dr.funk Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 One of the oddest must be Schism by Tool "the song starts in 5/4 for one measure followed by 21 measures of 6/4 (or 5/8 and 7/8 alternating), up to the first interlude, which is a bar of 3/8, three bars of 13/8, and a bar of 10/8. (This can be also interpreted as four 13/8 bars, but played with a 3/8 upbeat.) The next verse is eight bars of 6/4 followed by another interlude that fits the same pattern as the first. The next section is four bars of 6/4 followed by one bar of 11/8. Another eight-bar verse in 6/4 follows, with an interlude containing the same as before, except the final 10/8 bar is replaced with an 11/8 bar setting up the middle section, which is four bars of 7/4 before settling into a pattern of alternating 12/8 and 15/8, one bar each, twelve times. Following this, there are three bars of 4/4, a bar of 2/4, and four bars of 4/4 setting up another section, which is two bars of 9/8 followed by a bar of 10/8, that pattern again, a single bar of 9/8 followed by a 13/8 bar. This leads to an alternating set of 9/8 and 5/8, appearing four times before a bar of 9/8 and a bar of 6/8. Near the end, there is a 6/4 meter for eight bars, followed by eight bars of 4/4 to end the song. In all, the song changes meters 47 times. The band has jokingly said that the song is in "6.5/8"." [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_(song)"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schism_(song)[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 [quote name='harryharold' post='414466' date='Feb 19 2009, 04:30 PM']yeh i know, its not until you walk with it that you realise, unless its on a compilation and its called 7/4 shoreline, i hate that they do that, i missed the joy of discovering a weird time signature.[/quote] I was referring to the Birthday Party tune. Anyway, who cares. How do I get that bass sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted February 19, 2009 Share Posted February 19, 2009 I love listening to Meshuggah- most of their songs have a backbeat in 4 but with increasingly twisted rhythms in a variety of odd time signatures played against them. [shameless self promotion]If you check out my band's myspace (link in sig) "The Scaven Cleaver" has a breakdown in the middle which is a cycle of 3 bars in 5 then a bar 7, with a backbeat in 4[/shameless self promotion] I once looked at a piece by a composer named Brian Ferneyhough which was in 4/12. For those who are wondering, a 12th note is an 8th note triplet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy_Marsh Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Dillinger Escape Plan Bit of mathcore to keep you guessing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderthumbs Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 There's a couple on Sting's "Ten Summoners Tales". Seven Days has already been mentioned. Love Is Stronger Than Justice is another one (7/4) I think. Turn It On Again by Genesis is 13/8 but the bass line's not exactly demanding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foal30 Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 Senses working overtime - XTC Spectrum - Billy Cobham Lazy Snake - Dave Holland The Leak - Nate Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirky Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 (edited) [quote name='bremen' post='414455' date='Feb 19 2009, 04:19 PM']It is? I tried counting it in 4 and it just wouldn't fit. Stick it on your ipod and go for a walk, the 'one' is alternately on left and right foot. Maybe i have odd feet...[/quote] Nick the Stripper is in 5/4, and a mighty fine tune. Edited February 20, 2009 by Kirky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted February 20, 2009 Share Posted February 20, 2009 (edited) Any song that's used in an advert, as they cut out odd beats and half-beats here and there to shorten it. Current example: Suspicious Minds, can't remember what it was advertising. Really annoying example - You've got a friend off the AA adverts. Tubular Bells - main theme. I think it's 4/4 with one 3/4 bar every other time through so it drops a note. In 4/4 but doesn't seem like it - Music, by John Miles. The first instrumental section seems to be in odd timing but according to the sheet music, it's 4/4. And it's always fun to watch people try to dance to it after they've got up on the dancefloor when we're playing the first slow section. Edited February 20, 2009 by tauzero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 (edited) Late to the party again. 