do count when I am starting to learn a song until it is near perfect. Eventually, I'll end up playing just by feel and start experimenting with the intro and fills.

[The Chazbo]

Welcome to DC! I'm new myself, but have been playing dums a few years. When I started out I used to count in my head, but now, even when I'm learning a new song, I don't count. At least not conciously anyway. Not even when I recently learned Endless Sacrifice by Dream Theater....and this is Mike Portnoy and his change of time sigs.

I feel so proud

[gonefishin]

Welcome to DC! I'm new myself, but have been playing dums a few years. When I started out I used to count in my head, but now, even when I'm learning a new song, I don't count. At least not conciously anyway. Not even when I recently learned Endless Sacrifice by Dream Theater....and this is Mike Portnoy and his change of time sigs.

I feel so proud

Another Brit from across the big pond..good to see ya , welcome to the board .

[Hedon-]

looks like a good method to me but pretty hard to get used to

[fiacovaz]

Absolutely correct! You need to count the measures. Very important especially when playing in 4 bar phrases, 8 bars or in 12 bar blues . Going along with this is developing the ear to listen for the chord progressions which will also corelate to the number of measures. In other words..."Feeling" the music. Like I've said many times, there's a whole lot more to playing the drums than just banging on them.

[AndyC]

Welcome to DC! I'm new myself, but have been playing dums a few years. When I started out I used to count in my head, but now, even when I'm learning a new song, I don't count. At least not conciously anyway. Not even when I recently learned Endless Sacrifice by Dream Theater....and this is Mike Portnoy and his change of time sigs.

I feel so proud

If you're never going to read, I guess it's not really necessary to count, but I always say, of every 1000 pounds I earned in my career, I earned 999 of them because I could read.

Andy

[Larrysperf]

I count even when I practice . I think it is just habit for melol

[bassist learning drums]

I count out loud. Welcome to Drum Chat!

[Larrysperf]

I count out loud. Welcome to Drum Chat!

I can hear you from here lolAlso bassist you have some of the coolist tops

[Andreeew]

Welcome to drumchat AndyC.

[AndyC]

Hey. thanks for all the welcomes guys. This seems a cool friendly place. I'll probably be spending quite a bit of time here now I'm back into drumming.

Cheers

Andy

[pastor_bob]

Cool AndyC, it's great to have you here!

[fiacovaz]

Not to start any "Fires" but one thing I used to tell all of my students...

"If you can COUNT it, you can play it. If you can't and still played it, it was a lucky guess. Don't just be Lucky."

[pastor_bob]

Frank, I do agree that being an intuitive play is a great thing, but you will go further if you learn to count, and read. Learning to count will ingrain the basics of music theory. I remember when I was playing the clarinet, back in 6th grade, the music teacher had us clap out, and count the beat before we played it. It still works to this day.

[Andreeew]

Not to start any "Fires" but one thing I used to tell all of my students...

"If you can COUNT it, you can play it. If you can't and still played it, it was a lucky guess. Don't just be Lucky."

nice quote frank