Odd Time Signatures

The apocalype breaks donw to an actual division of 4 + 2 + 3 /8, but since the 4, 2, 3 groupings repeat consistently throughout the section the time signature is given as 9/8.

Yeah, odd meters are fun.

I remember listening to Rush when I was real young, before I knew about time signatures and just figured that everything was in 4, but that they either added or subtracted a beat here and there.  Since then, I've learned to look for the patterns and it is a lot of fun.

Chameleon,

My mistake. You were right it should be 3+2+4 / 8. I apologize for the confusion.

If you look at how you set it up you can see it. Two bass drum and one snare=3. One bass drum and one snare= 2. Three bass drum and one snare=4. 3+2+4/8 with each beat being an eigth note.

If you're determined enought you can count all the way throughit, but Phil gets all off the beats as the thing progresses and makes it harder than you think to count. I gotta believe that Tony and Mike probably wanted to hurt him at times for stuff like that.

lol if you want crazy time signatures and ryhthm patterns to put your head in a spin

listen to Meshuggah- I


or Future Breed Machine is another good choice



basically they make Genesis look like fools when it comes to time signatures, actually they pretty much make everyone look like fools in that regard.


oh and a disclaimer:

You probably wont like them because you will be closed - minded since they have the world "metal" as a genre title. As I normally say to such people, anyone who think metal is simplistic needs only to listen to Meshuggah intently to understand metal is not always that way, and you are stereotyping an entire genre of interesting music, making yourself look like an idiot.

pick up Chaosphere, I, or Future Breed Machine for some crazy use of time signatures.


Edited by OpethGuitarist - August 27 2006 at 03:10

how about the dillinger escape plan for some wacky time signatures?

The Middle Section Of "Keep it Greasey" By Frank Zappa is mind blowing

I love odd time sigs and the sort. I always look for them in music.

earlier caravan makes great use of odd times, most of the time you can't even tell, i like that.

Most of what I heard from Meshuggah is in 4/4 with way over the top syncopation

One thing I can't stand is bands using time signatures with little or no melodic development and just tastelessly pounding out the time signature almost as if to say "hey look we're playing in 7/8!", anyone can add or take away an eighth note or two, the real skill comes in actually feeling the time signature and playing comfortably. The musical phrasings should dictate what type of rhythms should be used, not the other way around - it's no wonder that many bands wind up sounding like droning machines rather than actually conveying musical ideas. I'm not refering to any band in particular here, but it seems to be like some sort of trend - to grind out those weird time signatures without the music to back it up.

Hierophant wrote: Most of what I heard from Meshuggah is in 4/4 with way over the top syncopation One thing I can't stand is bands using time signatures with little or no melodic development and just tastelessly pounding out the time signature almost as if to say "hey look we're playing in 7/8!", anyone can add or take away an eighth note or two, the real skill comes in actually feeling the time signature and playing comfortably. The musical phrasings should dictate what type of rhythms should be used, not the other way around - it's no wonder that many bands wind up sounding like droning machines rather than actually conveying musical ideas. I'm not refering to any band in particular here, but it seems to be like some sort of trend - to grind out those weird time signatures without the music to back it up.