Clapping To The Beat: 1 & 3 vs. 2 & 4

A clapping audience can be an enthusiastic, driving force to a band on stage, or a disaster waiting to happen. Let's talk about ALL of it!
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Thanks!

[@johnwescott1500]

No, you don't clap in a jazz club, you snap your fingers, daddio.

[@timbeaton5045]

Hep Cat!

[@JohannesWiberg]

You snap your fingers and pretend to smell a really stinky cheese. That's the jazz look.

[@TimBeat55]

And slowly turn to the camera and drawl "....Niiiiiice!" (The Fast Show ™)

[@johnwescott1500]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipbFhoCef6Z-ia8

[@jfgu]

thats what you do insted of clapping

[@Asdayasman]

I clap in 5/4 clave, no matter what the band's doing.

[@loganmohler737]

Try that with meshuggah!! Haha

[@statomic]

monster

[@Tarpunyaf]

i prefer claping myt hand four then tap my foot three.. that creates four against three no matter what situation happens.. hahaha hahah

[@Asdayasman]

@@Tarpunyaf WEEBS

[@rayyaninspookymonth1630]

I vomit knowing that you exist

[@ADuchessInside]

I love the way Harry Connick, Jr. handled it so subtly, without stopping or making the audience feel bad. That's class, not to mention musical know-how. He's fantastic. :) I really enjoyed this! I stumbled across your channel a few weeks ago and am having so much fun making my way through your videos. I play classical piano, so seeing music theory from a jazzier angle is fascinating to me.

[@brianhawkins]

Only works in a solo performance, though. Good luck trying to coordinate that with a band on the fly.

[@dadduorp]

@@brianhawkins Something tells me Connick would have savvy-enough musicians that he could cue with hand signals (preferably the drummer). First, he holds up a hand making a “distance” symbol (thumb and middle finger spread far apart), and then holds 5 fingers (i.e., the length of the measure), then cues the band on the countdown leading up to that measure. Would be challenging, but possible.

[@thekey3033]

yes, Harry is a classy guy

[@CCMDrummer]

One key principle to remember when clapping to a song is to listen to the drummer. You should clap with the snare drum, and in the vast majority of times the drummer will hit his/her snare on 2&4. As for Bennie and the Jets and Super Rich Kids, the drummers were play in half time and they hit their snares on the 3rd beat of the bar which helped make clapping on 1&3 feel more natural.

[@digitalphreak]

Could be that I'm from a musically inclined bloodline but it was always natural to follow the snare. Only issue is with jazz and brass bands, there is often no drum. So people be confused sometimes. Source: New Orleans Native

[@JayJacobsPGP2014]

Your passion for music is exhilarating to experience

[@owenhu9465]

absolutely, it makes me so excited for life! i know this is kind of an irrelevant mention, but it's like watching Julian Lage, the passion and JOY coming out of him is infinitely inspiring and heart warming!

[@saschaschneider6355]

Frankly, I have no idea what Amy is talking about 99% of the time but the way she talks about it, the passion for the things she talks about, is fascinating and it makes me sit there, listening to it without the slightest clue and I still love it. I, for instance, can't tell you for the life of me where a bar begins, let alone if somebody is clapping on 1&3 or 2&4 or even on every beat. I still enjoy Amy talking about it. And with my notorious lack of patience that's quite astonishing.

[@alialison8964]

Zen Afrique 5head

[@richardragone5998]

This was a GREAT video. The part about certain songs playing better with a 1 and 3 clap was so cogent and on point. Your vibe and articulation really sucked me in. Stay awesome

[@SybrenRoefs]

Melody often has accents on 1 & 3, rhythm really compliments it on 2 & 4. Otherwise it'd become very static. If a melody really syncopates then occasionally other beats are acceptable to clap on. But I say, just listen to the snaredrum. It sounds more like a clap than the bassdrum does, so that's a perfect sound to follow and add your claps to ;)

[@eritain]

I think that's exactly it! A thing Hal Galper makes a point of (also Bert Ligon) is that good melodies or improv lines run *toward* the place where a functional dissonance in the chord resolves across a bar line. Naturally, that means the melody gets a structurally important note on the 1 beat. Snares and clapping both make a lot of noise in the mid-high frequencies, the sweet spot of human hearing and (for that reason) also the sweet spot of a lot of solo instruments and most important part of the spectrum for speech sounds. They'd fuzz up that structurally important melody note if they hit on the 1 and 3. Plus, the 2 and 4 would start to feel ... unnecessary. All that empty space in 'em. Come to think of it, maybe that's why the claps helped with Bennie and the Jets. On the half-tempo interpretation, they're on all 4 beats of a slow bar, not on 1 and 3 of a fast one, but the slow tempo means there's a lot of empty space in the structurally less important ones. The clap helps to level out all the beats so none of them become dead spots.

