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Hendrix - All Along The Watchtower, Count in


goingdownslow
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How is the intro counted in on this.
I am thinking 1 2 3 4 5 6 [u]7[/u] [u]8[/u] and come in on the 7. I say this because in the 4th bar there appears to be a 9th beat (which is causing some confusion with the guitar player and drummer when I play it).
Or, am I hearing it all wrong.
What is your take on it.

[media]http://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY[/media]

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I have no idea :)
Done this with a few bands and always struggle to get everyone on the same page. Ended up just playing it straight and was never really happy with it.
It's a hard one to try copy if you want the laidback beat and odd timings.. well it is for me.
Great tune tho.

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It's all in the off beat. :)

The intro pick up bar starts on the 'and' of three.
You are more than likely hearing the first chord/notes as a down beat (or your guitarist is), in fact it is on the up beat.
The two links below explain the whole thing.

The Snare starts playing four in the bar when the (intro} Guitar solo starts, that don't help things. I suppose Mitch Mitchell thought he was stamping some Motown or Jazz on it. :D
That Tambourine banging out 16's along with a Vibraslap, sure makes it all sound 'Four Bars From Mars'.... :lol:

Acoustic Gtr chords.
[url="http://www.guitarplayer.com/rock/1136/youre-playing-it-wrong-all-along-the-watchtower-intro--tab/25732"]http://www.guitarpla...ntro--tab/25732[/url]

The drum intro, also where the Bass gtr should be playing.
[url="http://www.drummagazine.com/lessons/post/analysis-of-the-trickiest-drum-intros-on-record/"]http://www.drummagaz...tros-on-record/[/url]

Edited by lowdown
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For the count-in, it's 'One, Two Three Four and...', all come in on the 'Four and...'. The 'problem' is in the drums, of course, as there's a switch of emphasis early on. During the opening guitar solo riff, the drums are playing the snare on the fore-beat, except for the very first 'One...', which is bass drum. Once the vocals come in, they revert to the 'normal' back-beat. There are no hidden bars, nor 'slippage', it's only the drums that need to worry about the timing, as the bass, guitars and vocals are all keeping the same emphasis throughout, starting on the 'Four and...'. Here's a drum score, if it helps (Download and save as 'All_Alon_The_Watc_Hend_Drum.pdf'...) ...

[attachment=229057:All_Alon_The_Watc_Hend_Drum.pdf]

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1475329050' post='3145092']
There are no hidden bars, nor 'slippage', it's only the drums that need to worry about the timing, as the bass, guitars and vocals are all keeping the same emphasis throughout, starting on the 'Four and...'. I've a drum score, if it would help..?
[/quote]

Aaaah, good...this is what I deduced.

Not that that helps the drummer tho !

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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1475329050' post='3145092']
For the count-in, it's 'One, Two Three Four and...', all come in on the 'Four and...'. The 'problem' is in the drums, of course, as there's a switch of emphasis early on. During the opening guitar solo riff, the drums are playing the snare on the fore-beat, except for the very first 'One...', which is bass drum. Once the vocals come in, they revert to the 'normal' back-beat. There are no hidden bars, nor 'slippage', it's only the drums that need to worry about the timing, as the bass, guitars and vocals are all keeping the same emphasis throughout, starting on the 'Four and...'. Here's a drum score, if it helps (Download and save as 'All_Alon_The_Watc_Hend_Drum.pdf'...) ...

[attachment=229057:All_Alon_The_Watc_Hend_Drum.pdf]
[/quote]

Just had a listen - On that intro bar, the pick up with Bass, Guitar and Drums starts on the 'and' or 'up' of three. So a count of 1.2.3 should work.
If everyone was to come in on four, they will be a 8th/half a beat out.
Even without listening to the above track, the Drum chart you posted is pretty much the same as the one I posted - Starts on the 'and of three', unless we taking at cross purposes?
If so, ignore my drivel. :)

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[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1475333875' post='3145141']
Just had a listen - On that intro bar, the pick up with Bass, Guitar and Drums starts on the 'and' or 'up' of three. So a count of 1.2.3 should work.
If everyone was to come in on four, they will be a 8th/half a beat out.
Even without listening to the above track, the Drum chart you posted is pretty much the same as the one I posted - Starts on the 'and of three', unless we taking at cross purposes?
If so, ignore my drivel. :)
[/quote]

Same as my chart then, with the anacrusis of three 8th notes.

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[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1475329248' post='3145094']
Aaaah, good...this is what I deduced.

Not that that helps the drummer tho !
[/quote]

The only thing the drummer has to ensure is that there's a hefty 'One...' from the bass drum (there's a stylistic exception in Bar 4, but that could be ignored...) right from the start. The snare fore-beat is good for accuracy, but could, equally, be skipped if it causes problems. It's the bass drum that needs to be on the beat, however.

Edited by Dad3353
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[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1475335022' post='3145149']
The only thing the drummer has to ensure is that there's a hefty 'One...' from the bass drum (there's a stylistic exception in Bar 4, but that could be ignored...) right from the start. The snare fore-beat is good for accuracy, but could, equally, be skipped if it causes problems. It's the bass drum that needs to be on the beat, however.
[/quote]

Way over my head, I'm just the bass player

:)

Edited by ahpook
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Whatever; as long as the bass drum marks the 'One...', all sorts of permutations/interpretations/versions will work. I count in "1-2-3.." and play the snare on '4&', then kick off with the bass drum.
Just so you all know, next time we play together.
That's what I do.
Bass drum on the 'One...'.
I do that from the start, and don't change.
Now you know.

Of course, if no-one is listening to the drums, it's irrelevant, I suppose. :mellow:

Edited by Dad3353
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My guess is this is one of those errors that they decided not to bother going back and doing again. We've never played it like that and I doubt anyone in the audience would ever notice. It's not exactly a crucial part of the song.

I worry really about people doing covers sometimes. Well, I don't, but you can spend too long agonising over them.

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Guest bassman7755

This is how I hear it ...

In the into the bass/rhythm guitar counts thusly:

[font=courier new,courier,monospace]1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 ....[/font]
[font=courier new,courier,monospace]A(m)-----------G--------F--------------G--------A(m)[/font]

As other have pointed out the start is part way through this sequence on the G preceding the Am (i.e. the "and" of 3)

[font=courier new,courier,monospace][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It then changes when the singing starts to:[/font][/font]

[font=courier new,courier,monospace]1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 ....[/font]
[font=courier new,courier,monospace]A(m)--------G-----------F-----------G-----------A(m)[/font]

Edited by bassman7755
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