3 of my faves. Misturada - Hermeto Still hearing you - Huw Warren 2nd Movement 6th Symphony - Tchaikovsky Edited October 16, 2009 by owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Die to Live by Steve Vai - 7:4 most of the time but sounds as natural as breathing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassninja Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 The cat on the mixer>the gas almost works by Fairport (7/4 > 5/4) Smeceno Horo by Planxty (christ knows the sig, but rockin the uillean pipes...) [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LTeV7RUPnM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LTeV7RUPnM[/url] I hung my head by Sting is pretty cool IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 i have to play lots of jazz trombone pieces and the bassist in that band always complains about 19:8 a personal favourite 51:32 makes no sense to me could be simpler, but i guess the guy wrote it to be a b***h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 I looked at a piece by Brian Ferneyhough at uni that was in 4/12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombywoof Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 The obvious one is Money - Pink Floyd (7/8) Keep It Greasey - Frank Zappa (not got a clue how to count it) Tom Sawyer - Rush (7/8) Whipping Post - Frank Zappa (9/8)(I think!) In fact...Most of Zappa's catalogue! The Dance of Maya - Mahavishnu Orchestra (?) Sold To The Highest Buddha - Gong (?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whimsy23 Posted October 16, 2009 Share Posted October 16, 2009 Thrice have some good ones. They mess around with times a lot. Examples: 'Trust' is 5/4 (I think) verses with a 6/8 chorus. Cold Cash And Colder Hearts has a 5/4 breakdown/outro Silhouette is 6/8 (really awesome drum beat with the hi hat or cymbals doing every beat and the kick drum playing an off beat rhythm) and then has 4/4 and 7/8 parts. I think the Melting Point of Wax and Abolition Of Man have changing time sigs too. A Subtle Dagger has something in 5 too I think I could go on, they have loads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Just thought of another one that has the 4/4 - 3/4 thing, Heart of Glass - Blondie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) Music - John Miles. The opening groove is 7/4.. Then some other stuff going on after that...4/4..half time etc. Garry Edited October 17, 2009 by lowdown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Does anyone else find that they sort of "naturally" compose stuff in unusual time signatures? I do this all the time, and it's in no way contrived - I think I've just spent so many years listening to prog & the more experimental end of metal that I don't know what's "normal" any more. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 schism by tool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarPig Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 [quote name='Bassassin' post='628571' date='Oct 17 2009, 10:52 AM']Does anyone else find that they sort of "naturally" compose stuff in unusual time signatures? I do this all the time, and it's in no way contrived - I think I've just spent so many years listening to prog & the more experimental end of metal that I don't know what's "normal" any more. Jon.[/quote] Yup, but i blame my original timings on my s*** cocept of rhythm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Ocean colour scene's Riverboat song is a good one. the drummer's playing a pretty straight forward 6/8, but the tuplet* over the first 3 quavers gives the bass and rhythm guitar lines that stuttering rhythm that makes it feel like it's much more complicated. * Anti pedant note - I know the second of the tuplet quavers is split into a dotted semiquaver and semiquaver, but it's still a pair of tuplet quavers over the first half of the bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Blimey, no-one's mentioned Rush (check out Hemispheres for great examples) or Fish out of water by Chris Squire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wotnwhy Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) was introduced to this last night. the 'nobody's laughing' lyrics get a little bit tiresome. but a fantastically natural 'odd' rhythm! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRGtY_gvvYE"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRGtY_gvvYE[/url] Edited October 17, 2009 by wotnwhy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingdownslow Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 (edited) "Deserted Cities Of The Heart" by Cream. The third bar in four is in 3/4 for part of the verse, but feels natural. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho-teZSjgZY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho-teZSjgZY[/url] Edited October 17, 2009 by goingdownslow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I see that "Take 5" has already been mentioned, but I'll add "Unsquare Dance", also from Dave Brubeck. In 7/8 at a nice tempo. With spoons, too! Otherwise, check out Tool (Generally) as they love to mix it up a bit, in spite of the fact that I think that they're better when they stick to 4/4 (Stinkfist, for example) Is it me or do many odd signatures not flow as well as even ones? "Money" is a bit of an exception. Two others that spring to mind; "Golden Brown" by the Stranglers and "(I want to be) An American)" from West Side Story (? Musicals not a strong suit!), which are very strange! Did I really just cite Brubeck, Tool, The Stranglers and Bernstein/Sondheim in one post? [gets coat!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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