Take It Easy by The Eagles

[EdenDub]

Hi all ,

I am drumming for a neighbours " Blues Covers " band next week and one of the songs we are doing is Take It Easy .

I can't get the drum intro right !

What was that guy on ?

here's a link to the tune

http://minorcrisis.net/files/101-eagles-take_it_easy-legacymp3.mp3

[GRUNTERSDAD]

All I am hearing is, snare tom, tom, bass. not too difficult.

[EdenDub]

It's the timing that is cocking me up !

Maybe it is just me , I am well out of practice !!

[PreppieNerd]

It does sound really off. How picky are they about getting it right with the recording? I'm sure you could just play something like what gruntersdad said and just line it up with the 16th notes.

[IDDrummer]

I think the guitar part is throwing you off. The drum part is simply Snare Tom Snare, eighth notes starting on the & of the three. The guitar intro sounds like the heaviest accents are on the downbeat, but they are not, they are on the upbeat.

[EdenDub]

I have adapted to fit and none of the rest of the band have noticed I am not quite there ( or at least they haven't said anything ) but it was just bugging me !!

[gmrakich]

I have adapted to fit and none of the rest of the band have noticed I am not quite there ( or at least they haven't said anything ) but it was just bugging me !!

It sounds like the last measure is 9/8....snare tom on 8...snare tom on nine and crashing on 1. It WAS the 70's....: )

[EdenDub]

It sounds like the last measure is 9/8....snare tom on 8...snare tom on nine and crashing on 1. It WAS the 70's....: )

Brilliant . So I am not losing my touch after all !!

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w13/EdenDubanders/jiggy.gif

[Skitch]

I am assuming that the beginning (intro) is what is throwing you? The electric guitar hits are on the "and" of beat four (noy in 9/8) and this is what is throwing you.



Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
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[jangus]

I think of the last measure as 9/8 as the guitar is playing 1 - ne 2 - ne 3 an ne if my counting system makes sense to you.

[djp132]

The last measure is 9/8.

Count the song off in 4, the MAIN guitar chords will all fall on 1. A second acoustic guitar plays some offbeat accents underneath. When you get to the very last measure simply add a single eighth note.

on counts 7 8 9 - snare tom snare. the rest of the song is in straight 4/4.

I covered this tune a few years ago and ran into the same snag while learning that intro. I guess we'll never know what they were thinking when they wrote and recorded that song, especially regarding that strange little "hiccup" the intro gives us in the last measure. Great song.

Derrick

[Muckster]

I just listened to the track (t's been a few years). There's no odd time happening, just a beat displacement. The tune is in 4/4.

And as mentioned above, the tune starts out on the and of four. All guitar accents are on the and of four. The second guitar gives you a hint at the time signature because it's all eighth notes

The drum part is nothing more than three eighth notes starting on the and of three like this: "and four and"

[Muckster]

The last measure is 9/8.

Count the song off in 4, the MAIN guitar chords will all fall on 1. A second acoustic guitar plays some offbeat accents underneath. When you get to the very last measure simply add a single eighth note.

on counts 7 8 9 - snare tom snare. the rest of the song is in straight 4/4.

I covered this tune a few years ago and ran into the same snag while learning that intro. I guess we'll never know what they were thinking when they wrote and recorded that song, especially regarding that strange little "hiccup" the intro gives us in the last measure. Great song.

Derrick


I just looked at a transcript in an old eagles song book i have. It's for guitar and voice. It's all in 4/4 http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0042300

[Flamacue]

I just listened to the track (t's been a few years). There's no odd time happening, just a beat displacement. The tune is in 4/4.

And as mentioned above, the tune starts out on the and of four. All guitar accents are on the and of four. The second guitar gives you a hint at the time signature because it's all eighth notes

The drum part is nothing more than three eighth notes starting on the and of three like this: "and four and"

I was going to argue with you, in that the measures sound like a cut time 2/4 (I think that's right), with one measure ending in 5/8, hence where everyone else is counting a 9/8 could still be correct if they were starting out in 4/4. I never considered the guitar strum on the and of 4...good call...confirmed with notation.

And as simple as it sounds, I think counting the guitar note on the down beat (1), and adding the 5/8 (or 9/8) measure is easier to count than to put that damn note on the and of four where it actually is...[grin]

[Muckster]

I was going to argue with you, in that the measures sound like a cut time 2/4 (I think that's right), with one measure ending in 5/8, hence where everyone else is counting a 9/8 could still be correct if they were starting out in 4/4. I never considered the guitar strum on the and of 4...good call...confirmed with notation.

And as simple as it sounds, I think counting the guitar note on the down beat (1), and adding the 5/8 (or 9/8) measure is easier to count than to put that damn note on the and of four where it actually is...[grin]

Starting out on the and of four is how Jackson Browne and Glen Frey wrote it.

But yes you could count that last bar as 9/8. All that matters is everyone getting back to "one."

When i first listened to this track, i kept noticing that i was off by an eighth note. I then concluded that they must have started off the tune on the and of four.

[Steady Freddy]

Starting out on the and of four is how Jackson Browne and Glen Frey wrote it.


I agree, The song starts on the and of 4. If you count the first note as a down beat you'd have a measure of odd time.

The Eagles just weren't an odd time kind of band.

[djp132]

If that is the way they did write it, then I stand corrected.

I've listened to the song's intro repeatedly and I still find the 9/8 interpretation much easier to follow. It doesn't make much sense that the eagles would have a completely random bar of 9/8 in a completely random place, so from a logical and notational perspective I can understand the + of 4 interpretation. Based on what I hear when I listen to it though, it sounds and feels like 9/8.

Which ever works for you. This is such a great song!

Derrick

[Muckster]

If that is the way they did write it, then I stand corrected.

I've listened to the song's intro repeatedly and I still find the 9/8 interpretation much easier to follow. It doesn't make much sense that the eagles would have a completely random bar of 9/8 in a completely random place, so from a logical and notational perspective I can understand the + of 4 interpretation. Based on what I hear when I listen to it though, it sounds and feels like 9/8.

Which ever works for you. This is such a great song!

Derrick


Right on Derrick, either way we come out the same. My twisted mind loves the and of four method (insert evil laugh), It would probably be easier with most bands if the last bar was counted in 9/8 but i'm staying loyal to the chart. And Yes it is a great song!!!!

[Skitch]

I agree, The song starts on the and of 4. If you count the first note as a down beat you'd have a measure of odd time.

The Eagles just weren't an odd time kind of band.


And many of the bands I have played this song with screw it up and start on the downbeat anyway, so you may be sweating it for nothing! The Eagles are one of Rolling Stone Magazines100 immortal music acts of all time!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
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