#126055  by Tennessee Jedi
 
Sometime I feel like playing guitar is like that game Whack-a-Mole.
Every time I identify a problem to target it seems another pops up.
Right now its " counting in " songs as the Jerry Guy
For instance Duprees Diamond Blues got me at last practice. Had to try it a few times. Finally the drummer had to count it out and explain it to me.
I think its intros with pick up notes that get me (+ over thinking )
Anyone have any tips about doing count ins ?
:oops: :oops: :oops:
 #126057  by tcsned
 
It's relatively easy with songs that start on the "1" a bit trickier for those that have pickups. Figuring out what beat the pickup comes in on is the trick. Though as long as whatever it is you get the band to start at the right time it works. For example, Brown Eyed Women has a pickup that starts on the upbeat of "3" so I'll count off, 1-2-1-2-3 . . . then start on &-4-& 1 if that makes sense. It seems a lot of times the Dead would forgo the formalities and someone would start the tune and let the rest catch up. :roll:

The key is to get the tune off at a good tempo for the song. I try to think of how the song feels in the middle of the tune when I count off a song, not a very exact science but using a metronome seems to not a very Dead thing to do. The mandolin player in my bluegrass band tends to use the count to just signify the beginning of the race and has little bearing on the tempo he's gonna start the song at :shock: I wouldn't recommend that approach.
 #126060  by tigerstrat
 
tcsned wrote:...For example, Brown Eyed Women has a pickup that starts on the upbeat of "3" so I'll count off, 1-2-1-2-3 . . . then start on &-4-& 1 if that makes sense.
Which happens to be the same way one would count Dupree's as in TJ's example... a common practice would be to start the count in cut time "a-one, a-two," and then switch to normal, "a-one-two-three!".
 #126061  by Tennessee Jedi
 
tcsned wrote: It seems a lot of times the Dead would forgo the formalities and someone would start the tune and let the rest catch up. :roll:
:-)
tigerstrat wrote:a common practice would be to start the count in cut time "a-one, a-two," and then switch to normal, "a-one-two-three!".
Thats a good tip .... easier than what we did I think
BEW never seems to bother me ; Duprees does ...
I must not be hearing it right or just over thinking ...
Intros are important parts of the tune
:-)

Hey this cool
- We are all Toms
:thewave:
 #126063  by tcsned
 
Tennessee Jedi wrote: Hey this cool
- We are all Toms
:thewave:
Tom Power!
Even though the name is Aramaic for twin, triplets works too :-)