How to count Barracuda?

DiscoStu

My new band tried to play Barracuda last night but despite our years of experience we just couldn't get it to work. 
That extra beat in the verse threw us and we were coming in at different times, even the drummer, so is there an easy way to count it get us all synced?
Is it 9,8 or is it 4,5,4,4 or is it even 10,7???

digitalkettle

The verse is 4+4+4+5

There’s a big emphasis on beat two of the third bar which throws you off the scent a bit.

DiscoStu

digitalkettle said:

The verse is 4+4+4+5

I've never heard it in that count

digitalkettle

I just edited my first post to highlight a curveball.

DiscoStu

Ok, just tried to listen to in with that pattern in my head. 
It hurts!
If I focus on the drums then yeah it sounds like they're played 4,4,4,4+1 but the guitars feel really uncomfortable due to that chord change in the third bar.

octatonic

digitalkettle said:

The verse is 4+4+4+5

There’s a big emphasis on beat two of the third bar which throws you off the scent a bit.

It is really complicated to chart out.
The outro is mostly in 7/4, the solo has 7/4 sections and 4/4 sections.
It is an annoying song to have to play.
I love it though.

fastonebaz

I played it my band for a few years, I loved playing it.

DiscoStu

It's just the verse that's throwing us, the rest of it grooves and flows just fine. 

BillDL

Here's two videos by a guy called Mike Gairinsin that may be helpful:

bloodandtears

I play it my band.. I count it different to the Bass player..  for me it's all about nailing the chord change timing..  so I count it 4+5+4+4 for the verse..  Bass Player count 9 (or 3+3+3) +4+4

go figure

DiscoStu

bloodandtears said:

I play it my band.. I count it different to the Bass player..  for me it's all about nailing the chord change timing..  so I count it 4+5+4+4 for the verse..  Bass Player count 9 (or 3+3+3) +4+4

go figure

That's interesting. Hadn't thought to try it 3+3+3+4+4 but that could work ...

digitalkettle

bloodandtears said:

I play it my band.. I count it different to the Bass player..  for me it's all about nailing the chord change timing..  so I count it 4+5+4+4 for the verse..  Bass Player count 9 (or 3+3+3) +4+4

go figure

So, no matter how you get there, both of you are treating the 'toDAY' emphasis as a downbeat...whatever works, at the end of the day.

If you were listening to isolated drums (which are incredible), you'd count differently...the fill that brings in the verse is around 0:32 here:

digitalkettle

digitalkettle said:

bloodandtears said:

I play it my band.. I count it different to the Bass player..  for me it's all about nailing the chord change timing..  so I count it 4+5+4+4 for the verse..  Bass Player count 9 (or 3+3+3) +4+4

go figure

So, no matter how you get there, both of you are treating the 'toDAY' emphasis as a downbeat...whatever works, at the end of the day...

Although, that does displace the snare hits to beats 1 and 3 for the last two bars...no likey

DiscoStu

Nice find, @digitalkettle I'm sending that to my drummer! 

wibble

This guy has a good breakdown of it...

Nerine

I don’t have an issue with going to the C chord. It’s the timing of the run down immediately after that leads back to the E gallop part.