Top 100 non- 4/4 Beats

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I think this is going to be a bit harder...

― mei (mei), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Erm... Shellac 'Squirrel Song'

― mei (mei), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Warped Core - The Power

― Siegbran (eofor), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Battle Of Epping Forest" by Genesis. Also part of "Supper's Ready" of course. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Welcome back Geir!

An obvious choice: "Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. There's tons of great free jazz tracks outside the realm of 4/4, obviously, but I can't think of a good example right now.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Arch Enemy - Ravenous (only the intro)

― mei (mei), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The Avalanches-Two Hearts In 3/4 Time

― Barima (Barima), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Plaid - Gel Lab (well, the end of it)

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

autechre - cipater
the first part of march of pigs by NIN.

― fletrejet, Friday, 29 August 2003 10:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Cornelius-Count Five or Six

― Barima (Barima), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Prince In A Pauper's Grave by CARTER USM!!! is in waltz time.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Airto - Tombo in 7/4
Albert Ayler - Holy Ghost
Ray Barreto - Espiritu libre

I think the challenge would be greater if we'd rule out jazz and Afro-Cuban music...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:27 (twenty-two years ago)

dere bailey- aida
cecil taylor- silent tongues
paul rutherford- gentle harm of the burgeoisie
cecil taylor unti- it is in the brewing luminous
john cage 4'33''
peetr brotzamnn trio- for adolphe sax

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:28 (twenty-two years ago)

haha yes tuomas: i can always list my top improv recs and this would be over in no time.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Would they count as having a beat though?
This isn't just non-4/4, it must still have a beat!

― mei (mei), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

its gotta a beat, but its a very unque beat ;)

ok so improv percussion records:

milford graves- grand unification and stories, also the percussion ensemble reish on PSF.

John coltrane: live in japan/the last concert

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, most free jazz has a beat, though it's often also called "pulse", if it isn't in a conventional time. And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Afro-Cuban music (which definitely has a beat) as a whole have a different time signature than 4/4? Can't recall what it is, though.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead - Morning Bell.

Just to annoy Julio

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

(X-post with Julio there.)

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

everything by broadcast and the cocteau twins EVER! (jeez guys, don't you get fed up with 6/8?)

[/slight exaggeration]

― zebedee (zebedee), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:40 (twenty-two years ago)

the rutherford, bailey and cage of course don't count (just got carried away there) but everything else: no problems.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Cornelius-2010 isn't entirely outside 4/4 but only uses it about twice in the track.

― Barima (Barima), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Autechre "Flutter"

― jed_e_3 (jed_e_3), Friday, 29 August 2003 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

money is cool.

― dz, Friday, 29 August 2003 12:42 (twenty-two years ago)

michael jackson 'billie jean'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:02 (twenty-two years ago)

meat beat manifesto 'radio babylon'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:03 (twenty-two years ago)

808 state 'cubik'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:06 (twenty-two years ago)

kraftwerk 'numbers'

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Amon Tobin "Bridge" (5/4)
Ween "Flutes of Chi" (3/4)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Matthias Schaffhauser - Some Kind Of
Jake Fairley - Motor

― Angus Gordon (angusg), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Stereolab "Parsec" (drum and bass in 5/4)

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

(My two above are in 3/4 btw.)

Coloma's "Welcome to Arcadia" is in alternating bars of 4/4 and 5/4, as nearly as I can tell.

― Angus Gordon (angusg), Friday, 29 August 2003 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

songs with actual "beats" (like you might use for a break):

Can, "One More Night" (7/4)
King Crimson, "The Great Deceiver" (I spent several nights in college transcribing this, torturing myself trying to figure out what Bruford was doing -- eventually I discovered he was just playing in 6/8 and is an ass)
Led Zeppelin, "The Crunge" (7/8)
Magma, "The Last Seven Minutes" (7/8 - Vander is a monster on this)

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 29 August 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Cinematic Orchestra - Flite (5/4)

madly in love with the drumming on this

― TomB (TomB), Friday, 29 August 2003 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

should Hall & Oates 'I Can't Go For That' go here or on the 4/4 Beats thread?

