Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl recently opened up about his unconventional approach to counting time signatures. He shared a humorous studio story involving Nine Inch Nails members Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross in an interview on the Tape Notes Podcast.
Grohl admitted that he has never fully understood how to count time signatures in the traditional sense. He recalled a moment during the recording of Nine Inch Nails’ ninth studio album, With Teeth, when Reznor and Ross couldn’t help but laugh at his confusion over where “the one” fell in a riff.
“I don’t really even know how to count time signatures. I know it sounds horrible for a drummer. It’s funny because people count things differently. There was once when I was recording on a Nine Inch Nails record and the riff was like — I’d go in and do a take. Trent and Atticus were there and they’d say, ‘Okay, uh let’s do one more take, but uh make sure you hit a crash on the one.’ I’m like, ‘Okay, do another take.’ Like, great. They were like, ‘Okay, just one more, but just get the crash on the one.’ I’m like, ‘Great.’ So, do it again,” Grohl said.
After several takes, Reznor and Ross finally called him into the control room to address the issue directly.
“And they’re like, ‘Come in here.’ Walk in the control room. And they’re like, ‘Tell me where you think the one is.’ And I was like — and the two of them just start laughing. ‘That’s not the one. The one is here.’ And it was on some weird side note thing that messed me up. Like, I was so confused,” he continued.
Despite the laughter, Grohl stood by his own internal sense of rhythm. He explained how difficult it is to rewire what you instinctively hear.
“And so I was like, ‘Well, that’s not my one. As long as I recognize the pattern, just tell me where to put the cymbal. I’ll put it there. But I’ve got my own one.’ You know, it’s hard to unsee something. It’s also hard to unhear something. So it’s hard to unhear the one. It’s hard to put it somewhere else,” Grohl added.
The candid admission offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creative and technical dynamics between Grohl and the Nine Inch Nails duo during their studio collaboration.
The story sheds new light on what was already a notable creative partnership between two of rock’s most distinct forces. Grohl’s involvement with Nine Inch Nails on With Teeth was far more extensive than many fans may realize. The album itself marked a significant turning point for Reznor’s band.
As detailed on nin.wiki, Grohl drummed on all but six tracks for With Teeth, making him a central figure in the album’s sonic identity. His contributions spanned some of the record’s most recognizable songs, including “The Hand That Feeds,” “Every Day Is Exactly the Same,” and “The Line Begins to Blur.” The sheer breadth of his involvement underscores just how much Reznor trusted Grohl’s instincts behind the kit — time signature confusion and all.
Louder Sound reported that Reznor’s decision to bring Grohl on board was driven by a deliberate push for a more live and human sound. This was a sharp departure from the heavily programmed textures that had defined earlier Nine Inch Nails records. Reznor reportedly appreciated Grohl’s feel and unpredictability, qualities that helped give With Teeth its raw, performance-driven energy.
Wikipedia noted that With Teeth was produced by Trent Reznor alongside long-time collaborator Alan Moulder, with Atticus Ross contributing additional programming and production. Released in 2005, the album was widely noted for its more straightforward and aggressive sound compared to previous NIN releases. Grohl’s drumming played no small part in shaping that quality.
The collaboration also came at a personally significant time for Reznor, who had gone through a period of sobriety and self-rediscovery following the grueling cycle of The Fragile. Grohl’s presence in the studio brought not only technical firepower but also a sense of spontaneity and energy that aligned with where Reznor wanted to take the band. The “one” may have been a point of confusion, but the results clearly spoke for themselves.