[@jancerny8109]

I think that may be the source of many people's confusion on the matter; my own included. Thanks for the tip.

[@jeffreyrainey1015]

Thank you, Aimee! I really learned something watching this video. Or as you said, I really changed my mindset and became aware of where the pulse is. As a blind person it's not uncommon for people to come to the conclusion that my sense of hearing is heightened, when in reality your sense of hearing is neither greater nor less in comparison. Don't believe me? There were sighted profs in my college who are producers and were picking up on details I wasn't even aware of; but it didn't take long to pick up on them. Your ears are hearing, all the time. But because vision is inherently the dominant sense, that's where your attention is drawn to immediately. Right, that's me off my soapbox, thanks for making this video.

[@JRCSalter]

To be perfectly honest, I couldn't tell the difference in any of the examples you listed. I've watched that Harry Connick Jr clip over and over, and couldn't for the life of me tell you anything had changed. It sounds exactly the same to me. There's absolutely no way I could tell you whether I'd be clapping on 1, 2, 3, 4, or even 5, or beyond.

[@brianmincher716]

How much musical training do you have?

[@JRCSalter]

@@brianmincher716 Had piano lessons when I was younger, and can read simple sheet music, and can find my way around a keyboard. But that's about it. Even back when I was learning piano, rhythm was a mystery to me.

[@AimeeNolte]

I wish I could get you in a room with me, listening to that clip. I think I could help you to understand it but as it is, it might be a good idea if you could find somebody who’s really good at music and ask them to take the time to really explain it to you and have you do the clapping and the counting.

[@JRCSalter]

@@AimeeNolte I've already spoken to my friend about it. He plays guitar, and he told me I 'just need to feel it'. But I don't. I watched a video once that asked me to clap along to a beat. I clapped along to every beat, 1, 2, 3, 4. That felt right to me. Then the person in the video said that most people would clap on beats 1 and 3 or 2 and 4. And that was when I learnt that people don't always clap on every beat. Perhaps I don't understand it because I see all beats as having equal weight.

[@ironlungs33]

Dude, listen to this and just start clapping along with the snare drum. kzbin.info/www/bejne/goTKd4OLoc2WaNE If you arent sure what that is google it and you'll hear it right away. It's the loud CRACK. If you can hear that, then right away in 'Drive My Car' you'll be clapping on 2 & 4 with ease. Try counting while you clap. If you need a little help, click the settings button and slow it to half or 75% speed. Once you get used to it there'll be no way to 'unhear' it. In track 7 "Michelle" it gets really obvious because everything else is so quiet.

[@barryprofessionalmusicianc832]

I understand the Bieber thing correcting the audience. And Connick was "classy" in doing it his way without saying a word. But stopping the band and embarrassing one audience member?? Small setting or not just let the guy enjoy the music his way. Im a entertainer over 40 years and encountered many types of listeners, participants, and some stone faced cats. If the musician wants to still have fans AND a audience, dont single one guy out and make him feel like crap if hes groovin his way.

[@bkballa989]

Barry Feterman no, get it right or get the fuck out. You deserve to be called out

[@soupalex]

if the guy is clapping in his head, then absolutely. if he's clapping loud enough to be heard by other people (who are also trying to enjoy the music, presumably), then no. shite clapping, although often well-intentioned, is almost as crass as talking through a set… just go and do it somewhere else

[@TheMainTagonist]

Its distracting

[@roberthuston331]

I love all your segments. You cover subjects that are regularly overlooked and would take years of trial and error to correct!

[@unplannedsyntax]

I really like the way you can talk about these topics so passionately...and I learn a lot! Thanks!

