The opening track from the album Empire.
A great little track that for the most part is very straight forward….until you get to the 7/8 section in the Chorus/Interlude. This lasts through the whole of the Guitar Solo before going back to 4/4 for the Fourth Verse. The Outro is a real counting challenge as it starts in 4/4, then goes to 7/8, then alternates 7/8 & 6/8 until the final Fade Out. Phew!
Is there a “best” way to count the 7/8? NO! There are two different ways that can be suggested (and I will in a moment!) but ultimately, the way that is best is the way that works for YOU!
So what are the options? Well, the simplest is to count all of the eighth notes from 1 -7. In doing so though the challenge will be not to say both parts of the word seven as this invariably leads to playing eight due to the word containing two syllables. This is easily solved by counting “Sev” instead if “Seven”. The only thing to be aware of if doing this is that any semiquavers would then be counted as 1 & 2 & instead of 1 E & A.
Another option is to count the quavers as you would normally, so 1 & 2 & 3 & 4, missing off the “&” of 4. I’ve heard of some drummers finding this way easier as they don’t feel they loose the flow of the counting from one 4/4 bar to the 7/8.
Lastly, there is the option to “feel” the 7/8 groove by using the other instruments that are playing. This can work quite well but relies on there not being a chart to be played accurately,
Ultimately, experiment with the different ways and see which one makes the most sense to you.