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 29 August 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Almost everything Dream Theater have recorded (at least, sections of it)

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Friday, 29 August 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

On second thought, "The Last Seven Minutes" is straight 4/4. I now nominate a whole bunch of Ruins songs in its place.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 29 August 2003 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

pink floyd's 'money' here,
hank williams loved that 3/4,
tons of soundgarden

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 29 August 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Btw. what is the actual time signature of "Kashmir"? Some really complex polyrhythmic stuff going on there...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 29 August 2003 17:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Zep did that on "Black Dog" too -- it's probably just 4/4, but with a lot of cross-the-barline stuff.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 29 August 2003 18:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Btw. what is the actual time signature of "Kashmir"? Some really complex polyrhythmic stuff going on there...

The main riff is in 3/4, the drums are in 2/4

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Friday, 29 August 2003 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The Prodigy-3 Kilos
Plus-Tech Squeeze Box-Early Riser
Richard X with Jarvis Cocker-Into U

― Barima (Barima), Friday, 29 August 2003 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"hey you've got to hide your love away"

― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 29 August 2003 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Neil Young, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 29 August 2003 20:59 (twenty-two years ago)

slint - "nosferatu man"
drive like jehu - "rome plows", "new intro"/"new math"

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 29 August 2003 21:09 (twenty-two years ago)

shostakovich-waltz no. 2 from the jazz suite

― robin (robin), Friday, 29 August 2003 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Dots and Borders-'Julliet'
4 Hero-'Third Stream'

― Barima (Barima), Saturday, 30 August 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Aretha Franklin - "I Say A Little Prayer" keeps subtly shifting time signature as I recall.
Ruins - "Prog Rock Medley" has EVERY TIME SIGNATURE EVER but I don't know if you could call most of it a beat as such.
er...Simply Red - "Fairground" adds a beat to each bar in the verse until it ends up at 4/4 for the chorus.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Saturday, 30 August 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Dismemberment Plan - Gyroscope (someone smarter than me figure out what this is)

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Saturday, 30 August 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

michael jackson 'billie jean'

The hell? This is 4/4.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 30 August 2003 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Every time i post on a thread I keep mentioning this band but what the hell. The Chameleons "Soul In Isolation." Favorite song ever, its in 7/6 I think.

― sucka (sucka), Saturday, 30 August 2003 18:05 (twenty-two years ago)

808 State - "Cubik" is in 4/4.

Pink Floyd - "Money" (7/4)
Radiohead - "Paranoid Android" (7/8)
Air - "Modular Mix (DJ Cam No Protection mix)" (31/8)
Talk Talk - "New Grass" (3/4)
The Allman Bros. - "Whipping Post" (11/8)

― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 30 August 2003 18:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yawn yawn yawn-les savy fav

― googlyminotaur, Saturday, 30 August 2003 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Herbie Hancock, "Hidden Shadows" (not sure what time it actually is in, though)

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Saturday, 30 August 2003 20:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I have no sense of rhythm, so I say that World Domination Enterprises' "Asbestos Lead Asbestos" must rule this thread if it is indeed not 4/4.

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Sunday, 31 August 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

much of gomez' disc
liquid skin is all messed up
time-signature-wise

patricia barber
manages to swing in
7/8 & 5/8

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Sunday, 31 August 2003 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

"Soul in Isolation" is in 4/4

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 31 August 2003 02:13 (twenty-two years ago)

nate you might be interested to know that "hidden shadows" is in 19/4 time.

― dengo matherton (dubplatestyle), Sunday, 31 August 2003 02:16 (twenty-two years ago)

from the liner notes of treasure chest (herbie h) (though it's orig from mwandishi):

"ostinato has got to be the funkiest 15/8 tune ever written"

― ron (ron), Sunday, 31 August 2003 02:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Led Zeppelin - "The Ocean" (one bar of four, one bar of seven)

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Sunday, 31 August 2003 13:42 (twenty-two years ago)

nine months pass...

The final battle music for Final Fantasy 6 starts out in 4/4 for 4 measures, then (when the melody enters) switches to 15/8 for 4 measures, then switches back to 4/4 for one measure, then to 12/16 for 1 measure, then to 6/16 for 1 bar, then to 2/4 for one measure, then to 4/4 for 2 measures, then goes back to 15/8 and repeats the cycle from there.