[@MomLAU]

A big round of applause (on 2 & 4, of course) to you, Aimee, for these wonderful videos!

[@tommyculver6771]

I've played for audiences (probably 2/3 white) where half clap on one and three and the other half clap on two and four and it pretty much sounds like chaotic applause throughout the song. You have to just tune it out. Very distracting. But, my job is to entertain! Not to coach my audience on how to express their happiness! You just sorta have to just play through it. They're only here because they love me, and I'm making them feel happy! I've already achieved my goal. Every audience is different, yet remarkably similar. As long as they leave happier than when they arrived, they can clap in 3/8 note triplets for all I care! As long as I can find the down beat, I'm good to go. Every misguided clap is just someone having a good time and hopefully getting their money's worth. It's just a show, and I'm the luckiest man alive to have any fans at all. It's when there's nobody clapping at all that you need to worry! ✌️❤️🤘

[@walterkersting1362]

Tommy Culver it sounds like a ton of fish hitting the deck when there in no agreement on where to clap

[@dustinpowell6507]

I clap on the ands of 2 and 4.

[@JohannesWiberg]

Straight, I take it? :D

[@dustinpowell6507]

Johannes Wiberg 😂😂😂

[@connorjohnson8190]

You monster....

[@guymandude6628]

LMAO the thigh slap clap

[@Watercolordragon]

😂

[@gabrielmorton7030]

I was at a smaller intimate jazz show in NYC many years ago. One woman at the front of the audience was really feelin' it and began clapping very loud on 1 and 3. The room's attention just shifted to her, and she was smiling ear to ear clapping away.

[@colourtones]

Way to capture a teachable moment, Aimee! I really dig your examples and challenges to put accenting into listening, practice, and composition.

[@oldblckmajic]

Great video. You covered topics I've thought of for years. Thank you for that.

[@pmatz]

i love how much you love music and your passion for all aspects of it. this was so enjoyable and educational to watch :) thanks!! I've struggled with people clapping wrong/ 2 and 4 guys!! come on... love the way you deal with it. this should be included in standard music ed. 1 and 3 for smoothing licks ; cool tip.

[@RobTeeJr]

"Hopped on the Square Train to Claptown" LOL I've got to remember that one.

[@chrisa4695]

LOL!

[@Dlwinborne]

I love these explanations about clapping in the correct beat for the song. As a gospel singer I always clap on 2 and 4, but you have challenged me to find some 1 and 3 grooves!

[@cypherlock01]

You’re black - we’re automatically taught that 😂

[@teabreezy21]

This only applies to certain genres of music. Many jazz tunes do follow the 1 & 3 but Gospel and RnB NEVER follows 2 & 4 😂 you will be crucified!

[@sidram132]

My god what is this amazing channel I just found with direction from rick. What a treasure you are thank you. I love you.

[@richardburke6902]

Thank you again. Your insights gave me an excellent focus to listen and groove from. 💙🙏🏻

[@fv3video]

Awesome! Loved all the examples you used to get point across. I was mixing a live band the other night and the drummer from the next band was sitting 5 or so feet away playing along (or trying to) to the song the band on stage was playing. So yea, groove crusher in a different sense.

[@craigbrowning9448]

Duke Ellington said clapping on 1&3 is "Considered Aggressive."

[@JAAB7]

Amazingly informative, thank you for doing what you do

[@frdagaa]

“Hopped on the square train to Claptown.” I am soooo stealing this

[@peterbrough2461]

"clap train to squaresville" works as well.:-)

[@patrickbriant479]

I love the way you have to explain / expose / describe / teach / pass to me a musical feeling ... You are brilliant Aimee ( my name is Patrick Briant - France ;-) ). Thanks a lot Aimee ;-)

[@brianruyack7632]

First time on your channel today thanks to the Mike McDonald video. You are cool and informative, love it!

[@lec1212]

Wow that was very interesting. I had never even thought of "clapping rhythm/timing" differences before. I guess I knew we clapped on a certain beat, (if it moved us) but what it was, never entered my mind(?), not being a musician, now thinking about, it was just one of the most noticeable beats? Your video sure changed that. Thanks Aimee.

[@Loutchos]

I feel a strong desire to applause you, Aimee, on the 1-3 and 2-4 at the same time.

