Originally Posted By: Gordon Scott
I find it slightly funny that some of our band members feel that a spoken count-in sounds somehow unprofessional, so they count-in quietly.

That usually works OK, but very occasionally they're front of stage and count too quietly for the rhythm section to hear them.

Personally I think the audience probably couldn't care less about a count-in, but of course I may be wrong.


Yep.... In every band I ever played in, there was always....well almost always an audible count in and very often accompanied by the drummer smacking his sticks together. One Two, One Two Three Four...

Not one single time, I mean not ever, did anyone in the bar/club, ever say anything about the count in and that counting out loud was amateurish. Big bands and orchestras have conductors who generally count in silently, but again, they often "mouth" the words and they have a baton they use to indicate the count.

The only songs that weren't counted were the ones that had a unique and often one chord intro.... such as Lukenbach Texas, and a few other ones of similar ilk.

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