There's more after that, but I don't feel like working it out in my weary head right now.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 27 June 2004 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

Know where I can get an MP3 o that?

― mei (mei), Sunday, 27 June 2004 11:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Herbie Hancock, "Hidden Shadows" (not sure what time it actually is in, though)

Nineteen beats, IIRC

― Joe (Joe), Sunday, 27 June 2004 11:43 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.cavesofnarshe.com/ff6/music.php

Which song is it?

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 27 June 2004 12:10 (twenty-one years ago)

"Dancing Mad (Kefka)"

though that MIDI's kinda shoddily arranged; I'd recommend downloading the original soundtrack: http://www.ocremix.org/songs/original/Final_Fantasy6.rsn (the song's listed as "Dancing Mad #4.2"

You can get plugins for WinAMP that play RSN files here

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 27 June 2004 13:48 (twenty-one years ago)

then to 4/4 for 2 measures

that should be 3 measures, bleah

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 27 June 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

That bit in This Heat's 'Paper Hats'. I think mcdkeith said it was in 13/4 or something, but I can't work it out, I'm only a drummer.

Also The Fall's 'Hip Priest' 0 3/4 time

― Sasha (sgh), Monday, 28 June 2004 00:18 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

I uploaded an MP3 of the Final Fantasy song with krazy time!

http://jupiter.walagata.com/w/sevenxviii/6379905.mp3

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 September 2004 17:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Fad Gadget - "Saturday Night Special"

― anode (anode), Monday, 6 September 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"The Pyramid Song" - Radiohead. 6/7 or something. I don't know, I can barely play the guitar, let alone figure out time signatures.

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 6 September 2004 21:00 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, 6/7. No, it's just straight 4/4 swing. When the drums kick in it becomes more obvious.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 September 2004 21:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Really? It sounds weirder than that to me. Oh well.

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, it's just in 4/4 or 12/8, depending on how you prefer to think about it. I used to think it was weirdly divided too, and then I put it on again sometime this year and it was obvious.

Actually, I think of the piano rhythm like a really slow Brazilian clave, with beats on 1, the "a" of 1, the "&" of 2, the "&" of 3, and the "e" of 4 (as in, you count every measure "1 e & a 2 e & a etc.").

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

It's really the harmony that makes it seem not in 4/4, it resolves on the accent before the 1 sometimes, and at such a slow tempo that's a lot more disorienting I think.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:20 (twenty-one years ago)

when the drums first enter with that fill it gets REALLY confusing (on first listen anyway) but then they go straight jazz swing stylee

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 September 2004 22:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm trying to count along to it now, and I can't make it resolve itself into 4/4. What a headfuck!

Doesn't matter.

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 6 September 2004 22:27 (twenty-one years ago)

The ride cymbal plays straight quarter notes; just count along with it.

and FYI Wooden there is no such time signature as "5/7;" the denominator must always be a power of 2 (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc.)

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 September 2004 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

6/7, whatever.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 6 September 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

PJ Harvey does a lot of stuff in 5/4, doesn't she? "Kamikaze" comes to mind right away, but there's definitely more.

I'm assuming we're not couting 3/4 or 6/8 to be anything special, since they're kind of a part of [soft] rock canon by now (hell, a good quarter of Automatic for the People is waltzes)

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 04:08 (twenty-one years ago)

couting = "counting" halfway to becoming the intended "considering"

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Stranglers "Golden Brown" - 3/4
Gong "Cat In Clark's Shoes" - goes into a section which is 13/4, I think.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 07:14 (twenty-one years ago)

808 State - "Qmart", "Lopez"
Love Inc. - "Comeback"

― Dan Perry '08 (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 11:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Archigram - 'Padre'

― B.A.R.M.S. (Barima), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 12:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The "Mission: Impossible" riff is classic 5/4.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 7 September 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

if you are a real time-sig junkie, download heavy vegetable's "song for wesley". yes it's about wesley willis.

― gygax! (gygax!), Tuesday, 7 September 2004 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

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