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shifting beats?
 

offline Junktion from Northern Jutland (Denmark) on 2002-05-13 10:36 [#00217609]
Points: 9713 Status: Lurker



have any of you musicmakers out their ever experimented
with beats in 3/3, 7/8 or maybe 11/12?
If you go to junktion.soundvault.net and download the track
"Beat in a Bottle", you can try to anylize my way of using
shifting beats.


 

offline Fernz from A Scottish Wanker (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-13 10:37 [#00217611]
Points: 1692 Status: Regular



I tried a couple of times but Ive still to fully get to
grips with it...


 

offline illfates from space (United States) on 2002-05-13 10:38 [#00217613]
Points: 844 Status: Regular



whatcha mean by "shifting beats"?

What's neat about unusual time signatures is that you can
make them feel natural and familiar, even danceable with
good accents.


 

offline dingle berry from on a small plastic chair breat (Haiti) on 2002-05-13 10:45 [#00217617]
Points: 2389 Status: Regular



are there any possible combinations of time sigs that will
go with each other?


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-13 11:01 [#00217636]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



I never got my head around odd time signature and how they
work in practice...

but a nice technique that does give you similar results is
to layer loops of different lengths..say a 1 bar loop,a 3
bar loop & a 5 bar loop....that way you get a lot of
shifting loops out of a small amount of source
material...Record a suitable amount of it looping around and
then go in a choose the bits that work...

Kinda similar to Steve Reichs stuff with tape loops going
out of phase with each other....


 

offline Junktion from Northern Jutland (Denmark) on 2002-05-13 11:18 [#00217642]
Points: 9713 Status: Lurker



in "Beat in a Bottle" i use 5/12+7/12, and then 12/12 and
after that 3/3 and it all rounds up with 6/6


 

offline erik_swanen from oosterhout (Netherlands, The) on 2002-05-13 11:21 [#00217645]
Points: 112 Status: Lurker



sounds real oke


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2002-05-13 15:04 [#00217865]
Points: 24578 Status: Lurker



i sometimes write in 5/4 time -- its pretty much become
natural -- like 4/4 is to most people -- just a case of
repetition (brainwashing) until it becomes part of the
subconscious i guess...7/8 is the one i tackle neXt!!


 

offline Monoid from one source all things depend on 2002-05-13 15:51 [#00217887]
Points: 11005 Status: Regular



What are time signatures....stupid question I know...but I
never bothred to find out.

4/4 is

BD SN BD BD SN BD

5/4 is

BD BD SN BD BD SN BD

Am I right !? Help me....


 

offline Nexus 6 from Netherlands, The on 2002-05-13 16:01 [#00217901]
Points: 3221 Status: Lurker



Of course I've done beats in 3/3 and 7/8. I guess it's one
of the few ways to keep your music from starting to get
boring. Doing 4/4 over and over again simply isn't enough
imo.
Digitonix btw is a nice simple program to start
experimenting with 3/3 and 7/8 etc.


 

offline Clic on 2002-05-13 16:03 [#00217904]
Points: 5232 Status: Regular



No, that is still 4/4, Monoid.


 

offline Monoid from one source all things depend on 2002-05-13 16:10 [#00217914]
Points: 11005 Status: Regular



SO how would 5/4 look ?


 

offline plugexpert from Nijmegen (Netherlands, The) on 2002-05-13 16:18 [#00217924]
Points: 1073 Status: Lurker



I never use loops and program every mashed up sample
snip-bit in Cubase on a 1/16 scale (natural for me thanx to
my tracker background),...to further fuck things up 1/32 and
1/64 for snare-rushes and such.

When programming halion in midi U can go 1/128. If U can
program samples it really doesn't matter in which timescale
U work,..I can make a beat sound 7/8 while programming it
in 1/16.



 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2002-05-13 16:19 [#00217925]
Points: 24578 Status: Lurker



there would be 5 beats to a bar.... the 4 refers to a
crotchet-- 4/4 would be

BD-BD-BD-BD

5/4 would be:

BD-BD-BD-BD-BD

in 7/8, the /8 refers to a quaver, of which there are 8 to a
4/4 bar (making a quaver half as long as a crotchet) -- so,
7/8 means there is one quaver "missing"...so it could look
like this :-

||:BD-OH-BD-OH-BD-OH-CH:||

sorry if this looks like gibberish, butit's hard to explain
within this little box :|


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2002-05-13 16:22 [#00217926]
Points: 24578 Status: Lurker | Followup to plugexpert: #00217924



yeah i agree with you about the snare rushes thing -- also
with my bass-drums, i like to do 3 crotchet-thirds into 4
semiquavers (1/16 notes) -- so it stutters first before
rushing...

that 1/16 sounding 7/8 -- i dont get that -- 7/8 would
translate as 14/16... so you're either working to that time
signature or not, surely? maybe i misunderstood it


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2002-05-13 16:24 [#00217930]
Points: 24578 Status: Lurker



btw, in fruityloops, you can do snare rushes of 1/24th of a
1/16th note... altho i'm pretty sure it would sound either
terrible or unnoticeable (like when you go so fast it seems
you are going slow)


 

offline Nexus 6 from Netherlands, The on 2002-05-13 16:32 [#00217938]
Points: 3221 Status: Lurker



monoid it's simple. wheter it's a 5/4 or a 6/4 or a 7/4 or
whatever it just means that you play . notes in . time
4/4 is 4 notes in a measure of 4
5/4 is 5 notes in a measure of 4
7/8 is 7 notes in a measure of 8
3/3 is 3 notes in a measure of 3
etc. it's simple in words but it's hard for some people to
execute.


