• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Counting off every single song

G

glocke1

Supporting Member
Apr 30, 2002
3,473
5,021
PA
#1
Trying to get the people I am currently playing with to break this habit...Every single song they play they start off with a very obvious count-off...they even do this at gigs which to me looks very amateurish.

So far I've suggested a couple of things ranging from segueing into songs (its a jamband, so there is alot of room to play around), to just having the drummer click his sticks instead of someone audibly going "1-2-3-4" for every song..

Even songs that have the bass as an opening line they insist on me counting off before I start the tune with the bass line... :spit:

Granted, it has been a couple of years since I have played in an organized project, but I don't every remember anyone counting as much as these guys do...(and yes this is the same band I posted about getting kicked out of last week, they asked me back to play a couple of gigs with them)>
 
#3
Yeah, that's pretty weak. At least use drumstick clicks or hi-hat hits to count off SOME of the songs. Or instead of counting 4 have the drummer click the first 2 and then do a 2-count fill, which is much more musical. Mix it up a little bit.

Another peeve of mine is bands where everyone is so rhythmically weak that the drummer has to keep time through the whole song. Like intro's where it really should be just the keyboard or just the acoustic guitar but they can't get / maintain the tempo so the drummer has to help them on the hi-hat. I've played in a LOT of bands like that and it gets really annoying when no one other than drummer is apparantly willing (or able) to keep time on their own. That also to me is in that "very amateur" category.
 
#4
Have fun with it. Count it off like Peter Gabriel did on Games without frontiers, do it like Frank Sinatra would, do it like Joey Ramone did.

Most importantly, make sure its wayyy off what the timing of the actual song would be. They will likely lock into your bass groove and not the count, so the count will eventually not matter lol.
 
#6
Seanto said:
Just make the counting a little more discreet. A couple of snaps of the finger is all it should take. Don't count the 2's and 4's to make it even more discreet. Snap(1)...Snap(3)...GO!!!
Click to expand...

Thats not a bad idea...

There is one song we do in 10/8...and yes the drummer starts the counting from "1"..
 
#10
Devo's drummers hit 4 hits on the snare. I love it. I also like the audible 1-2-3-4. Nothing wrong with that. My band does it and we do pretty serious gigs at times.
 
#17
There are some musicians that just feel comfortable starting off a song a certain way. Is it uncool, I don't know. It's cooler than starting the song off sync. A well rehearsed band of good musicians can pull off things that would be harder for others. I always prefer to lean towards what ever produces the most reliable results.
 
#18
We dont start all songs with a count-off, only those where the entire band starts at the same time. But when we do, we vary. Singer taps a harmonica on a mic stand, i play ghost notes,...
It could look amateuristic, especially with lóng count-downs. But if the rest of the show is top-notch it shouldnt matter I think.
 
#19
Spiffmeister said:
We dont start all songs with a count-off, only those where the entire band starts at the same time.
Click to expand...
I never understood the logic behind counting off a song that only one person starts until I got a guitarist with really bad timing who started off a lot of songs. I would count him in because he couldn't start at the right tempo or keep a solid tempo otherwise.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back