COUNTING BEFORE PLAYING-why?

[dubaddikt]

I have heard so many dub versions which have a voice counting like"one,two-one,two"...and then the rhythm starts.
What was the motive behind that?wast it just for fun of it or something else?However i like it

[el rocker]

...sounds like thats the drummer counting in the correct timing of the tune, a common practice done in most music styles so as all musicians come in at the same time/tempo.

[bullit]

I'd agree with the above, in the reggae band im in our drummer often counts in, 3, 2, 1, or clicks his sticks together to set a tempo, more frequently done in our rehersals then live though. If its one two one two, again its probabilly tempo

[bwoyrough]

it's done in all music just so all the band knows when to begin so they don't all start at different times, and the counting mimics the beat, eg. counts 1-2 then they come in on 3

[DUDLEY 1NE]

in my years listening to dub lp's as well as dubplates[slates] and certain 45's, it's a team effort to get in time with the rhythm. so you'll hear false starts, what cracks me up is when the band tries to start the track right after more than one time. it's hilarious !!

[James]

Can't speak for every musician, but times I've been playing usually involved some herb, etc. Hard enough to start together *with* counting.

[leggo rocker]

Hearing the counting in of a band on a record is a throwback to the good old days of recording 'live'.

In those early days recording studio's were primitive (especially in JA) and often didn't have enough tracks available to record each instrument and voice individually and then mix them all in at the final production sessions.

Instead several instruments would play 'live' together to make the backing track, using 1, 2 or maybe 4 of the inputs on the desk. Then these would often be shuffled onto one track of the tape and other instruments, effects or vocals added using the now spare track or tracks. This way an engineer gets to make his 2 or 4 track facility act like an 8 or 16 track (with much lesser quality).

So when you play reggae from the early 70s especially, you are listening to music - often recorded 'live' with the players all squeezed into a tiny studio to record the track together. Ain't it quaint?

It's the mix of under funded recording and fanatical attention to detail in the mixing and remixing, added to the ingenuity of the engineers and mixers who constantly found ways to make their limited equipment do the things they wanted.

The result is music that is 'underproduced' from an angle and yet heavily worked by the hands of men who made it.

[leggo rocker]

Having thought a bit about this thread, it has struck me as a little ironic that the drummer counts the band in.

I say this because although I am not a musician, I know many people who are. And one of their musician's 'in' jokes is this one:

Q
"How do you know when there's a drummer at your door?"
A
"The knocking gets louder and faster."

(no offence meant to the drummers here - this isn't MY joke!)

[Jesco77]

"When I grow up I want to be a drummer."
"Make up your mind son, you can't do both!"

[James]

Waaaaay off-topic, but I can't resist:

What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?

A drummer. (rim-shot)

Thanks Ladies and Gents, I'll be here all week! Don't forget the tip the wait-staff!

And so it doesn't look like we're picking on drummers:

A bassist and guitarist were walking down the street when they passed a bar.

Well, it *could* happen!

Now, to get back on-topic, I trust the drummer to count us in a lot more than I would anyone else in the band. Who knows better when the down-beat is going to happen?