Popular music in mixed meters.

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ThomasDodd
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Post by ThomasDodd »

Metallica, prior to the black album.

One of my favorites is the title track from "..An Justice For All" . The main riff is mixed meter. 7/4 and 5/4 I think.
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Dylan King
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Post by Dylan King »

"Living in the Past" by Jethro Tull is in 5/4. They have other songs as well. Tool also has many songs in different meters.
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kegmcnabb
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Post by kegmcnabb »

White Room by Cream

5/4 intro 4/4 song
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Dylan King
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Post by Dylan King »

The Beast wrote:I don't care if its not popular, everyone listen to Frank Zappa.
He is popular amongst musicians, and yes, everyone should give Frank a listen. He is truly an American original. At least he would say he's a San Bernadinian original.
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Chuck(G)
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Post by Chuck(G) »

Anyone mention Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk"? (9/8 (2,2,2,3) and 4/4)
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Post by rwiegand »

Lots of fiddlers know a "crooked tune" or three. Often played as a joke at some point during the evening to see if you can end up with all the dancers in a heap on the floor. Here's a list of a couple hundred recorded examples:

http://nwfolk.com/songlists/crooked.html

To the OP's point (though it's probably long past mattering) most of these are tunes kids will like, and the effect is typically pretty obvious.
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Steve Marcus
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Post by Steve Marcus »

wnazzaro wrote:The Beatles have a tune that I can't think of right now that changes the beat pattern between sections.
"I Want You/She's So Heavy" from Abbey Road alternates between 4/4 and a slow 6/8.

The Broadway musical Man of La Mancha contains several songs in unusual meters. Example: "Golden Helmet of Mambrino" is in 10/8.

In addition to "America" from West Side Story that was already cited, Leonard Bernstein used odd meters frequently in other shows. The final section of "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide is in a fast 3/4 (3/8?) with every 6th bar in 2/4. That section is also quoted in the Overture (but there we encounter the fine line between popular and classical music...)
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Brucom
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Odd time signatures

Post by Brucom »

Some of my favorites are:

7/4 - Straight to my Heart by Sting
7/4 - St. Augustine in Hell by Sting
4/4 & 7/4 - I was Brought to my Senses by Sting
7/4 & 4/4 - Love is Thicker than Justice by Sting
5/4 - Seven Days by Sting
5/4 - Mars by Holst
5/4 - Take Five by Brubeck

and finally, in 4.5 / 4 (or maybe you'll want to call it 9 / 8) is:
I Hung my Head by Sting
(There's an extra eighth-note on beat #2.)
(1 & 2 & uh 3 & 4 & if you count the eighth-notes)

thanks, Bruce
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Chuck(G)
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Re: Odd time signatures

Post by Chuck(G) »

Brucom wrote:5/4 - Mars by Holst
IIRC, isn't Mars also in 5/2? When you're playing it, do you try to avoid looking at the conductor? (The last time I played it, the guy with the stick seemed to want to do it in 5.25/4. I couldn't bear to watch him after awhile.) :?
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Re: Odd time signatures

Post by windshieldbug »

Chuck(G) wrote:(The last time I played it, the guy with the stick seemed to want to do it in 5.25/4. I couldn't bear to watch him after awhile.)
Serves you right for looking... you had to watch the violas bowing, too I'll bet! Image
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Post by SRanney »

wnazzaro wrote:The Beatles have a tune that I can't think of right now that changes the beat pattern between sections.
"All You Need is Love" (Yellow Submarine), broadcast live by the BBC to the rest of the world in the first live global broadcast, switches from 4/4 to 3/4 throughout.

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