[@maramazone]

Great examples Aimee! 👍

[@sbingham1979]

Excellent video on rhythm.

[@tallulah2]

Really excellent examples! Thank you!

[@jshcalebchang]

I'm not sure if there's much validity to it, but people with more classical music roots tend to "feel" claps on 1 and 3, and obviously more modern music falls on offbeats, jazz in particular. I personally don't like clapping at all. People always get it incredibly off and it's actually the crowd "becoming" a part of the performance. Interesting topic, great video !

[@Schwallex]

This. A thousand times this. In every particular. This video is very American. Meanwhile if you ask, oh say, a German or a Russian to clap on the backbeat, they won't even know it's a thing. They will look at you like you're mental. You try clapping on the backbeat to Mozart or Shostakovich, I'll wait. Heck, just why do you think it's called the BACKbeat in the first place. Alas, entire libraries have been written on the subject. Yet here we are in the year 2018, back to square one. Clapping on the backbeat is like measuring temperature in Fahrenheit, or body parts in inches. It's not that it's right or wrong or better or worse, it's that whether or not you do it, whether or not you like it, and whether or not you promote it, is, above all, a purely historical, cultural thing. (And not realizing it's a cultural thing is in turn a cultural thing of its own.) Aimee does touch on that, but ultimately places her accents elsewhere. How fitting.

[@HelmutNevermore]

Come on, musical trends are universal these days. If the backbeat doesn't originate from here doesn't mean we don't know no music other than Shostakovich.

[@belen6474]

@@Schwallex lmao who said you can't clap on Mozart or Shostakovich?

[@M10N8M2]

i have no idea how your video made its way onto my screen but i couldn’t pull myself away from your voice facial expressions everything. just everything kept my adhd mind intrigued. so here i stayed for the whole video and enjoyed it. so i subscribed. literally never knew clapping had rythm. but i guess im a 2 and 4 😆

[@erinomain]

I'm dancing in a Bollywood dance group, and we are making a performance on a jazz song in hindi. There is a saxophone solo with definite drums, and the choreographer makes us clap our hands on 1 and 3 and clap on a hip on 2 and 4... It is so clear that we should do hands on 2 and 4 that i wanna cry)))) i told her it is kind of a shame in jazz, she answered that we will talk later))) and asked me to explain why it is not appropriate. And i found your video! You're so cool, thank you!

[@arborcam]

Nice work. Thanks!

[@timbeaton5045]

The Benny and the Jets song really hammers the 1 in every bar, so that sort of explains what works with the 1 and 3

[@JacobSoucy]

"Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream has a rock backbeat with snare on 1 + 3

[@blueskyes9380]

I cannot believe there are tutorials on clapping 👏🏾 😂😂😂😂

[@celeste821]

What is the church double clap on lol

[@celeste821]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/opumgZyubaZlf5I

[@yuothineyesasian]

White people need more help than other folks.

[@blueskyes9380]

@@yuothineyesasian I see😂

[@chrisa4695]

LOL! I didn’t know there was such a thing. After hearing the news that Charlie Watts from The Rolling Stones died, I googled some of their videos. I was watching a performance and the whole audience was offbeat. I searched “clapping between the beats” and found all these tutorials.

[@gergoolle5773]

Cool content. I love it

[@live2groove]

Friends don't let friends clap on 1&3

[@kidsmoked]

Haha :D Should be a shirt!

[@16pdaddy]

*edit* 2&4

[@kevinshaw8889]

Great video Aimee! 1 & 3 clappers drive me nuts! I will sometimes drum on all four beats in a bridge and get the audience clapping along, then subtly pull them over to 2 and 4. And for the record, I have been known to clap on the "uh" of 3 to see how ethnic my audience is.

[@ab036]

Cheers Amiee, I'll clap with an enlightened, and more confident vigor in the future :)

[@garfd2]

My brain's locking in to the claps and hearing the 1 & 3 examples as 2 & 4 anyway! 😲😵

[@riczi.j]

The same for me, I just can't hear the claps on 1 & 3

[@1blastman]

@@riczi.j I can't lift a tune, much less carry one. But I try.....by myself.... in a dark room..... where no one else can hear.

