Clever time signature changes.

[bubinga5]

It was Money by Pink Floyd that brought me to this thought. Its very clever. 7/4 going into a 4/4  rock and back and forth they go. What and where did they get this inspiration from.??? Ive always loved the record. Incredibly interesting music that im still discovering today. Always makes me laugh when people start to bob there head when the 4/4 kicks in but are confused by the 7/4 time.  Can anyone think of other records that chang time signatures like this. It does make for a roller coster ride rhythmically.. 

 

[SpondonBassed]

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

(EJ version just for a laugh)

Edited March 2, 2019 by SpondonBassed

[DaveFry]

Golden Brown
White Room

[paul_5]

Lateralus by Tool is almost entirely in 5/4. Amazing album.

 

’Driven’ by Rush swaps between 4/4, 7/8 and 3/4 before even hitting the chorus. 

 

[Daz39]

2 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Lateralus by Tool is almost entirely in 5/4. Amazing album.

 

’Driven’ by Rush swaps between 4/4, 7/8 and 3/4 before even hitting the chorus. 

 

Carve away the Stone from the same album manages 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4 (i think 7/4 as well).

Most of the Awake album by Dream Theater is a random foray into odd-time.

[jacko]

3 minutes ago, Daz39 said:

Carve away the Stone from the same album manages 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4 and 6/4 (i think 7/4 as well).

Most of the Awake album by Dream Theater is a random foray into odd-time.

Surely all of Dream Theater's albums are random forays into odd time signatures.  Now and again I get the feeling they're just taking the fosters.

[paul_5]

5 minutes ago, jacko said:

Surely all of Dream Theater's albums are random forays into odd time signatures.  Now and again I get the feeling they're just taking the fosters.

Yes, DT always come across as trying too hard to me; technicality doesn’t always equal musicality...

[paul_c2]

The ending section(s) of Spinning Wheel are pretty bonkers. From the regular 4/4, it goes into 3/4  --> 9/8 --> 6/8 --> 9/8 --> 6/8 --> 12/8 etc

[BassTractor]

I hear there's a song called "Take Four", which is written in 4/4.
Clever.
No changes though, but then again we're on BC. 😉

Edited March 3, 2019 by BassTractor

[musicbassman]

If the time signature is the main thing you remember about a song then I would guess that the song may be rather weak.

Here's an example where you only become aware of the 5/4 time as the song progresses - it doesn't bite your face off as soon as you hear it, it just feels natural.

From the very wonderful Cardiacs - here's 'Day is Gone'.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

Waltz time is sadly much neglected in Rock but it surprising who has dabbled (Sabbath, Stranglers etc. etc.)

Golden Brown is a lovely example of a wonderful song that did well in the charts that alternated bars of 5/4 and 4/4 making it compelling to hear but virtually impossible to dance to.

There are some nice early Tull songs in 3/4 and 5/4, also a tendency to stick in bars with the odd extra note. Zeppelin do very odd things with Page and Jones' parts shifting around relative to Bonham's drumming on some tracks.

Most early Yes and Genesis...

Then there's YYZ by Rush*...

 

*Listening to 13 today I noticed one track has several short spiky passages in 6/8 which are very reminiscent of YYZ, surely a  coincidence.

[bubinga5]

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by bubinga5

[timhiggins]

I love the way Herbie uses different time signitures for the tune and not just to be flash 

 

[timhiggins]

This is another of my favourites to play ..groove starts about 1min40

 

[Islander]

Selecter's On My Radio was 7/4 IIRC

[Rich]

1 hour ago, bubinga5 said:

 

I adore this song. Such a beautifully sparse arrangement. I could quite happily listen to just Vinnie Colaiuta's drum part, it is sublime.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Waltz time is sadly much neglected in Rock but it surprising who has dabbled (Sabbath, Stranglers etc. etc.)

I can't think of any Sabbath in waltz time...

[Frank Blank]

Have some 9/8...

 

[paul_c2]

"Never Loved a Man" by Aretha Franklin is in 9/8.

[steantval]

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by steantval

[Stub Mandrel]

10 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I can't think of any Sabbath in waltz time...

For some reason I was thinking of Planet Caravan, but its 4/4. Computer God has some 7/8 in it and there's the example off 13 which has 6/8 in it.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

22 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

For some reason I was thinking of Planet Caravan, but its 4/4. Computer God has some 7/8 in it and there's the example off 13 which has 6/8 in it.

Any waltz time though? Perhaps the intro to Behind The Wall Of Sleep. 

[Skinnyman]

Turn it on again by Genesis. Timing is all over the place but, like Money, you don't notice till you try and tap your feet.

We used to play it - or try to - and it defeated the drummer every time

Edited March 3, 2019 by Skinnyman

[lowdown]

 Blondie went from 4/4 into 3/4 a couple of times in 'Heart Of Glass'.

 

Richard Harris' MacArthur Park was littered with various time signatures and tempos.

Maynard Ferguson's MacArthur Park was slightly different, it had 4/4, 3/4 2/4, 5/4, 6/4 and double time swing (including 3/2, along with the extended solos).

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by lowdown

[Woodinblack]

Funnily enough, money is the only bad song on dark side for me.

 

But for time signature changes where they are needed, rather than for the sake of it, it has to be Schism by tool