Is there a name for this rhythmic pattern?

[Hotspur]

We all know that a backbeat is "one two three four" but I've noticed a few songs recently which do:

One and two and three and four.

An example would be this cover of Queen Jane Approximately:

I heard it a bunch of places recently. Does it have a simple name?

[Robin, Wales]

I'm hearing:

One two three, one two three, one two. 8/8

The snare snap is on:

123,123,12 most of the time.

Pop that into google and you'll come up with Cuban or Calypso or African American or West African etc etc

[Howard Emerson]

Interesting......

I'm hearing straight 4, with the snare pop on 2 & the & of 3. Basically the drummer is anticipating 4.

But I'm just a guitar player so don't quote me.

HE

[warfrat73]

I'm also hearing it as straight 4/4 with a calypso rhythm, or a calypso rhythm in the second half of the measure, anyway.

[Mandobart]

I'm hearing 4/4 time with a synchopated rhythm on drums. Quarter beat (one-and), dotted quarter (two-and-three), quarter (and-four), 1/8 (and), (new bar/measure) quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, 1/8 etc.

I'm a formally, classically trained musician with over 49 years at it. Classical, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock, folk....

Most self-taught folks I play with just don't "get" synchopation. Most focus on melody, or playing the right chords. There's not enough emphasis on rhythm, especially giving each measure its full number of beats. A common problem is when the lyric ends before the end of the bar. A lot of folks jump ahead and skip that beat. Not a problem if you're playing solo. Big problem if you're playing with others.

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

I'm hearing:

One two three, one two three, one two. 8/8

The snare snap is on:

123,123,12 most of the time.

I can hear this if I force myself to focus on the bass, or in the chorus lyrics. It's not a place my ear intuitively goes, though. I have to try.

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I'm hearing 4/4 time with a synchopated rhythm on drums. Quarter beat (one-and), dotted quarter (two-and-three), quarter (and-four), 1/8 (and), (new bar/measure) quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, 1/8 etc.

This sort of breaks my brain. I'm having a very hard time connecting what you're describing to what I'm hearing. Could you explain it again in other words?

I know if music there are often many ways to get to the same sound.

Most self-taught folks I play with just don't "get" synchopation. Most focus on melody, or playing the right chords. There's not enough emphasis on rhythm, especially giving each measure its full number of beats. .

I personally find my connection with rhythm (beyond straightforward 4/4 or 3/4) to be a weak point, which is actually the seed that led me to trying to understand the rhythm on this song to begin with.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

...This sort of breaks my brain. I'm having a very hard time connecting what you're describing to what I'm hearing. Could you explain it again in other words?

I know if music there are often many ways to get to the same sound.

It is hard to explain rhythm in words. I learned to read music as a kid. There is a basic foundation with the time signature and key (which notes are natural, sharp or flat). Then you have bars (aka measures) that show the actual note by the position on the staff/ledger lines and also show the rhythm by showing how many beats the note lasts for (whole note, half note, quarter, 16th, etc.). Simple fractions. A dot after a note (or rest) lengthens that note by half of its original value. A dotted quarter note is just a quarter plus an eighth. A dotted eighth is an eighth plus a sixteenth. It's these dotted notes that show synchopation. I'm not going to talk about the UK system of quavers, semi-quavers, etc. Not what I was trained on. All this is basic stuff that kids typically learn in a few weeks spending maybe an hour or two per day. You can learn it too.

For the song in question, its in 4/4 time. That means 4 beats per measure. Tap your foot in time while the song plays. Count out loud "one, two, three four". That's four quarter notes. That makes up one measure. Now break those beats into two eight notes each. Count "one-and two-and three-and four-and." Still one measure, expressed as eight 1/8 notes.

Synchopation is hard for people without a developed sense of rhythm. Walk or march at a steady pace while counting "1-2-3-4". Now start skipping. That's synchopation.

Learning these basics really is key to understanding rhythm for those of us raised in standard western culture. In some cultures I've visited rhythm comes more naturally.

[Guitars44me]

The drummer’s cross sticking is oddly syncopated, but everything is in 4/4 time.

The rhythm guitar is just one and two and three and four and…. Like Mandobart explains above.

Former drummer here.

Cheers

Paul

[Hotspur]

Yeah. That part I understand. It's connecting the rhythm I'm hearing in the song to your description of "Quarter beat (one-and), dotted quarter (two-and-three), quarter (and-four), 1/8 (and), (new bar/measure) quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, 1/8 etc." that I'm struggling with.

[rick-slo]

Pretty straight 4/4 rhythm.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Yeah. That part I understand. It's connecting the rhythm I'm hearing in the song to your description of "Quarter beat (one-and), dotted quarter (two-and-three), quarter (and-four), 1/8 (and), (new bar/measure) quarter, dotted quarter, quarter, 1/8 etc." that I'm struggling with.

Your original post description "One and two and three and four." is perfect, and requires nothing else.

I'll speak with a good friend who's a well known drummer, and see if there's a name for that particular pattern, but I have my doubts.

HE

[Robin, Wales]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

Your original post description "One and two and three and four." is perfect, and requires nothing else.

I'll speak with a good friend who's a well known drummer, and see if there's a name for that particular pattern, but I have my doubts.

HE

Howard, it may make some sense to add an "and" after four.


one and two and three and four and.