Anyone ever really listen to those opening 8 (plus?) bars of the Eagles 'Take it Easy' and figure out what's going on there? I lose my count (and mind) every time I try to figure out if it's a 5/4 bar or a 5.25?/4 bar there.....

My band-mate and me just 'glossed over' that with some 4/4 midi programming (our performance backtrax) and never looked back. But just today, I was playing it to write out the chords for a friend and those little hairs on the back of my neck go up again with that opening.

Anyone got it worked out?

Just curious...

Martin
The_(former)_Retrofits

I believe the song starts on the "and" of 4.

4/4

http://books.google.com/books?id=Xfv3dlIKX64C&pg=PA134&dq=eagles guitar&lr=&client=firefox-a#PPA135,M1

Martin,
If you we're counting this off live on stage...
Take it easy

Hey man, may not be one hundred per cent, but just had a go at counting it. Im prettysure its just 7 bars of 4/4 (easier to count if you count in 8/8) then on the 8th bar it is abar of 9/8, then back to 4/4 me thinks.

didnt realise everyone else had posted lol, theyre probably right.

Well I hope Martin could hear my example...It's similar to "I wanna hold your hand" which starts on the "and" of 3.
If your mind thinks the first part you hear start on "one", it will drive you crazy.

RLD - well THAT explains it. I always tried to count from the opening chord-hit (as the 1) but it's exactly as you verbally laid it out.

Thanks for humouring me (everyone!).

Now that we've got THAT figured out - How about Led Zepplin's break in 'Black Dog'. That's another head-turner!! (Being Canadian - don't even MENTION Rush!! The timings they mess with - oi eh! (that's Canadian Yiddish!).

Trying to count like that, listening and playing at the same time will only set you up to crash.
Put the & on the end. :-)
1&2&3&4&
2&2&3&4&
3&2&3&4&
4&2&3&4&
5&2&3&4&
6&2&3&4&
7&2&3&4&
8&2&3&4& &1
(Put the extra & where the 1 should be)
 
 

RLD
Martin,
If you we're counting this off live on stage...
Take it easy

That's it exactly. The first guitar chord is on the off beat. Listen to the strummed acoustic, it's a straight 4/4 under that.