Songs with odd time signatures

[godspeed68]

how could i forget hella!?

cheer-accident as well.

 

[Joe Gress]

ELP

 

[Joe Gress]

Mastodon

 

[chrisisnotevil]

What are your guys thoughts on some of these odd sigs? Do you think that most bands even figure out the specific time they're in or it's just a "feel" thing on some of these weird times sigs? I have a hard time imagining a band leader saying now let's go to 23/16 than 11/3. I would think for practical purposes these would be almost impossible to count, I think most probably just memorize the pulse.

i know he's a drummer BUT;

wikipedia reckons that danny carey from tool "tries to drum to the "feel" of the song and establish general "inner pulse" for the given time signature instead of fully counting it out."

if it works for danny carey...

 

[bassman314]

i know he's a drummer BUT;

wikipedia reckons that danny carey from tool "tries to drum to the "feel" of the song and establish general "inner pulse" for the given time signature instead of fully counting it out."

if it works for danny carey...

Honestly, most alternate time signatures are usually just combinations of 2, 3, or 4.

Some examples:

Take 5 (5/4)- 123 12 123 12
Blue Rondo Ala Turk (6/8, 3/8)- 12 12 12 123 12 12 12 123 12 12 12 123 123 123 123
Eleven (11/8) - 123 123 123 12 123 123 123 12

7/4's are usually a 12 123 12 or 1234 123 or 123 1234

so even a 23/16 or something odd like that will eventually break down into groups of 2, 3, or 4

 

[kesslari]

Blue Rondo Ala Turk (6/8, 3/8)- 12 12 12 123 12 12 12 123

Actually 9/8, and based on a Turkish rhythm (hence the name) called Karshilama.
It's a dance.

Honestly, most alternate time signatures are usually just combinations of 2, 3, or 4...
so even a 23/16 or something odd like that will eventually break down into groups of 2, 3, or 4

+100 - playing odd times is not that difficult when you break it down this way.

And for fun, remember the Mexican Restaurant 11/8:
Ta-co Ta-co Burr-i-to En-chi La-da (2-2-3-2-2)

 

[Saetia]

how could i forget hella!?

cheer-accident as well.

Totally missed my mention of them on the first page

They are so wonderful.

-Benny

 

[bassman314]

Actually 9/8, and based on a Turkish rhythm (hence the name) called Karshilama.
It's a dance.

That makes SO much more sense.

And for fun, remember the Mexican Restaurant 11/8:
Ta-co Ta-co Burr-i-to En-chi La-da (2-2-3-2-2)

Off-topic (sorta) - I played a piece on hand bells that had a brazillian rhythm. 1 + a 2 + +... all on different bells, so you might be on the a of 1, or on the + of 3. We were coming up with a phrase to help feel the rhythm... "Martini Olive and"

 

[Murder_Worship]

try anything by martyr


and +1 on meshuggah

 

[Hoover]

Mahavishnu Orchestra called, they want their thread back.

 

[AlphaMale]

What are your guys thoughts on some of these odd sigs? Do you think that most bands even figure out the specific time they're in or it's just a "feel" thing on some of these weird times sigs? I have a hard time imagining a band leader saying now let's go to 23/16 than 11/3. I would think for practical purposes these would be almost impossible to count, I think most probably just memorize the pulse.






I honestly feel this song is in 3/4 but with notes played on odd beats and heavily syncopated. But that's just me.

I feel it's the easiest way for a band to seem more prog.

 

[Spedracer]

primus - eleven - 11/4
primus - hellbound 17 1/2 - 1/2 time sig.

Someone listen to Battles - Rainbow im not sure what the time signature is but there is some serious funky meter in that.

 

[pinkzepphish]

almost everything tool writes. lots of dreamtheater. but heres my favorite: one of the little ditties from msnbc is in 5/4!

 

[Freaky Fender]

No, the problem Krimson is that we'd have to list which time signature each MEMBER is playing individually.

 

[kalle74]

Deep Turtle! dead and gone, but some some songs available here:

Link Removed

 

[Slightly Basic]

Check this guy out, Dr. Zoltan.

He is the odd time signature king.

Invalid Link Removed

Also, He had me on his latest album =p

 

[*ToNeS*]

i know he's a drummer BUT;

wikipedia reckons that danny carey from tool "tries to drum to the "feel" of the song and establish general "inner pulse" for the given time signature instead of fully counting it out."

if it works for danny carey...

I met him in the toilets at a pub once (during the Aussie press for 10,000 Days) and asked him this exact question. It's true, he doesn't count at all!

 

[Geddy Claypool]

I've always been a fan of Rush's songs in 7/8 time.

Limelight
Red Barchetta
YYZ
Subdivisions (chorus in 6/8)
The Trees (the bridge portion)

etc. etc. etc....

Plus my band does a lot of weird time signatures, 6/8, 7/8, 3/4, etc.

Too right Capn, I always think of Rush first when I think of odd time sigs.

YYZ (intro)
Far Cry (pre-verse)
La Villa Strangiato (many different parts)

And such..

 

[velvetkevorkian]

As noted before , Meshuggah.

I studied a piece by Brian Ferneyhough once that was in 4/12- that almost caused a riot in the DB theory section when I posted that.

And finally, some shameless self promotion- my band's tune "The Scaven Cleaver" has a 22/8 breakdown in the middle with a 4/4 polyrhythm. Link Removed

 

[bassman314]

As noted before , Meshuggah.

I studied a piece by Brian Ferneyhough once that was in 4/12- that almost caused a riot in the DB theory section when I posted that.

And finally, some shameless self promotion- my band's tune "The Scaven Cleaver" has a 22/8 breakdown in the middle with a 4/4 polyrhythm. Link Removed

what the hell is a 12th note?