Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69410 Printed Date: August 15 2025 at 21:32 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Most time signature changes in a song?Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Subject: Most time signature changes in a song?
Date Posted: July 20 2010 at 21:15
What do you think it is? The most I know of is in Dream Theater's "Dance Of Eternity."
Edit: Thought I was in Top 10's when I posted this. Oh well I guess I'll wait till it's moved.
Replies: Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: July 20 2010 at 21:34
how many are there in Seven is a Jolly Good Time?
Posted By: Noak
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 09:45
Not actually Prog, but I happen to be sitting here with a page from the sheet music of ''Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet'' by Stravinsky. It changes almost every bar: 2/4, 5/8, 2/4, 5/8, 7/8 for two bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 3/8, 2/4, 5/8 for two bars, 3/4, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8 for three bars, 3/4 (6/8), 5/8 for two bars, 6/8, 7/8, 2/4 for two bars, 3/8, 3/4, 5/8.
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 09:49
I have heard that In the Glass House - Gentle Giant have somthing around 10 different time changes during the hole song
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 10:00
I don't know if it constitutes a record holder but Dixie Dregs' Odyssey seems to have quite a few.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
Posted By: Noak
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 12:12
aginor wrote:
I have heard that In the Glass House - Gentle Giant have somthing around 10 different time changes during the hole song
It mostly changes between 3/4 and 4/4. Then, at some points, it switches to 2/4, 5/4, 7/4 and 9/4.
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 12:24
I don't know about the most in a song, but the coolest sounding time signature change is when it changes to 4/4 in Pink Floyd's Money
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 17:52
^^ Agreed.
In case anyone is wondering, The Dance Of Eternity has 104 time signature changes in the 6 and a half minute song. Anyone know anything with more?
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 17:55
Limo Wreck by Soundgarden have a 17/8 in the verse I dont know what in the corouse or much else but that song is amazing with all its time sigs.
Posted By: Rabid
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 19:54
Mattias IA Ecklundh - Freak Guitar - The Road Less Traveled - There's No Money in Jazz.
Music to dislocate your limbs to......mental !!
------------- "...the thing IS, to put a motor in yourself..."
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 19:59
oh and Alian Hip Hop by Planet X - try to count that one you will get dizz lizz in yore zizzy
Posted By: topofsm
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 20:00
I'd wager something by Behold... The Arctopus. I wouldn't know how many times they change time signature but that's cause I can rarely keep a grip on one.
DT may have one Dance of Eternity but BTA lives in a territory just beyond that complexity.
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Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: July 21 2010 at 20:10
Noak wrote:
Not actually Prog, but I happen to be sitting here with a page from the sheet music of ''Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet'' by Stravinsky. It changes almost every bar: 2/4, 5/8, 2/4, 5/8, 7/8 for two bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 3/8, 2/4, 5/8 for two bars, 3/4, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8 for three bars, 3/4 (6/8), 5/8 for two bars, 6/8, 7/8, 2/4 for two bars, 3/8, 3/4, 5/8.
I once took a conducting class that required me to conduct part of the Rite of Spring. It was really hard because the time signature changed almost every bar just like this.
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Posted By: Kazza3
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 06:15
Noak wrote:
Not actually Prog, but I happen to be sitting here with a page from the sheet music of ''Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet'' by Stravinsky. It changes almost every bar: 2/4, 5/8, 2/4, 5/8, 7/8 for two bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 3/8, 2/4, 5/8 for two bars, 3/4, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8 for three bars, 3/4 (6/8), 5/8 for two bars, 6/8, 7/8, 2/4 for two bars, 3/8, 3/4, 5/8.
Excellent, excellent piece of music. But the movements 2 & 3 are insane to play.
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 06:57
It's probably some mad Behold The Arctopus style band where you almost can't even describe it as a time change because they were barely playing in one meter before they moved to another.
I know the drummer from Planet X can barely go a couple of bars without getting bored and varying what he's doing.
Posted By: daslaf
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 14:01
Noak wrote:
aginor wrote:
I have heard that In the Glass House - Gentle Giant have somthing around 10 different time changes during the hole song
It mostly changes between 3/4 and 4/4. Then, at some points, it switches to 2/4, 5/4, 7/4 and 9/4.
In the official GG website you can find a lot of sheet music, including In a Glass House...
------------- But now my branches suffer
And my leaves don't bear the glow
They did so long ago
Posted By: Citizen Erased
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 16:29
I'm sure I counted about 27 in an Oceansize song once. Can't remember which one though.
------------- And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good
<a href="www.last.fm/user/jonzo67" targe
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 16:30
Noak wrote:
Not actually Prog, but I happen to be sitting here with a page from the sheet music of ''Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet'' by Stravinsky. It changes almost every bar: 2/4, 5/8, 2/4, 5/8, 7/8 for two bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 3/8, 2/4, 5/8 for two bars, 3/4, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8, 2/4 for three bars, 5/8 for three bars, 3/4 (6/8), 5/8 for two bars, 6/8, 7/8, 2/4 for two bars, 3/8, 3/4, 5/8.
Thank you for showing some people that "progressive" ... can be about the time signatures.
Sadly ... no one is talking what they feel and see when they hear it, because if it weren't for that, someone would have said Stravinsky and Dream Theater are nothing but jerks trying to make do and call whatever they do "music".
The point is, that when you see something, there is no right or wrong, and time signature is not necessarily the issue ... the feel behind it is!
To me, and to those that EVER ... studied the history of music, it was about the music ... and the transcription came later. So, I tend to say that if one is looking for the time changes, they can not feel the music much ... that's not to say they can't "trip" with the music!
