[Doug]

It seems that western music tends to be predominantly 4/4 or 3/4 but every now and then you came across more complicated time signatures. For example, Take Five is in 5/4 timing. And Pink Floyd's Money is in 7/4.

There are many very complex time signatures in flamenco where the time signatures alternate with the various measures. For example a Soleas has a cycle of 3/4 3/4 2/4 2/4 2/4.
Although it's counted: one two THREE four five SIX seven EIGHT nine TEN eleven TWELVE.

Does anyone have an other examples of complex time signatures? I'm interested in songs that vary the time signature in cycles like Flamenco. For example, does anyone know any songs that cycle between 2/4 3/4 or 3/4 4/4?

[Alawiggle]

Originally Posted by Doug

Does anyone have an other examples of complex time signatures? I'm interested in songs that vary the time signature in cycles like Flamenco. For example, does anyone know any songs that cycle between 2/4 3/4 or 3/4 4/4?

Classical Gas jumps into every time signature ever. Well, not really, but it goes into 3/4, then 4/4, 6/4, back to 4/4, onto 3/4 again, then 5/4 and just shifts between all those.

[si16]

Hi Doug. The whole album that 'Take Five' is taken from, Time Out, features a whole range of unusual time signatures within the same song, might be worth checking out.

Frank Zappa was also fond of composing in unusual time signatures. I'm not a huge fan of his but his album "Joe's Garage" has plenty of good examples. One of the best tunes of that album is 'Watermelon in Easter Hay' which is a bar of 4/4 followed by one of 5/4. I don't want to link to it as it has strong language but if you want to listen to it you can find it on YouTube under 'watermelon stars'. The song after that on the album has a section in 21/16.

The drummer from that album, the fantastic Vinnie Colaiuta, is regularly hired for his ability to play convincingly in uneven time. Some of his best playing is on Sting's 'Seven Days' which is in 5/4. Some great stuff there, his playing form the 4 minute mark till the end is quite brilliant.

Burt Bacharach also had a liking for throwing in the occassional bar in a different time signature e.g. the chorus of 'I Say A Little Prayer' has a bar of 4/4 followed by one of 7/4, the verse 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose' is 4/4 followed by 6/4, and right at the very end of 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head' there's a bar of 4/4 followed by one of 5/4.

Also Leonard Bernstein's 'America' has a pattern similar to the Soleas you mentioned.

Hopefully others will give some more examples.

You mentioned Pink Floyd's 'Money' in your post. Does anyone know why it changes time signature for the guitar solo? Just seemed a little strange to me. Also the song has a shuffle feel to it so would that not make the time signature even more exotic? 21/8 perhaps?

[Alawiggle]

Originally Posted by si16

You mentioned Pink Floyd's 'Money' in your post. Does anyone know why it changes time signature for the guitar solo? Just seemed a little strange to me. Also the song has a shuffle feel to it so would that not make the time signature even more exotic? 21/8 perhaps?

David Gilmour thought the solo would be too hard to do in 7/4, so he switched to 4/4 to do the solo.

[Doug]

Thanks very much for the responses. I listened to "America" and it does have the same compas as a Solea except maybe double time. Thanks for the other pointers.
I know an off-colour joke about a drunk who kept bothering a band at a bar asking if he could sing "Strangers in the Night" in 5/4 time. Curiosity finally got the better of them and so they let this guy sing. Unfortunately, the mods wouldn't like it if I gave the punch line. You can PM me for it if you're interested.

[tina_]

I think you want to listen to some progressive rock... Gentle Giant were probably the best for weird time signatures.

[Doug]

***** The drummer from that album, the fantastic Vinnie Colaiuta, is regularly hired for his ability to play convincingly in uneven time. Some of his best playing is on Sting's 'Seven Days' which is in 5/4. Some great stuff there, his playing form the 4 minute mark till the end is quite brilliant.
*****

Wow - should be required listening. Amazing.

[Fong]

Gordian Knot, Dream Theater any of the prog rock scene will be throwing mad time signatures at you, and plenty of changes too.

In my own playing I am doing something with a band where we move from 4/4 to me playing a riff 'within' 3/4 time, though my strumming is off for half of it, and the drummer playing a 7/8 (I think) time signature on the drums. It is very jazzy as the drums play into the 3/4 part I am playing once in a while, but not neccessarily on the bar. Then back into a 4/4 piece.

It is an off shift that definitely makes the listener pay attention.