Acount off, count in, or lead-in is a verbal,[1] instrumental or visual cue used in musical performances and recordings to ensure a uniform entrance to the performance by the musicians[2] and to establish the piece's initial tempo, time signature and style.[3][4] Although a count off usually lasts just one or two bars,[2] it is able to convey the music's style, tempo, and dynamics from the leader (such as the conductor, bandleaderorprincipal) to the other performers.[3] A count off is generally in the same style of the piece of music—for instance, a joyful swing tune should have an energized count off.[5] A misleading lead-in, one which indicates a different meter than that of the piece, is a false trail.[6][7]
Counting off is evident in musical genres other than Western classical and popular music; Ghanaian ethnomusicologistJ. H. Kwabena Nketia has observed the benefits of such techniques in West African music.[8]
A two-bar percussive and verbal count off played on a closed hi-hat
A silent count off, such as those given by an orchestral conductor using a baton, may be given as a value "in front" (e.g. "eight in front" refers to a count off of eight beats).[9]
In recorded music, the final two beats of the count off (one, two, one—two—three—four) are often silent to avoid spill onto the recording,[2][10] especially if the piece has a pickup. The count off is typically edited out after the recording has finished.[11] There are, however, instances where the count off is deliberately kept on a recording—sometimes even edited onto a recording. In the case of "I Saw Her Standing There" by The Beatles, the count off was edited onto a different take of the song.[12] A recorded count off can be made by musicians through an open microphone or through the studio's talkback system,[13] the latter being done by non-performing personnel such as the producerorengineer. The inclusion of a count off in a studio recording may give the impression of a live performance, as on the Beatles' "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Reprise" (1967).[6]
The song's verses accent upbeats on beats 1 and 3 and vice versa for the rest of the song, so drummer Jesse Sailes counts it off as "one—two—one, two, three".
Paul McCartney's count off of『one—two—three—four!』was recorded on the ninth take of the song, and then edited on to a different take comprising the rest of the song;[16]George Martin liked the "spirited" raw live feel of the count off and decided to have it spliced onto a better performance.
George Harrison performs two count offs on the track—one is to set the tempo (and is most audible on the fourth beat), and another is for effect (it is off-tempo, "secretive-sounding", and layered with coughing) which was added later.[18]
The version recorded for the Live Peace in Toronto 1969 album features Lennon beginning with a count off in German: "eins, zwei, ein—zwei—drei—vier".[20]
The third track from Lennon's posthumous Milk and Honey album features a "characteristically free-form" count off of "un, deux, eins—zwei—hickle—pickle".[21]
The song begins with a count off by Lennon. "One, two, three, four".
"You'll Never Meet God (If You Break My Heart)" by Carly Hennessy (2001)
Co-written by the New Radicals' Gregg Alexander, the song echoes his introduction to 1998's "You Get What You Give" with a count off of "one, two, one–two–three–OW!"[22]
During the final two bars of a four-bar drum introduction Bono counts off the song with "unos, dos, tres, catorce" – Spanish for "some, two, three, fourteen".[23][24][25]
^Dunscomb, J. Richard; Willie L. Hill (2002). Jazz pedagogy : the jazz educator's handbook and resource guide. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 63. ISBN0-7579-9125-4.
^ abDunscomb, J. Richard; Willie L. Hill (2002). Jazz pedagogy : the jazz educator's handbook and resource guide. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 157. ISBN0-7579-9125-4.
^Vradenburg, written by Wilbur M. Savidge, Randy Lee (2001). Everything about playing blues (1st ed.). Springtown: Praxis. p. 40. ISBN1-884848-09-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Weir, Michele (2005). Jazz singer's handbook : (the artistry and mastery of singing jazz; includes jazz standards recorded by Chet Baker ...). Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 76. ISBN0-7390-3387-5.
^ abShepherd, John (ed.) (2003). "Lead-in", Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Part 1 Performance and Production, p.610. ISBN978-0-8264-6322-7.
^Van Der Merwe (1989), p.157. Cited in Shepherd (2003).
^London, Justin (2004). Hearing in time psychological aspects of musical meter. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 53. ISBN0-19-803645-0.
^Tedesco, Tommy (2008). For Guitar Players Only. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 84. ISBN978-1-4574-3052-7.
^Sharp, J.D. (1992). Home recording techniques : a step-by-step guide to multitracking and mixing. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 29. ISBN0-88284-495-4.
^Everett, Walter (2009). The foundations of rock from "Blue suede shoes" to "Suite : Judy blue eyes". Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 353. ISBN978-0-19-971870-2.
^Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles recording sessions (1st ed.). New York: Harmony Books. p. 9. ISBN0-517-57066-1.
^Hurtig, Brent (1988). Multi-Track Recording for Musicians. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing Co. p. 90. ISBN1-4574-2484-3.
^Millward, Simon (2007). Fast Guide to Cubase 4. Tonbridge: PC Publishing. p. 47. ISBN978-1-906005-00-9.
^ abBarrett, Don (2009). Digital Performer 6 power! : the comprehensive guide (Guide (Instructor's) ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology Cengage Learning. p. 115. ISBN978-1-59863-907-0.
^Calhoun, Scott (2011). Exploring U2 : is this rock 'n' roll? : essays on the music, work, and influence of U2. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 225. ISBN978-0-8108-8157-0.
^Díaz, Itxu (2005). Haciendo Amigos. Ediciones DaylNet. p. 84. ISBN84-611-1498-1.
^Kootnikoff, David (2012). Bono : a biography. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood. p. 140. ISBN978-0-313-35509-7.
