Hurry-and-wait pulse
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. One of the root note patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. It plays one note, C (little finger, 5).
Count and play
Count "1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1, 1a and 2& and hold it.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: G. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Hurry-and-wait pulse on piano?
Three quick notes rush out early, then the bass waits for the next bar. The root alone in a fixed rhythm, octave jumps optional. The piano version of a kick-drum pattern. Musicians call it root bass, 1, 1a, 2&.
Is Hurry-and-wait pulse hard to play?
It is a beginner pattern. Play it with your left hand alone at 60% speed until it feels steady, then add the other hand.
Which songs use Hurry-and-wait pulse?
With You by Jessica Simpson, Ordinary People by John Legend and Hey Jude by The Beatles use Hurry-and-wait pulse. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.