Comments | moominmolly: time signatures?

moominmolly

time signatures?

Sep 20, 2010 17:51

Natalie loves music, and talking about how it sounds and feels and what it reminds her of. Talking about different kinds of voices and words and instruments and tempos is pretty easy, so that's usually how it goes. But I'd also like to start teaching her about different time signatures ( Read more... )

natalie, parenting, music

Comments 36

mzrowan September 20 2010, 21:57:07 UTC

I was pretty sure I remembered some friends talking about the unusual time signatures in some Sting songs and sure enough, googling for "sting time signatures" brought up the wikipedia page of Western musical works in unusual time signatures. Sting's Seven Days is in 5/4, St. Augustine In Hell is in 7/8, and most of I Was Brought To My Senses is in 7/4. There are, of course, lots and lots of other examples there.

Edit: Huh, the Mission Impossible theme is in 5/4! I'll have to remember that if I ever want an example that I can hum off the top of my head.

moominmolly September 20 2010, 22:06:04 UTC

Oh, I saw the page, I was just wondering if people had favorite examples. As you noticed, the list is enormous. :)

Sting is helpful! I think Sting might be totally up N's musical alley.

spike September 20 2010, 23:08:34 UTC

They "fixed" the Mission Impossible theme song when they did the movies a few years ago to 4/4 so that it was more radio- and dance- friendly.

signsoflife September 21 2010, 02:22:47 UTC

Perhaps "altered"* is a more exact word?

Thread 6

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moominmolly September 20 2010, 22:17:49 UTC

Thanks! Cool.

ceelove September 21 2010, 00:24:32 UTC

I own it.

artricia September 23 2010, 13:50:33 UTC

And now I know why I love Dave Brubeck so much.

I think maybe Led Zepplin's "The Bridge," but I never really liked it that much.

Enya seems to have a lot of 3/4, but I'm unsure that 3/4 counts as unusual.

Phish must have some. Stephen LOVES Phish.

clara_girl September 20 2010, 22:04:19 UTC

isn't mission impossible in 5/4? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3... dum, dum, DUM. yep. :)

moominmolly September 20 2010, 22:18:24 UTC

Ha, that's useful!

laurenhat September 20 2010, 22:05:32 UTC

"Solsbury Hill" is in 7/4 -- at least the original Peter Gabriel version; some covers changed it to 4/4. A number of Rush songs are in, or switch in and out of, funky time signatures.

moominmolly September 20 2010, 22:06:46 UTC

Wheee!

bluepapercup September 20 2010, 22:44:53 UTC

I was also going to suggest Rush!

coyotegoth September 20 2010, 22:12:24 UTC

Well, for 3/4, you can't beat "Norwegian Wood." My roommate is a musician, and he gave the following off-the-cuff list:

Allman Brothers- "Whipping Post" (11/4)
Metallica- "Blackened" (6/4 verse, 4/4 chorus)
Nick Drake- "River Man" (5/4)
Pink Floyd- "Money" (7/4)
Captain Beefheart- Anything. Seriously, he had the strangest time signatures EVER.

moominmolly September 20 2010, 22:19:28 UTC

Thanks! I will have to look up that Metallica song in particular. And I'm not sure I've ever listened to captain beefheart...

coyotegoth September 20 2010, 22:31:47 UTC

Yup- not all of the Captain's work is kid-friendly, upon reflection (I was speed-typing that list as he rattled it off), but she might like "Big-Eyed Beans From Venus." Hope this helps!