[@mickysully]

THIS

[@ryans9029]

This is why it kills a groove within a band. You Can't help but feel it correctly, which drops the bottom out

[@denniswroblewski988]

You soooo nailed it... Awesome !!! This has been one of my pet peeves for years.. Argh !!!

[@stevebrookstein]

Great video. 👍

[@beadlebamford9999]

You’re Very funny. Got me multiple times! 😆

[@md7306]

I saw Sammy Davis stop and correct an audience doing that in the middle of " Lady is a Tramp"

[@hexusziggurat]

TBH, i don't know much about music. This interesting nuance of timing had me completely drawn in about things I hear often but never really recognize the subtleties of. Thanks so much for explaining in easy terms Aimee!

[@dereksrawguitar9607]

This is a great video with some awesome examples for comparison. Nice work Aimee! I’m still left scratching my head though when it comes to playing (not listening to) straight ahead jazz. I have watched that same hal galper video myself several times and although I think he makes a great point, it kind of confuses me in terms of how to practice. Like I said when I listen to jazz I have no problem at all feeling 2 and 4, but when it comes to practicing I don’t know which beats are better for ME to feel. I can feel 2 and 4 easily, but I’ve tried practicing using Hal’s method as well and it also works. From what I understood, Hal’s method is basically turning a faster tempo into cut time to make it easier to feel, and thus turns the stronger Beats 1 and 3 into a 2/4 time but is he also implying to just take any 4/4 jazz at any tempo (except maybe a ballad) and opt to feel 1&3 over 2&4? Would love to hear your opinion on this!

[@Blue-qr7qe]

You're wonderful !!!

[@rhythmpoetdonut]

Nice work. Pretty cool.

[@eswing2153]

This is really helpful. I used to think it was always wrong to clap on. 1&3. Thanks for teaching me otherwise. The context depends when we should clap. As a swing dancer, if I’m paying a band to dance to I’ll clap whenever I feel like it. If it’s a sit-down and listen concert your advice is gold!

[@thesavvybassist]

Love your hair color today, Aimee!

[@icebob8555]

Been working on one man band guitar and bass drum 1&3 seem to feel good I like the way you explained things with out making us sound stupid 👍

[@bobbys4327]

Great video...thanks!

[@sharkmedia5969]

The 1 and 3 feel on Benny and the Jets allows those piano licks to come off as sounding syncopated and adds so much to the groove!

[@DianeNalini]

Great video Aimee. I love how you wrapped up on a positive note. That guy clapping on 1 and 3 must have felt so mortified when the band stopped. I agree with you on avoiding clapping... I'd rather the audience not clap unless we invite them to join along. It can be tough on the rhythm section when the audience claps, even if they are on the right beats, because they tend to speed up!

[@DianeNalini]

(I mean the audience tends to speed up, not the rhythm section, although it can be tough to resist the pull when the crowd is large! ☺)

[@OEpistimon]

THIS IS SOOOOOOOO TRUE. Been seeing audiences speed up since I played live with my terrible teenager bands, no matter who was in the audience and what tempo the song was, the clapping was ALWAYS accelerating...

[@HubertJass]

I'm not a musician but I've always been intrigued by the structure & composition of music. Unfortunately, I know little about it but I'm always interested in learning. The beat structure of one particular song has always intrigued me. Styx's "Too Much Time On My Hands". The intro and the breakdown (IDK if that's the right terminology, sorry) in the middle of the song, where it's just Dennis DeYoung and John Panazzo playing that off beat riff. That riff......is that an example of the 1&3? Seems to me they start on the 1&3, then shift to the 2&4, back to the 1&3 for the breakdown, and then back to the 2&4 to finish the song out. Do I have that right??

[@g1bC]

More than perfect example of a perfect teaching video. Like infinity plus one marks out of 10.

[@lukpac]

1 & 3: Sunshine of Your Love from Cream.

[@AimeeNolte]

Good one!

[@Muzikman127]

Ginger Baker’s groove on that track is fucking barbaric too

[@Muzikman127]

If you’ll pardon the language. I just love that tune. Maybe it’s because I’m from England and one of the “caucasian brothers and sisters” though hahaha

[@marcelschroeder7313]

I have a more piano related question. When you play with both hands, do you memorize both simultanious grips of each hand as one?

