How to count?

Question:

How to count?

How do you count 8th and 16th notes? I think it's something like 1ea or something like that? What does "e" and "a" stand for? Is there a meaning behind it?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The art of subdividing:

All percussionists have to do it, the ones that don't you see on cymbals...

The 'e' and 'a' are just easy syllables to use and hence why they are used. Also a 'west coast' way of saying it would be placing a 't' before every syllable so it would be as. (1 te tay ta, 2 te tay ta ... etc.)

For counting 8th notes, use: 1 and, 2 and, 3 and... etc.

For counting 16th notes, use: 1 e, and, a... 2 e and a, 3 e and a, etc...

Further, you can learn words that work with these patterns such as:

blueberry: An 8th note connected to 2 16th notes,

apple pie: 2 16 notes connected to an 8th note.

I am: 8th notes

I: quarter notes

That helps with subdividing as well.

Hope all that helps