Reminds me of my favorite example in "Amadeus" ... when all is said and done, the only thing that the King and his kissers can say is ... "too many notes" ... and pretty soon someone is going to say that what separates "progressive" from "rock'n'roll" is the number of time changes!
Yeah!
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com
Posted By: Fieldofsorrow
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 16:40
Planet X has a lot of changes, that's for sure. I wish Virgil made it groove a little though - it's SO stiff. Similarly, I can't get much of a feel for most of those extreme metal bands who have sought to raise the bar since Dream Theater's heyday, mainly through the medium of rapid metric shifting and rhythmic spasms.
Anyway, most of all it's hard to say, but within the rock/metal world, maybe... Blotted Science?
------------- Groovy teenage rock with mild prog tendencies: http://www.myspace.com/omniabsenceband
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 17:06
^ and Virgil Donati claims he is a fan of Jeff Porcaro (I don't belive him)
Posted By: Fieldofsorrow
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 17:11
^ You're joking! Wouldn't have suspected it for a minute.... I'd love to hear someone like Gavin Harrison work withPlanet X - he could make it a lot more musical, I think.
------------- Groovy teenage rock with mild prog tendencies: http://www.myspace.com/omniabsenceband
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 17:19
yeah that would be great but will never happen Virgil is Planet X he is the carpenter who builds the songs and the matematician who solves the equations.
Gavis is also influenced by Jeff (and Steve Gadd)
Posted By: Textbook
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 17:41
Yeah Planet X are an odd one. On paper they're exactly what prog fans want but in practice it's stiff and souless and a bit dull. I mean Virgil has technical skills to burn but he's just no fun.
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 22 2010 at 19:32
It is imposible to think of time signature withoud hinting this song
wait until it 3.04 sick
try headbang to that
Posted By: Fieldofsorrow
Date Posted: July 23 2010 at 02:39
Yeah, of course. Virgil is the main songwriter and all - that's why my hypothesis will always remain a hypothesis...
That's an awesome Gojira track! I never checked their older stuff out before - maybe I ought to after hearing that.
------------- Groovy teenage rock with mild prog tendencies: http://www.myspace.com/omniabsenceband
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: July 24 2010 at 02:04
topofsm wrote:
I'd wager something by Behold... The Arctopus. I wouldn't know how many times they change time signature but that's cause I can rarely keep a grip on one.
DT may have one Dance of Eternity but BTA lives in a territory just beyond that complexity.
Posted By: scatterplot1
Date Posted: July 24 2010 at 03:04
Since Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick" was basically supposed to be one song......I'd go for that.
Posted By: Jörgemeister
Date Posted: July 24 2010 at 10:30
Textbook wrote:
It's probably some mad Behold The Arctopus style band where you almost can't even describe it as a time change because they were barely playing in one meter before they moved to another.
I know the drummer from Planet X can barely go a couple of bars without getting bored and varying what he's doing.
Virgil Donati, f**k yeah! one of his projects "On the Virg" is also very complex, tho idk about signature changes...
-------------
I Could have bought a Third World country with the riches that I've spent
Posted By: TheOppenheimer
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 23:00
did anyone try Panzerballet (prog jazz fusion metal)? those guys are f**king crazy, try it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BOdsj-nJdM
------------- ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A veces es cuestión de esperar, y tomarte en silencio.
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: July 27 2010 at 00:13
Love that Gojira track.
Oh, and I think Schism by Tool has 40-odd time signature changes.
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Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: August 02 2010 at 13:40
Noak wrote:
aginor wrote:
I have heard that In the Glass House - Gentle Giant have somthing around 10 different time changes during the hole song
It mostly changes between 3/4 and 4/4. Then, at some points, it switches to 2/4, 5/4, 7/4 and 9/4.
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: August 02 2010 at 13:50
The Gojira track was interesting before the growling vocals.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
Posted By: topographicbroadways
Date Posted: August 02 2010 at 16:55
Egg's Long Piece Number 3 has more time changes in the opening minute than i dare to count let alone in the rest of the 20 minutes
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Posted By: Progologist1928
Date Posted: October 18 2013 at 07:41
As far as I know "The dance of eternity". It has over 130 time sig changes throughout.
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: October 18 2013 at 17:24
aginor wrote:
yeah that would be great but will never happen Virgil is Planet X he is the carpenter who builds the songs and the matematician who solves the equations.
Gavis is also influenced by Jeff (and Steve Gadd)
Virgil was originally in a Top 40's band here in Australia called 'Southern Sons' - you were lucky to hear 1 time sig change per song - then, a friend of mine insisted I attend a gig by a Fusion band called 'Boots And All', which featured Virgil on drums - he was out-f**king-standing to watch - so was the bassist. My jaw dropped, I couldn't believe someone like that would stoop to play teeny-bopper pop music (but then he did have a hoard of hot chicks hanging off him after the gig.....)
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: October 18 2013 at 18:03
Any long song by French TV.....
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Posted By: Angelo
Date Posted: October 19 2013 at 06:24
My first band changed time signatures with every note, and in different ways for each instrument. We even did that on 'Come On'.
------------- http://www.iskcrocks.com" rel="nofollow - ISKC Rock Radio I stopped blogging and reviewing - so won't be handling requests. Promo's for ariplay can be sent to [email protected]
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: October 19 2013 at 07:11
Oh yes now I remember this thread
How about NIL? Their drummer is absolutely insane. I mean that in the most complimentary way conceivable. I love this guy.
------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: October 19 2013 at 08:33
Seeing this thread pop up reminded me of this so I put it on -
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...