[@Chilajuana]

Right on Aimee.... I'm working on an original now and after watching your video I'm thinking maybe I should use 2 and 4 for my beats....You are Awesome sister!!!!!!!!!!

[@SteezyMcEasy]

This is awesome

[@BrunoWiebelt]

haha you got me again, learning some basicstuff thank you

[@AndyPandyh]

1 & 3: Roxy Music - Running Wild. It's so groovy you could literally take off during the sax solo. Thanks for the video, I subscribed.

[@AimeeNolte]

Thanks Andy

[@fracturedopal]

I'm in the middle of a French film, and had to stop to find this, because now I understand the Harry Connick Jr thing

[@romanlankin]

Thank you Almee for the wonderful video. I'm from Russia where everybody claps 1 & 3, no matter what, sometimes it brings some pain yeah. P.S. Floating autofocus is a killer, please avoid it if possible. I thought I was beginning to loose my sight. Thanks again!)

[@beandipss]

The square train to clap town 😂 That was good.

[@peterjansen4826]

I don't know Johnny O'Neill (correct spelling?) but I like him already. I like that passion and he asked other people in the audience to teach him something. It is impressive how Harry Connick jr. inserted one extra count in one bar to get his music in sync with the clapping. That requires a high skill level.

[@jacobmacbride9727]

Awesome video! Bruno major’s version of “like someone in love” is another good example

[@Achooification]

This was wildly interesting and entertaining. Thank you for this. Good stuff.

[@pianodave3]

Fabulous post! Your examples made me rethink this entire debate! We play in some small venues in Bisbee and the audience sometimes really gets into the groove and starts clapping. They always drag (we do play in bars), but we always love that they're enjoying what we're putting out there, which feeds our energy and just makes everything so much better! On our last gig our drummer was doing a fantastic solo (he's a First Sergeant in the Army Band and an amazing machine of a player) that was so good - the sax player and I started clapping, too. The audience ate it up! (Maybe because it was the third set - the drunker they are...)

[@JariSatta]

14:20 Groovinest ™

[@michaelbenoit9240]

I've been toying with the idea of writing a tune with the grove on 1 and 3 for funsies. Cheers

[@kevinshivers9552]

OMG!! What a satisfying post! Thank you! I'm a lifelong drummer and this topic is so fundamental and passionate for me. I've got a friend who claps on 1&3 and it's the biggest buzzkill. Always makes me laugh - and he has no idea! It should be 2&4 claps by default (IF you don't look like a nerd). 1&3 claps (only at a hodown haha) 2&4 SNAPS in a small jazz venue (but that's def trying too hard haha). I LOVE the useful difference between the two for internal metronome frameworks. Great advice. Love all your examples... was just listening to Frank Ocean this morning - that song kills. I think it's all about where the groove feels most satisfyingly in the pocket - the spirit of the thing is either going to be badass-edly downbeat OR free-ingly upbeat. As far as strong downbeat driven examples, I dig... Super Rich Kids (you beat me), Moon River (FO) it's all about the 1's but def a no clapper ha, Whole Lotta Love (LedZ), I Get Around (BBoys) - sorta, Walking on Moon (TPolice) upbeats on 3 ha, Same Old Blues (Phantogram), Get Back (TBeatles), uhhh what else...? Back to work!

[@AimeeNolte]

Nice post!!

[@numanuma20]

Trying playing soca in cut time where you play the snare on a of one and the and of two.

[@kevinshivers9552]

Awesome! The perfect crowd clap for that would be straight 1/16 notes in perfect sync. Ha!

[@darkcnotion]

Cool great video

[@dadmakesbadmovies]

This is a valuable public service. 1 & 3 work in that EJ half-time feel, admitted.

[@IsaacMyers1]

Love this. Curious how you clap, and, by extension, drum or groove in three

[@SlugSage]

I like your vibe

[@laurenwaters9045]

amazing explanation

[@laibamustafa108]

any tips or resources for improving one's rhythm? I only hear the 1&3 or 2&4 beat when you point it out.

[@aaronbarber6238]

I found this because I heard Barry Harris talk about tapping his foot on 1 and 3, and seeing the pianist playing the Beebop scale changing his rhythm up made sense!

[@memathews]

The way Johnny lays on the back of the beat at 3:14 tho, who needs 2 & 4 with that?

