Tempos used for rock and blues

[Alan B]

I recently saw a dvd where the instructor said that rock and blues was usually written in 3s or 4s (4 beats or triplets) I did not fully understand what was being said. Can anyone give a more detailed explanation or refer me somewhere where it is explained in more detail.

Thanks, Alan

[Brian]

Hey Alan, I’m not sure what that instructor was speaking to specifically because rock and blues can come in so many different time signatures. Your typical blues is in 4/4 time (meaning four beats to the measure) .. so you would count it something like… 1,2,3,4 .. 2,2,3,4 .. 3,2,3,4 .. 4,2,3,4 – and then repeat. So you can see that there were four measures and four beats to a measure. Your typical blues rhythm has 12 bars (or measures) – that’s why it’s called 12 bar blues. Obviously there can be lots of twists and variations on it, but it’s all sort of based on that predictable 12 bar model.

I think the thing I’ve learned is not to get too caught up in understanding the mechanics or theory behind it, and just play it by feeling. This is where I fall short as a guitar “instructor” because I don’t understand a lot of theory – just sort of go off what my ear tells me.

I may have stated the obvious, but hopefully that will be helpful to someone.

[Alan B]

Thanks Brian,

I think I may have got the wrong end of the stick with my DVD.

[Rickey]

Hey Alan, Brian was right about the 4/4 time meaning 4 beats per measure. That is indicated by the 4/… of the 4/4 time signature. The …/4 part indicates that a quarter note receives one full beat. Sometimes you will find blues written in 12/8 time such as Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Texas Flood. What this means is that there are twelve beats per measure and an eighth note gets one full beat. This is usually where you will use triplets which are drawn on sheet music as a series of three eighth notes connected at the top with a bar. You count triplets as “One – and – uh Two -and – uh Three – and – uh Four – and – uh”. Where each triplet, “One – and – uh”, gets three beats. If you subdivide the twelve beats per measure by three you get four triplets per measure. I’m just learning this stuff myself but if I tap my foot to four beats per measure and think of one triplet per beat then it all comes out the same as 4/4 time.

I Hope this helps.

[Brian]

Well said Chaz

[Alan B]

Thanks Chaz and Brian

I am beginning to understand!!

Alan

[Author]

Posts