Do you (can you) count 1, 2, 3, 4 per bar while playing?

[tedmanzie]

Do you count while playing?
I can tap my foot on the 1/4 beats while playing any rhythm, no problem.
I can count 1234 through some patterns but not others.
Do you find it a good skill to have?
Especially when you get to weird rhythms do you find you have to count them?

[spongebob]

Never....as an ex-drummer I just follow where I am without thinking about it. Suppose it just comes naturally to me - I've never even though about until I read this thread! [size=4] [/size]

[xgsjx]

I do mentally, but it's involentary.

[Dingus]

I am much more likely to deliberately count out rests , especially if there is no cue from the drummer . "Substitute" by The Who is a song that immidiately comes to mind where I would do that .

[kevin_lindsay]

I never think about it when I'm playing. I suppose it's down to developing an internal clock over the years, just reacting to the rhythm of the track.

[simon1964]

I don't count in standard timings. I just rely on the feel and/or the drummer! But we do a couple of numbers with odd timings (eg 7/8) and I do find myself consciously counting through those, at elast when we're learning the songs.

[neepheid]

I don't. The only counting I sometimes do is bars/riffs so that outros are the right length and I can give the required nod when it's time to end.

[rOB]

nope, I just count bars/riffs/repetitions for structure purposes.

[discreet]

[quote name='xgsjx' timestamp='1378743102' post='2204061']
I do mentally, but it's involuntary.
[size=4][/quote][/size]
[size=4]This. [/size]Not deliberately, but the metronome in my brain is ticking away, for sure.

Edited September 9, 2013 by discreet

[Dad3353]

[quote name='tedmanzie' timestamp='1378742651' post='2204052']...Especially when you get to weird rhythms do you find you have to count them?[/quote]

Dunno; let's see... 1.. 2.. 3..

...

Just a minute, I'm sure I can do it...

[icastle]

Nope.

Whatever I do it must be deeply ingrained - sat here not playing I can't actually remember how I keep time but I certainly don't count.

I suspect divine intervention.

[bertbass]

1,2,3,4, is no good with our drummer, it's more like 1, 2, 3, 3 3/4.

[stingrayPete1977]

I sometimes mentally visualize a score for a part if I have learnt it from dots before hand and then subdivide that into my inbuilt timer I guess.

[JTUK]

Nope, not unless I need a chart.

My time is very good ( IMO ) and I know when the bars shift with certain drummers.
I don't need to count that.

[Ziphoblat]

Only find a need if there's a big pause (3+ beats). I can do it but I don't find that I need to keep time or anything. I'm not sure it itself is an inherently useful thing to be able to do, but I think if you couldn't do it there would probably be some negative implications of that.

[mr zed]

I sometimes have to count out load so that our guitarists know when to come in. Tossers!

[keeponehandloose]

somebody link that Bootsy video please😉

[Marvin]

Not a chance, not while playing. I either get it, or I don't...it's not like I'm a women and can multi task, like :/

[seashell]

Yes often, especially when learning something. Comes of being an ex-dancer I think.
All together now luvs:
'And a ONE two three four, kick two three four, ball-chang two three four' etc

[Spike Vincent]

I shout 1234 at the start of most tunes,does that count?

[cybertect]

I've only had to to it once in the recent past - when learning the bridge to the Beatles' 'Here Comes the Sun' which has measures of 11/8, 4/4 and 7/8 in sequence. (1, 2, 3 : 1, 2, 3 : 1, 2, 3 : 1, 2 / 1, 2, 3, 4 / 1, 2 : 1, 2, : 1, 2, 3)

Or rather, once I'd already internalised it without thinking too much by playing along, I had to explain it to the guitarist and drummer by counting.

Edited September 9, 2013 by cybertect

[alyctes]

I think I can, but I don't. Mostly I rely on our rhythm guitarist.

[thumbo]

i can count to potato

[tedmanzie]

[quote name='seashell' timestamp='1378766019' post='2204572']
Yes often, especially when learning something. Comes of being an ex-dancer I think.
All together now luvs:
'And a ONE two three four, kick two three four, ball-chang two three four' etc
[/quote]

there are many funny replies in this thread but this has so far produced the loudest chuckle

[Mook]

This is the perfect excuse to post a Yolanda Charles link [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Lszt2HPK8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Lszt2HPK8[/url]