[@Ark4evah]

What solo was that Miles Davis lick?

[@GreenGenesMr]

Just found your channel through this video. And subscribed. Regarding this video, would you say if the band is swinging (2and4), and I will solo over this. Switching to thinking 1 and 3 might chill me a bit in my phrasing and still work with the strong push of 2 and 4 in the back? if tht makes sense :) While I hould probably keep taping my foot to 2 and 4.. !? cheers , merci :)

[@AimeeNolte]

Yes! That’s the idea but you can tap on 1 & 3 in your practicing. Maybe not worth the band...but it’s a great thing to do in the practice room to chill out more. :) Thanks too.

[@GreenGenesMr]

@@AimeeNolte cool. thanks for taking the time to answer. browsing through all your videos.. goldmine for the leaening musician I am :) KeepitUp!!

[@rbuonfiglio]

I remember playing (percussion) in a concert in a church with a composer who wrote some great stuff, and we were playing in 7, and people started clapping (starting on the 1 & 3), and I looked up at the bass player, and the composer (on piano), and we figured there was nothing we could do. Then the time signature changed and, mercifully, the people stopped clapping. Just one of those things I'll remember all my life. And, fwiw a lot of traditional African music involves the 1 & 3, so we US folks can have a bit of humility about all this. Thanks for a great video, and viva Harry Connick, Jr!!

[@WS-ij1fu]

At Larry Carlton concert in Glasgow the guy behind me started whistling along to Minute by Minute - he didn't do it for long.

[@odinklebs1811]

I'm pretty sure when the levee breaks by led Zeppelin is felt with emphasis on 1 and 3. the drummer is playing the snare on 1 and 3 and the rest of the band is emphasizing that, (mostly the guitar part) giving it that awesome laid back feel. if you try clapping on 2 and 4 with that song, it doesn't sound right.

[@blapis89]

no, it's a half time, he's feeling 16th notes, you can notice the kick having 16ths, so the backbeat is still in 2 and 4.

[@mikesperry4309]

Bennie and the Jets to me is in half time hitting on all 4 beats (maybe a bit of a lean on 2&4) which contrasts with the syncopation of the other parts. To hear that song as 1&3 feels really fast. Really cool video, and seeing how someone else can see it is really cool!

[@Bill_Woo]

I've always been mesmerized by the offbeat of Bennie. Some of my favorite songs have subtle, very slight offbeat beats, and it just makes it work. It's a rare gift when it works, and probably should be restricted to usage by gifted musicians! I don't know that it could even be taught, to use it strategically and effectively.

[@davedrowsy]

First of all, this is a fantastic video. I don't mean to detract from that in any way. But I feel I have to point out that in the examples where clapping on 1 & 3 is supposedly better, the "1" and "3" Aimee is hearing are really "1" and "2," at a tempo half of what Aimee is hearing. That makes the "2" and "4" she's hearing simply the "and's" of every beat. For example: 10:40 Bennie & the Jets, with crowd clapping. This is NOT clapping on the 1 & 3, in my opinion, but in fact, clapping on 1, 2, 3 & 4! 10:46 Bennie & the Jets, with Aimee clapping on what she calls the "2" and "4." I would call this clapping on all the "and's," which of COURSE sounds off! 12:16 Super Rich Kids, with Aimee clapping on what she calls the "offbeat" -- ironically, this is actually true! She's clapping on the "and" of every beat, which is, in fact, the offbeat. Of course that sounds weird! If you wanted to clap on beats 2 and 4, the claps would fall like this: (12:07) "Too many bo(CLAP)ttles of this wine we can't pro(CLAP)nounce." Clapping on 2 and 4 like this would sound absolutely appropriate and "in the groove." Now, granted, tempo and time signature are always open to interpretation. I'm hearing "Bennie & the Jets" as a slow 4/4, around 70 bpm, with claps on every downbeat -- beats 1, 2, 3, and 4. Aimee is hearing it at a brisk 140 bpm, with claps on beats 1 and 3. Both interpretations are correct, strictly speaking. But as a drummer, I feel it's more accurate to describe the tempo and time signature of a piece of music based on the assumption that the snare drum is being played on beats 2 and 4. If you follow this rule, then my take above is correct for both "Bennie & the Jets" and "Super Rich Kids." My point? Aimee's counterexamples to clapping on 2 & 4 don't hold water, and you should ALWAYS clap on 2 and 4! Seriously, just don't ever clap on beats 1 and 3, unless you're at a hoedown.

