How do you count this measure: dotted quarter note, 8th, 8th, dotted quarter note

I am having a tough time counting a message and I was hoping for some help.

It's in 4/4 timing. The notes go: dotted quarter, 1/8th, 1/8th, then another dotted quarter.

Mathematically they add up correctly: A dotted quarter note = 1 1/2 beats. So the two dotted quarter notes add up to 3 beats. The two 1/8ths add up to the last beat.

To count it, I would think it would be: "1 &" for the first dotted quarter note, then a "2" for the first 1/8th and a & for the second one then a "3 &" for the last dotted quarter note. That's were I get goofed up ... I'd expect to get to 4.

I assume I'm not thinking of the 1/8ths correctly.

Note: it's a measure in "Michael Row the Boat Ashore".

I'm sure it's easy so I'll throw a preemptive --- "Well Da" in to save time.

Hi Garbel, welcome to the forum.
I'll take a stab at it for you. In 4/4 time the count is 1& , 2& , 3& , 4&.
The first dotted quarter note will be (1&,2) the eighth is on the (& of 2). The second eighth is on 3. The last dotted quarter will be (& 4&).

(1&2),(&),(3),(&4&)

Bill

Bill's got it. Parentheses are a nice way to denote the timing, too.

Thanks Bill & Ralf,

Makes sense ...