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Weirdest time signatures in traditional prog
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softandwet View Drop Down
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    Posted: October 21 2020 at 05:18
By trad prog, understand non-metal prog!

I don't know its time signature but Bearing Down's by Echolyn is quite weird.
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One of the best-known weird time signatures is Pink Floyd's  "Money" in 7/4 time, which is a time signature I'd never even heard of before. Smile
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Just go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_works_in_unusual_time_signatures

Prog, non-prog, classical, etc. All the time signatures you could ever want to know about.
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Zappa created some eye-watering time signatures. 

I remember Pye Hastings of Caravan talking about playing and recording with The New Sinfonia Orchastra. Some of the classical musicians were utterly baffled by the time signatures LOL
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Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

One of the best-known weird time signatures is Pink Floyd's  "Money" in 7/4 time, which is a time signature I'd never even heard of before. Smile

Not that unusual, they can get much weirder than that.
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Manuel View Drop Down
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Mike Kenneally has some very interesting time signature mixes in his music.
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I'm not one for counting time signatures, but if you wanna hear some rhythmic f**kery of the highest order, check out Tipographica.
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Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

I'm not one for counting time signatures, but if you wanna hear some rhythmic f**kery of the highest order, check out Tipographica.






It's very clever, but essentially pointless...
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16/8 in Firth of Fifth.
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"Living in the Past". Not many songs in 5/4 go to the top of the charts in the UK and US.
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^Sadly, only number three in the UK. I believe it topped the US charts though.
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Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

^Sadly, only number three in the UK. I believe it topped the US charts though.

By top of the charts, I meant top 10 or 20, whatever, not necessarily #1.
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Originally posted by softandwet softandwet wrote:



I don't know its time signature but Bearing Down's by Echolyn is quite weird.

It might sound weird but it's actually a fairly basic rhythm for most of the song. I'm not an expert at time signatures but I think it's 6/4 or 6/8.
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Originally posted by Blacksword Blacksword wrote:

Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

I'm not one for counting time signatures, but if you wanna hear some rhythmic f**kery of the highest order, check out Tipographica.






It's very clever, but essentially pointless...
I find Tipographica very enjoyable to listen to.  That's as much point as I'm looking for in music!
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Points: 10261 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldFriede Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 21 2020 at 08:18
The time signature in this one is at times pretty insane.


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Time changes should be, IMO, almost unnoticeable it should flow and unless you listen to count you probably don't hear it happening. There is some weird stuff out there and its weird because I think the artist is on purpose playing in odd time....trying too hard, where it does not flow. For example the Tipographica is good example that sounds like a dogs breakfast.

Tons of Genesis songs move in and out of odd and even, usually 4/4, 5/4 to 7/8. Rush Jacob's Ladder runs 5/4, 6/4, 7/4 then into 6/8 and 7/8, in this case the song flows in an excellent manner. Again if you count you will find odd times not just is prog, but its everywhere including the much hated pop genre.
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Freewill by Rush was always a cool time signature song. Not that the time signatures are that unusual but they change a lot. Alternating bars of 6/4 & 7/4 on the verse . Then a standard 4/4 in the chorus with a bar of 3/4 at the end of every four bar phrase. Then 6/8 on the guitar solo with a bar of 7/8 coming out of the solo, so there's a lot going on there.

Edited by Argo2112 - October 21 2020 at 12:33
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Originally posted by Argo2112 Argo2112 wrote:

Freewill by Rush was always a cool time signature song. Not that the time signatures are that unusual but they change a lot. Alternating bars of 6/4 & 7/4 on the verse . Then a standard 4/4 in the chorus with a bar of 3/4 at the end of every four bar phrase. The 6/8 on the guitar solo with a bar of 7/4 coming out of the solo, so there's a lot going on there.

Another good example, also another multi time change song that flows like a lazy river.....
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Points: 4136 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 21 2020 at 08:44
Stargazers by Khan is in 13/16 I think but it feels very natural.
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