I think that if you count it off the first way, 1-2-3-4-1-2, you may confuse some members of the band, because they won't know how long you're going to keep on counting ("is he gonna give a "3" too?) and some might have already come in on the second "1". So they don't know how many pickup beats to expect, if any, unless you've told them in advance and are really only counting for tempo.

Whereas, if you count 3-4-1-2, I think most players would expect the next two beats (3-4) to be the pickup beats. I think a lot of players "expect" to hear 4 beats worth of a count-off, so if you say 3-4-1-2, they expect the next 3-4 to be the two pickup beats.

Other than that situation being the case, "1-2-3-4-1-2" siginifies a 4/4 bass part, and "1-pause-2-pause-1-2" signifies a 2/4 bass part.

If anything is different than that, you need to have a discussion with the rhythm section, difficult as that might be.

Bear in mind, I live in TX. I'm spoiled.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

He also wakes up with a different woman every morning too.

I agree with Herb, about counting being unnecessary, Don't remember much counting going on When I was a Nashburg picker.

I think its looks unprofessional as hell to Count everything off, especially when they guy counting doesn't know how to do it.

And while I'm on the subject of looking professional, I hate it when some picker gets up before the gig and noodles and doodles with his guitar and plays every lick he knows before the gig starts, Who in the hell do they think they are impressing.

I'm in total agreement with this statement,as much of an impression was made many years ago,it went.......player setup his guitar,tuned it,the usual was,hit a few chords as to check string/pedal,covered it and went offstage,I thought,yeehah,not one blistering lick/run.The show started... this dude proceded to "SMOKE" it,best pickin I'd heard in a long while,who was it?? A younger Stu Bassore playing a Fender 1000....Dang he's good.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Lead singer, to rest of band:
"This'uns in G chord."

(entire band then strums a G chord.... seemingly to check if it's still there) followed by the lead singers voice, singing:

"When my friiieeends gather 'round...."

At this point, the steel player, who has lovingly practiced Lloyd Green's intro for the last year breaks down and cries....

-John

Kind Regards, Walter
www.austriansteelguitar.at.tf

"ONE - Huhn - Huhn, huhn, huhn"

quote:

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Just try driving an hour to a gig in 30 degree weather, take you guitar out of the case, tune it up and see what happens.....

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Where are you carrying that guitar, in the bed of a pickup truck or on the roof?, put the damn thing inside where there is some heat or AC in the case of summer

You get to the gig early enough to let the guitar sit out and come to room temperature 15 to 20 minutes is usually enough, then tune it, It works for me.

I suspect that you just want to impress all the Wannabee guitar players and old blue haired women who come to your gigs.

I worked a gig in the 70's in Gulfport Mississippi in the Cpo Club where on Saturday nights they had a big Buffet Dinner before the gig . I was told by the club Manager that he didn't want to hear any noise coming off the stage, while those customers were eating. The Korg WT-10 Tuner had just come out and I bought one, We Tuned Steel, Guitar and bass with that one tuner and complied with the Managers "Request". We worked that gig 52 weekends in that club in one year from the customers requests that the manager keep bringing us back. The Steel Player? Bill Stafford!!!

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 24 March 2004 at 04:18 PM.]

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Jerry and John, email me the name and address and Phone nbr of the "400lb purple hair" and remember, the bigger the cusion, the better the pushing.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Back to the topic though, I like drummer counts if they're correct. The drummer in my band always likes to get things too fast so I count a lot of tunes off myself. We vary the count on different songs. On some country shuffles where there are two pickup notes we'll just count 1...2... then the instrument pickup will take it over. On some things that have a 1..2..3..4 count we'll use only the 3..4 to shorten it up. One of my favorite bands of all time back in the early 70's the drummer counted all songs off by voice with the 1..2..1.2.3.4 which worked out very well (except for waltzes). I remember in the late sixties in the Johnny McKnight band we had a bass player (Don Holloman) who'd count things off like this: boomachicka boomachicka 1.2.3.4 and it worked out great..........JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

"Set up, tune up, and get off, until time to kick-off!" ... no tuning loud enough to hear from off the bandstand... anyone caught practicing on the bandstand after they are through tuning will be fined the first time, and gone the second time! If you don't already know it, it's too late to learn it! ...and when I count-off, be ready!

www.genejones.com

[This message was edited by Gene Jones on 26 March 2004 at 06:15 AM.]

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James R.Hall
MSA S10 & MSA D12