[@j00niej00ne]

These were exactly my thoughts! I also have always interpreted Bennie & the Jets the way you describe here, as a slow groove. So 2 & 4 still holds. In general, I 100% agree with your post. In fact, I was searching the comment section for someone with this opinion so I didn't have to write one up myself. :D However, I want to stress that I also agree that this vid is amazing. I loooove me some Aimee Nolte; always love the vids! Such incredible talent, innate musicianship, and clear explanations. Love this channel!

[@AimeeNolte]

Good points. And that basically holds with Hal Galper’s explanation

[@kristensantamaria5746]

You have now brought the word subdivision back into my life.

[@paulbeauregard8297]

Dave, you're very kind and polite in your redirection and proper identification of the beat/pulse level in Bennie and the Jets being 70 BPM... actually it's a bit slower, coming in at around 66 BPM. Misidentification of the beat/pulse level, even by talented musicians, is a very common phenomenon. The most ubiquitous is identifying the waltz as a three beat pattern where the three 'beats' are actually a compressed, first level of subdivision triplet. More obscure, but more interesting, is the Perdie Shuffle being diagnosed with the snare drum strikes being labeled as 'beat three', when in fact as you mentioned above, those misinterpreted beat 'threes' are actually beats two and four. Where the waltz is a misinterpretation of the first level of subdivision being misdiagnosed as beat level values, the Perdie Shuffle second level subdivision triplet is being misinterpreted as a first level subdivision triplet. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWPTi3qNh7uqiaM

[@Henkibojj]

The simplest explanation i can give as a drummer is this: do you want the music to stomp, or do you want it to swing? Marching band music and squaredance stomps, and should be clapped on 1&3. Almost all contemporary music, pop music, rock music, and especially groovy jazz, should swing, and therefore be clapped on 2&4. I know many dancers who have no idea what a backbeat is, because all they do is count "(5-6-7-8-)ONE! TWO! THREE!", and to them I explain it as such: Stomp your foot the way you are used to feeling rhythm (1&3), and exactly in between, clap your hands. After a while, stop stomping and continue your clapping. Do you hear where the beat lies now? Do you hear that there's a groove there all of a sudden? That's the swing. That's what drummers hear. Now you can clap any song in 2&4.

[@gabriel38g]

I've been waiting forever for someone to ask me about a good one -three groove. It's "Sunshine of your Love" by Cream with Ginger Baker on the drums!!! :)

[@DavidNayer]

I loved this, thank you Aimee. I spent a lot of time in 5/4, and there's really something special about landing on the 5 in 5/4. It wasn't until you added to the clap conversation that I understood that it was the propelling - the anacrusis. If you ask, I'll share my example of the 5 beat. I'm doing it in a juggling pattern and you might find it interesting.

[@adamhakim9446]

Interesting study of grove. How does this apply to edm? It makes sense that the original rock was country switched to a 2 and 4 grove. But I think the edm vibe is 1-2-3-4? So people can go anywhere while they move.

[@roberthart5863]

EDM is indeed 4 beats of equal weight. I think your equating the stresses back to dance is important. Mid century American dances (lindy-hop, jive, etc.) need that drop on 2 & 4 for the dances to work. Some traditional dances, like Scottish reels need the four equal beats (and there is a branch of Scottish folk music that incorporates 90's and EDM grooves into traditional music). Since a lot of popular music is for dancing to, then how you move to the dance affects how the groove is built.

[@blainelilly2971]

Aimee, please consider doing a vid about unusual time signatures - Brubeck, maybe? Or even better: the Dead doing "The Eleven" back in the day. Thanks!!

[@elanfrenkel8058]

wow awesome video

[@peterjansen4826]

I like Elton John (I play a few of his songs on the piano) but for some reason the rhythm of Bennie and the Jets always felt weird (different than what I was used to) to me. I guess now I know why: the 1-3 beat. I will keep this in the back of my mind and experiment with 1-3. :)

[@suburbanindie]

1 and 3 drag, 2 and 4 push.