Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] time signatures

[name removed] example@example.com
Wed, 21 May 2003 18:38:50 +1000


6/8 and 3/4  are very common time signatures!!!
anything that is a waltz feel is this kind of time
signature (and believe me this is no great
achievement as i write about 30% of my tunes in
these time signatures!). I do remember the drummer
on my first CD saying "Damien i have a three song
limit when it comes to 6/8's or 3/4's!". That drummer
was Michael Barker and you might know him from
  his great work on Neil Finn's first solo album.
  Michael did have some cool Neil Finn & Jim stories...
  Saying that every time Neil can't write a song he buys
  a new instrument that he has never played before
  and that will inspire at least two new songs. He also
  said that Jim forces himself to master a new
  instrument every year!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Back to wacky time signatures though......

   Oils:
   Run By Night 4/4 last bar 6/8
    Stand In Line 4/4    2/4  and 6/8
    No Time For Games 7/4 and 2/4
    Read About It   7/4     6/4 and 4/4
    Tin Legs  4/4   and 6/4
    Short Memory  3/4

   That's just a few examples
   Now for those folks going wtf?
   I will make this clear that this is as boring as fuck
   and i personally don't count bars i just watch the
   singer for counterpoints and play off the rhythm
   section (i think the feel is better that way rather
   than getting to cerebral about it and trying to be
   clever for the sake of impressing a jazz muso or
   something).

    You will find most pop songs to be in 4/4 time
  (also known as common time) the first value
  indicates the amount of times the beat happens
  per bar and the second indicates the value of the
  note,  so 4/4 = four quarter note beats per bar.
  you can count it too 4/4= 1,2,3,4.
  6/8 = Six eighth note beats per bar (1,2,3,4,5,6).

  Rob's drum beat per bar for the start of No Time For
  Games is....(the song is in 7/4 time).

   (example is of one 7/4 bar)

   High Hat         |--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x---|
   Snare Drum   |-------x--------x--------x----------|
                                |-------------------------------------|
   Bass Drum      |--x--------x--------x--------x------|
                                |-------------------------------------|
    Beats...                  1     2      3      4     5      6      7

    The High Hat is playing eighth notes (2 per beat, 14 per bar)
    The Bass Drum is playing quarter notes (on 1st, 2rd, 5th & 7th
    beats only)
    The Snare Drum is playing quarter notes (on 2nd, 4th and 6th
    beats only)

  Hope this clears up the analytical musical part of powderworks
  for a while.......

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