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How finicky are you on the drummer's count in?


leschirons

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I'm depping with a band soon and got sent the set list. It includes "All my loving"

 

I asked for one short rehearsal as I'd played 80% of the list before.

"Okay with All my loving?  Yup, away you go then (looking at the drummer)

Him   1 and  2 and  3 and 4 (on sticks) So the singer starts on beat 1 of the next bar.

Now,  maybe it's me being picky but this just feels weird as the vocal should come in on 4 and the band in on the following beat 1 to be in keeping with the feel of the song. I mentioned this and apparently, it's how they've always done it. 

Ah well, the trials of being someone's bass b i t c h for the night I guess.😂

Edited by leschirons
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I’d agree with you. It’s like Autumn leaves, there’s a three beat anacrusis. Most drummers would count in 1, 2, 3, 4, 1 and then the lead would start. I did occasionally play with a band where the clarinetist would start on 1.

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I used to play in a band where the guitarist insisted on counting in all songs with his foot, a'la Herman Munster stomping on a broken floorboard.

It was because he liked to kick them all off with a little widdle, or rhythmn, and then have us all join in.

Problem was his thumping, as well as being really embarrassingly loud, never matched the pace of his playing, so you just had to hope you could get the beat from his avant guarde widdly slide before it took off.

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I played very briefly with a Free tribute band, they had an awful drummer who’s count-ins were never in the tempo of the song. He also had no grasp of even rudimentary rhythm, his idea of a fill wasn’t 8th notes across the kit, just 8 notes.

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I don't think you're being picky - it feels weird because it is weird. If they don't have a sense of where the downbeat is (especially the drummer!), I'd be wondering what other surprising... interpretations might be in store 😆

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Guest oZZma

I have a song where I have to start on the upbeat before the 1, otherwise it feels just wrong. Luckily my drummer has no problems in understanding the count off.

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I've never yet met a singist who can count...

... my previous drummer - who is ace BTW - used to sticks count 1 2 3... and then launch into a Peter Kay or Bo Selecta joke or impression >:(

I loves 'im dearly, but I could've strangled 'im sometimes! :D

And we occasionally got to start a song! :)

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16 minutes ago, Teebs said:

I've never yet met a singist who can count...

Have I ever met a singist? Can't recall :)

Seriously there's only one right in this thing, and if/when he's wrong call him out. Always was popular, me.

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Years ago I worked with a singer who used to get so frustrated with the less than accurate drummer that he used to beat the floor with his foot all the way through some numbers.

And this was back in the days of massive platform shoes, and he was a BIG bloke.

Surprised he never put his foot through the floor on some of the old wooden stages we played on.

His beating was usually way louder than the kick drum, so it was easier (and safer) to follow him rather than the drummer...

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4 hours ago, wateroftyne said:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 - (3)close - (4)your - (1)eyes -etc...

Innit.

Yup, that's it.

I did think of telling him to count in like that to make it easier but the prospect of then explaining to the other two what was happening was not attractive.  No-one likes to be pulled up, especially by the hired hand. They're  French innit. They can turn funny 😆

Edited by leschirons
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4 hours ago, lowdown said:

^^^

As  WOT said above. Vocal starts on beat three, not beat four.

When the drummer counts it as one and two and three and etc, like this one did, it would start on 4. His "and" being of  a lower volume with sticks.

You really don't know what I'm up against here. 😆

I'll try and let it all wash over me. It's  good pay, they have loads of work somehow and I'd like to be asked back. It's  quite a fun set for me. Just need to ignore their "country ways"

Edited by leschirons
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8 hours ago, leschirons said:

 

You really don't know what I'm up against here. 😆

 

I think I might have a good idea, leschirons... 

I once heard a band leader ask a (flakey) dep drummer to play 16th's on the Hi-Hats, instead of 8th's. The drummer got a bit irritable and replied, “ I'm playing as fast as I can". 

:D

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