A question about time signatures in Styx songs.
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Topic: A question about time signatures in Styx songs.
Posted By: Iacób
Subject: A question about time signatures in Styx songs.
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 13:04
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I would greatly appreciate it, if any of you could tell me the time signatures in every Styx song up to Pieces of Eight. |
Replies:
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 13:23
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Wow, every song?? I would contact Rick Beato on his YT channel. The guy is excellent at explaining song structures, one of the best out there. -------------   
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Posted By: Iacób
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 13:34
| Well at least every song from the albums Styx 2, Man of Miracles, Equinix, Crystal Ball, Grand Illusion, and Pieces of Eight. Thanks for the suggestion. |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 13:49
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Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 13:51
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Damn. I need to do a Styx binge. Such a great band. But don't stop at Pieces. Cornerstone is great. |
Posted By: ForestFriend
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 15:13
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Well, Come Sail Away is in 4/4 all the way through; there's a start for you! I'm not too familiar with Styx, but I've never really known them for experimenting with a lot of time signatures. It's a bit of a tall order to ask for an analysis of every single song within a certain time period - unless you're talking to a drummer in a Styx tribute band, I don't think many people are going to be that dedicated to the music of Styx to have an answer for you. You might get better results if you count along yourself and ask for help regarding specific songs that you're unsure of. ------------- https://borealkinship.bandcamp.com/releases" rel="nofollow - My prog band - Boreal Kinship |
Posted By: Iacób
Date Posted: September 29 2019 at 15:48
| Yeah I guess I'll have to go figure this out for myself. Thanks for the replies, I'm gonna go listen to Cornerstone right now. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: September 30 2019 at 05:36
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My guess is that Styx rarely wrote songs other than 4/4, though maybe the first Styx album (their proggiest) could hold some surprises I mean I could be wrong about this, but I suspect that the Panozzo brothers and the band as a whole were probably not able (at least consciously) to play in any other rhythms... Or maybe didn't care to. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: September 30 2019 at 07:04
I think you're right Hugues. I listened to Cornerstone (well about half of it as I couldn't stand any more) and there was no sign of anything as complicated as a 3/4, let alone anything as proggy as a 9/8. Far too AOR for that.
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Sean Trane wrote:Posted By: Davesax1965
Date Posted: September 30 2019 at 09:16
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If you're asking.... you can't hear it. If you can't hear it, you'll have problems playing it. ;-) Seriously. Count it out. You can learn how to count time signatures or you can ask what signature every tune you're going to play is in. The former method is actually easier, in the long run. ------------- |
Posted By: Iacób
Date Posted: September 30 2019 at 09:42
| Yeah I can do it, just not very well. But I thank I've been able to figure out songs, I believe that the chorus in Superstars is 3/4 then 4/4 or 7/4, and the same in the verse for Rock & Roll Feeling |
Posted By: craigtnt
Date Posted: May 15 2024 at 19:40
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Styx has actually done a number of songs in time signatures other than 4/4. Starting with “A Day” on Styx II that starts in 4/4 and the first solo section (guitar duo)is in 6/8 then the keyboard solo is 5/8… Fooling Yourself from The Grand Illusion starts with a strong 6/8 keyboard intro and the verses and chorus are in 4/4 but the keyboard solo is in 7/4, the end of the solo is in 4/4 and then it goes back into the chorus but the ending does the intro again in 6/8 then breaks into a strict 3/8 or 12/8. Come Sail Away does stay in 4/4 during the surreal keyboard solo, but it’s not a typical 4/4 it’s more like a 3/4 3/4 2/4 feel which adds up to 2 measures of 4/4. Sing for the Day is in 6/8 with some very tough keyboard work. Pieces of 8, the song, sounds like it changes a lot but it really stays in 4/4, but they just change the feel of what the feel basically cutting it in half but if you tap the same beat from the start, it stays the whole time. Cornerstone has an interesting intro with Borrowed Time, but it’s just accents that make it seem like it goes 3 3 2 which is a typical accent pattern. Paradise Theatre: Snowblind is in 6/8… kind of a bluesy “2”. Rocking the Paradise does have that 123 123 123 123 123 123 hit hit hit…. Hit booom whatcha doing…. But it’s still just 4/4. Kilroy Was Here had “Haven’t We Been Here Before” in 3/4, rare for Styx I don’t think Styx was ever after purposely creating songs in anything other than 4/4. I believe they just wrote what sounded good to them. Tommy Shaw had a tendency to like 6/8 even with his stuff after Styx’s main run through 1983z |