Counting (music)

In music, counting is a system of regularly occurring sounds that serve to assist with the performance or audition of music by allowing the easy identification of the beat. Commonly, this involves verbally counting the beats in each measure as they occur, whether there be 2 beats, 3 beats, 4 beats, or even 5 beats. In addition to helping to normalize the time taken up by each beat, counting allows easier identification of the beats that are stressed. Counting is most commonly used with rhythm (often to decipher a difficult rhythm) and form and often involves subdivision.

"Counting rhythm" redirects here. For other uses, see Counting rhyme.

Numbers systems[edit]

Numbers[edit]

Ultimately, musicians count using numbers, “ands” and vowel sounds. Downbeats within a measure are called 1, 2, 3… Upbeats are represented with a plus sign and are called “and” (i.e. 1 + 2 +), and further subdivisions receive the sounds “ee” and “uh” (i.e. 1 e + a 2 e + a). Musicians do not agree on what to call triplets: some simply say the word triplet (“trip-a-let”), or another three-syllable word (like pineapple or elephant) with an antepenultimate accent. Some use numbers along with the word triplet (i.e. “1-trip-let”). Still others have devised sounds like “ah-lee” or “la-li” added after the number (i.e. 1-la-li, 2-la-li or 1-tee-duh, 2-tee-duh).

Example

The folk song lyric "This Old Man, he played one, he played knick-knack on my thumb, with a knick-knack paddy whack, give my dog a bone, this old man came rolling home" in ²
₄ time would be said, "one and two one and two one and two and one and two and uh one and two ee and uh one ee and uh two one and two and one and two."

1 e and uh 2 e and uh 3 e and uh 4 e and uh

Traditional American system[edit]

Counts the beat number on the tactus, & on the half beat, and n-e-&-a for four sixteenth notes, n-&-a for a triplet or three eighth notes in compound meter, where n is the beat number.^[7]

Eastman system[edit]

The beat numbers are used for the tactus, te for the half beat, and n-ti-te-ta for four sixteenths. Triplets or three eighth notes in compound meter are n-la-li and six sixteenth notes in compound meter is n-ta-la-ta-li-ta.^[7]

Froseth system[edit]

Counting system using n-ne, n-ta-ne-ta, n-na-ni, and n-ta-na-ta-ni-ta. All three systems have internal consistency for all divisions of the beat except the tactus, which changes according to the beat number.^[7]

: Ta-a-a-a

Whole Note

: Ta-a

Half Note

: Ta

Quarter Note

2 : Ta Te

Eighth Note

4 : Tafa Tefe

Sixteenth Notes

Mixed numbers and syllables systems[edit]

McHose/Tibbs[edit]

1 2 3 4,

Other systems[edit]

Orff system[edit]

Orff rhythm syllables don't have a specified system. Often, they'll encourage teachers to use whatever they prefer, and many choose to use the Kodaly syllable system.^[10] Outside of this, Orff teachers will often use a language-based model in which the rhythms are replaced with a word which matches the number of sounds in the rhythm. For example, two paired eighth notes may become "Jackie" or "Apple." Often, a teacher will stick with a theme and encourage students to create their own words within said theme.^[11] Examples include:

Count off

Half-time (music)

- a Hindustani (north indian) system of rhythm syllables.

Bol

- a Carnatic (south Indian) system of rhythm syllables.