Time
Begin before the first full bar
The first sound of a phrase does not have to be beat 1.
Take the guided lessonCheck yourself
A phrase begins on the & of 4. What comes immediately next?
Hear the entrance lean into 1
The excerpt contains beat 4 of the count-in followed by a full bar. The first musical attack is on & of 4; the next lands on the new 1.
Pickup followed by a full bar4/4 · Quarter-note pulse
4·Silence
&●Attack
1●Attack
&·Silence
2·Silence
&●Attack
3·Silence
&·Silence
4●Attack
&·Silence
● attack · — hold · · silence. The quiet high click is the pulse.
An incomplete opening can still be exact
A pickup, or anacrusis, is an opening before the first full downbeat. It may occupy a beat, half a beat, or another amount. Count the missing lead-in so the first full bar arrives where everyone expects it.
Some written pieces balance the incomplete opening with a shortened final bar. Do not assume every song must do so; inspect the actual phrase and notation.
Put these in order
Prepare an entrance on & of 4
- 1empty
- 2empty
- 3empty
- 4empty
What to keep
Takeaways
- The first sound and the first downbeat can be different moments.