[joeplayssax]

My saxophone teacher wants me to practice snapping my fingers/tapping my foot on the 2 and 4 beats. I know to look for the high hat, but I'm still having trouble with this exercise. Which songs have easily recognizable 2 & 4 beats?

 

[Dave Pollack]

Look to Count Basie or Duke Ellington! Take the A Train, C Jam Blues, Corner Pocket, Shiny Stockings, Lil Darlin, etc.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

My saxophone teacher wants me to practice snapping my fingers/tapping my foot on the 2 and 4 beats. I know to look for the high hat, but I'm still having trouble with this exercise. Which songs have easily recognizable 2 & 4 beats?

Probably most western music. There are probably 547894321636780595925473673456789789895083225654656767675654543437760678567467 x 10^987654 songs with a 2 and 4 beat.

 

[soybean]

Almost anything from Motown.

 

[DonaldL]

Chorus of Yellow Submarine.

 

[Mike T]

Tap your foot on 1 and 3, snap your fingers (or clap your hands) on 2 and 4.

 

[1saxman]

Listen to any dance or 'pop' music and notice how the snare drum hits on the 2 and 4. Go with it.

 

[jazzman1945]

Rock around the clock

 

[jgreiner]

Probably most western music. There are probably 547894321636780595925473673456789789895083225654656767675654543437760678567467 x 10^987654 songs with a 2 and 4 beat.

+1......literally. ;-)

 

[MartinMusicMan]

listen to some Rolling Stones classics. If you can't hear Charlie Watts hitting the snare on 2 and 4, give up. This rhythm exercise is not for you.
Under My Thumb
Honky Tonk Women
Brown Sugar
Jumpin' Jack Flash

 

[artstove]

 

[MartinMusicMan]

Good example. It's modern, but in the style of old skool R&B. If you can't find the 2 and 4 in this, you won't be able to count in music.

 

[1saxman]

But the afterbeat is really a 'feel' thing. Go to most any concert and observe people wanting to clap on 1-3. Left to themselves, they also can't keep time - they speed up every time, and it falls into chaos. Its a musical talent thing - those who have it, feel it.
Think of marching band - we start on the left foot on 1 and the right foot hits on 2. Try walking and counting like that while clapping on the 2-4. Instant cool!

 

[JL]

Anything with a back beat (obviously). And that covers most of jazz, blues, rock & roll, funk, and R&B.

Here's a really obvious old school example (listen to the chorus at 1:00):

 

[KMR]

My saxophone teacher wants me to practice snapping my fingers/tapping my foot on the 2 and 4 beats. I know to look for the high hat, but I'm still having trouble with this exercise. Which songs have easily recognizable 2 & 4 beats?

There is a great recording by the Oscar Peterson trio which is perfect for your needs.
The whole album is called NIGHT TRAIN, but a couple of tracks in particular that I remember are C JAM BLUES and MOTEN SWING.

Have a listen on You Tube, and hopefully you will get the idea.

Actually, I will do it for you to avoid confusion.
Listen to the drummer accenting 2 and 4.

Good luck

 

[JL]

Great example. And the drummer is doing it with subtlety, but it's still easy to hear.

Hey joeplayssax, don't over think this. I suspect it's easier and more obvious than you think. Try this:

Count "1 2 3 4", with a steady beat and tap your foot along with the beat. Then at some point drop the "1" and "3", only tapping on "2" and "4". Now you've got it.

 

[swperry1]

Turn on the radio to any station.

 

[Arundo Donax]

Good example. It's modern, but in the style of old skool R&B. If you can't find the 2 and 4 in this, you won't be able to count in music.

Usually I rarely have a problem finding the beat and counting, but I have totally failed on this one - I can't find the beat. I can't find even the 1. When I think I've found it, it seems to be changing constantly. Maybe the singing, whatever, is throwing me off.

It's one of those things that reminds me I have less talent than others.

 

[bokagee]

When practicing with a metronome, I'm in the habit of setting it to half the tempo and treating the clicks as 2 and 4, if it swings. Might help. Might drive some people nuts, but works for me.

 

[lesacks]

How's the OP doing with these suggestions? 'cause I noticed he said he was having problems following rhythm in a TOTM thread and, for some of us, it's harder than others...

... It might well help not only listening to the suggested stuff, but to quite actively beat out the beats and 2/4s

Or