Hi David, Iām sure thereās something special about beat 1 that Iām not able to understandā¦to me beat 1 is the trickiest whenever the bar is longer than 2/4. My mental Rhythm calculation is this bad
Iām sorry I canāt contribute much but I canāt hear any distinctive unmistakable soundā¦I can ear well beat 1 only when thereās a clear change in the harmonyā¦no matter how much I work on my Rhythm itās still challenging to some degreeā¦and no doubt about it beat one is the trickiest to me!
Butā¦Davidā¦if you feel something special for beat one than thereās something special about itā¦it doesnāt need to be an objective thingā¦you feel it and you give it your own meaning! It doesnāt have to be something objectiveā¦ but I hope you keep on with your individual research and, if you want, try to put it down into words.
Exactly! And if itās not special to anyone elseā¦well hey ho!
Life gave me a kick in the teeth and it affected me in a way that I didnāt expect so the only learning Iām doing at the mo is through listening to music and I like what Iāve found. I thought Iād share it here but it seems to have gone down like a lead balloon. It doesnāt deter me though, I know where Iām going when I get back to guitar. Iāll learn them licks and play around and make music out of em!
I think what you have discovered is timing. Having good timing and rhythm lets you know when each bar starts. Hence your use of the word special.
Iāve alway been a big advocate of listening to music, not just hearing it. You said so yourself youāve been Mindful listening to music and had an epiphany a moment that opened you to a new experience. You figured out how to follow the rhythm. Where you when off the rails was thinking you where the only one on the planet that understood this.
Call it special if you like. Iām happy for you having discovered misic isnāt just one long sentence but donāt tell others they are wrong for not sharing your opinion.
@stitch
No no no. Jeez Rick, youāre getting this all wrong.
I havenāt just had an epiphany moment. For as long as I can remember, Iāve always had decent timing, always been able to follow the rhythm.
My recent listening has simply strengthened what I already knew.
I didnāt say Iād had an epiphany moment - you did!
I didnāt say Iād been opened to a new experience - you did!
I didnāt say I just figured out how to follow rhythm - you did!
And I havenāt told anyone theyāre wrong for not sharing my opinion - you said that!
Once again, youāre taking my words and twisting them into your own interpretation.
And what the hell are you talking about āgoing off the railsā! I donāt think Iām the only one on the planet who understands these things - it was YOU who said that too!!
I am actually quite surprised to find that others donāt hear what I hear.
I only read what is written so if my interpretation isnāt what you meant then may you could explain what your are hearing that make beat 1 so special.
@stitch
Ahā¦no, the kick in the teeth has nothing to do with this. Youāll find that in my log.
Explaining what I hearā¦well I canāt. As I said in the top post here, describing sound with words is tricky. Iāve tried to describe it in a few posts up thread but I havenāt managed to nail it.
All I can tell you is that even when thereās no accent on one, itās still distinctive.
I started this thread hoping someone would be able to describe it better than I can. But no. Not yet anyway.
Toby! Iāve been clapping on 1 and 3 most of my lifeā¦and I still do until I realise anyone else is clapping differently ā¦which means only one thing: I should have chosen Flamenco straight away because Flamenco players tap their foot only on 1 and 3 OlĆØ
David, this is how one might THINK of beat 1 like something special, but as itās not clear to yourself why you FEEL itās special and you canāt describe it, it might be as well unlikely that youāll find yourself into my interpretation.
Beat 1 announces that something that has just finished and is not anymore is here again ā¦2, 3, 4 and againā¦2, 3, 4ā¦and again bar after bar.
Beat 1 is reassuring like my Tea with Lemon first thing in the morning no matter what (not even that itās August and 30 CĀ°)
You can anticipate it your mind, long for it, prepare for it because you know it will come.
Beat one is soothing like the deep breath of the peasant in the field used to be just after the church bells had been ringing to announce the work was over for that day.
Beat 1 is reassuring like the first cockcrow after a not so good sleep night: finally you can get up, live the bad thoughts on the pillow and start a new day!
Beat 1 is soothing like the swing of a craddlei s to a childā¦thereās something that keeps on going no matter whatā¦makes you want to stop crying, relaxing into until you can safely fall asleep.
Beat 1 is the consistent expression of meaning and new shared meanings of this world and life for those that first found Rhythm the right mean for this purpose dancing around a fire.
Beat 1 announces repetition and any human being is fond of repetition.
This conversation seems to have veered towards unnecessarily fractious at times. @BurnsRhythm David - it is clear you are āhearingā something that is hard to describe and explain and that others are either not hearing or not making the common connection.
Beat 1 is very important musically in terms of rhythm, placement etc. It is like a place value holder. It does not necessarily arrive with a different sound to my ears - not in terms of accenting or emphasis or instruments doing something notable. And yet I āknowā when it arrives. That is true whether the chords change or stay the same, whether there is melody over or not. If there is music and I turn my attention to it I can easily locate the beat 1. But I do not think that I am doing that by hearing something special on that beat, it is more to do with gaining a quick perspective on the movement of the music and how the overall shape is structured.
ps
Harry Connick Jr. performed a masterstroke. The audience were clapping on the 1 and the 3. The music was 4/4. He took a moment and made a deft move. He played a single bar of 5/4 then immediately returned to 4/4. With that, the clapping was now on the 2 and 4.
@Richard_close2u
Richard,
Yes, it has got a bit fractious. I shouldnāt speak for Rick but it seems to me that although we both give it, we can both take it as well so I donāt have a problem with it.
I apologise though to you and anyone who feels uncomfortable seeing that sort of thing.
It doesnāt surprise me that your take on beat1 is closest to my own. There are differences but Iāll leave it at that.
Iāve come to the conclusion that trying to describe sound is pointless because itās nigh on impossible.
Iāve also come to the conclusion that, as Iām not talented or creative in any other way, then sound should be my medium of expression.
Now for the hard bit: learning guitar so that I can play the sounds I want to hear. Any tips?
