Checking in from SF Bay

[MikeL]

Hi all,

It's been several months since I checked in on the forum but it's good to see the same cool vibes that I remember so well. I hadn't played in maybe 8 months but restarted over the weekend. Calluses are long gone so it's going to be a little bit of a journey back. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I hadn't forgotten everything (at least my hands seem to know where to fret and which strings to pluck even if the mind doesn't remember).

Cheers to my fellow music lovers world wide.
Mike

p.s. anybody have recommendations on how to count 12/8 time?

[Blindboy]

12/8 can be played as a slow 4/4 with each beat being three quick beats. 123, 456, 789, 10 11 12,... Think of the intro to " Red House".

[MichaelRobinson]

Pfssst....................I don't know anything about music theory. Don't ask me, Mike.

Take care, Mike

[VikingBlues]

Hope there's not too much pain getting those calluses back Mike!

12/8??? Yep - like 4/4 time where each beat is a triplet with the emphasis on each triplets first note. Then is it 12/8 or 6/8 or 3/8 or 24/8? My head hurts. Like the way you get the same piece of music in 3 different books - one as 6/8. one a 12/8 and one as 3/4. So maybe best to just wing it and play what sounds good.

[MikeL]

Thanks for the tips guys. I think I'm timing things okay for the sections of the song where there are lyrics but the parts without lyrics leave me wondering if I'm counting correctly. I suspect I'm not. C'est la vie.

[fenson]

1-tri-plet 2-triplet 3-triplet 4-triplet | 2-triplet 2-triplet 3-triplet 4-triplet | 3-triplet 2-triplet 3-triplet 4-triplet | 4-triplet 2-triplet 3-triplet... etc...

Begin footing each beats then still go on footing only 2nd and 4th beats...

Hope this helps ;-)
IF

[MikeL]

FWIW, the song is Black Peter (lyrics by Robert Hunter and music by Jerry Garcia). As VB guessed above, the 12/8 time signature is listed in a song book. Then I saw the time listed as 4/4 in another fairly reliable source.

To my ears 4/4 doesn't seem to work and my count gets mixed up with all the triplet counting of 12/8.

I wouldn't care except for the fact that I get tripped up on the timing in certain parts of the song. Luckily I'm not nearly good enough to play some of the Dead's odder stuff (11/8, 10/4, 7/8).

[fenson]

Hi,
I'll probably give an ear to Black Peter later, not so familiar with the whole GT's music and records , asap...!

Greatfull Dead, Allman Brothers, but also Robert Johnson, The Beatles, Cream, wrote tunes with mixed times signature:

• - Allman Brother -> Whipping Post
  - Robert Johnson? Doesn't it make sense to talk about time signature as we decide to cover any of its tunes?
  - The Beatles -> Don't Let Me Down
  - Cream -> White Room

...

Perhaps Black Peter may have some breaks you could count 5/4 (remembering I've listen a Jerry Garcia interview talking about his interest to 5/4...)
IF

EDIT:
If we choose to refer to the "Grateful_Dead_-_Black_Peter_(Studio_Version)_-_YouTube.mp4" then give a try at counting:
n 1 n 2 n 3 n 4 n 5 n 6 (foot down 246)
Hope this helps !

[MikeL]

Was listening to Louis Armstrong playing Loveless Love when I read your counting recommendation and by weird coincidence it seems to work perfectly for that song. I'll try it with Black Peter after Louis' album is over.

[fenson]

Hope you may find this link usefull ;-)
http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/gdhome.html
Cheers,
IF

[12bar]

I'm late, but welcome back!
For the timing all I can say is USE YOUR FOOT. It works for me.