 

offline illfates from space (United States) on 2002-05-13 21:17 [#00218300]
Points: 844 Status: Regular



There appears to be a common misconception here..

4/4 IS 4 notes in a measure of 4, but what this means in
easier to follow terms

x/y IS x of 1/y note. Thus, 6/8 is six eighth notes per
measure. This, mathematically is interchangeable with 3/4,
but is different in style and application.

3/3 means very little, as the third note does not exist in
any applicable or non-redundant manner. 3/4 Is probably
what you are meaning.

3 quarter notes per measure. Boom chic chic boom chic chic
boom chic chic.

6/8? BUkakaBUkaka

5/4? Lots of ways to do five four. BOOM CHIC BOOM BOOM
CHIC BOOM CHIC BOOM BOOM CHIC...

Examined further, 5/4 and time signatures like it require
abnormal or syncopated counting, i.e.

121231212312123 Where 1 is a downbeat.

5/8 is an unusual one because it's usually counted as more
like 10/8 (which is unusual because of it's close relation
to 5/4)

12 123 123 12 12 123 123 12 12 123 123 12

In dance(i use that term loosely) music, beats like this
usually are used to double time standard 4/4 rhythms, thus
keeping a continuous pace interesting.

I hope that helps.


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2002-05-13 21:29 [#00218306]
Points: 24578 Status: Lurker



you didn't even mention the blues 12/8 measure!!!


 

offline illfates from space (United States) on 2002-05-13 21:30 [#00218307]
Points: 844 Status: Regular



nope. i got tired of thinking about time signatures without
making music, so I opened up cubase.


 

offline Monoid from one source all things depend on 2002-05-13 22:33 [#00218391]
Points: 11005 Status: Regular



So its true, music is math eh ? Oh well.......im still
confuzed.....


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-13 22:38 [#00218398]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular



it's really easy... it just needs to click!

4
2 = 4 minim beats to a bar

4
4 = 4 croquet beats to a bar

4
8 = 4 quaver beats to a bar

4
16 = 4 semiquaver beats to a bar

then the top number just changes depending on how many beats
u want in the bar .i.e. how long u want the bar to be.

hope that didnt confuse ppl.... bye


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-13 22:40 [#00218402]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular



hahah i mean crotchets... oopsss, i always spell it wrong
:-)


 

offline jupitah from Minneapolis (United States) on 2002-05-13 23:00 [#00218421]
Points: 3489 Status: Lurker



it seems like it should make sense to me, being just ratios,
but i can't make sense of what the bottom number means. so
the ratio is number of beats to what? top number is beats
in a bar, but what does the number mean? what's the
difference between a 4 bar and a 6 bar? how is 3/4
different from 6/8?


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-13 23:28 [#00218437]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



3/4 and 6/8 are the same when it comes to drums, for piano
music there is a difference between 3/4 6/8 in that you
accent the notes differently.


 

offline jupitah from Minneapolis (United States) on 2002-05-14 00:44 [#00218523]
Points: 3489 Status: Lurker | Followup to Taoist Blockade: #00218437



so, let's say we have a little melody.

do ray me do ray me do ray me

would be 3/4?

do ray me fa do ray me fa do ray me fa
would be 4/4?
if so, i still don't understand what the purpose of the four
is.


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 00:49 [#00218524]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



the 4 is the amount of beats per loop the 3 is the amount of
divisions between the beats....

3/4
one,2,3,two,2,3,three,2,3,four,2,3

4/4
one,2,3,4,two,2,3,4,three,2,3,4,four,2,3,4

etc.

I should be a teacher!


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-14 00:55 [#00218532]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



its just to make things easier when youre writing music.

do ray me do ray me

could be 3/4 or 4/4 or 5/4 or 7/8 or whatever, you could
write it however you like. The top number represents the
number of beats in a bar, the bottom number is what kind of
beats they are. IE: 3/4 would be three quarter notes per
bar. 7/8 would be seven eigth notes per bar.

To go back to the do ray me example:

if you were to write that in 3/4, each bar would start with
'do', if you wrote it in 4/4, the first bar would be

"do, ray, me, do"

the second would be

"ray, me, do, ray"

the third would be

"me, do, ray, me"

etc... it will sound the same regardless of whether it is in
3/4 or 4/4, but if you were to look at it on paper it would
be different.


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 00:58 [#00218533]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



mine was the best, that just sounds confusing 8).


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-14 00:58 [#00218535]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



except yours is wrong :)


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 01:00 [#00218539]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



I know but I'm pretending to be a teacher. 8) if you can
do, if you can't teach, it's sad but generally true.


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-14 01:03 [#00218542]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



You ever see Annie Hall?

"Those who cant do, teach. Those who cant teach, teach gym"
:)


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 01:07 [#00218545]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



Woody allen is a genius! Genius is banded about everyday
but he is really a genius! which is your favourite film by
him?


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-14 01:09 [#00218546]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



Hard to pick just one, Play it Again Sam is definitely up
there I have never laughed so hard in my life as when he
goes to the bar for a drink, takes one sip, takes a sip of
water and then sashes his head on the table and passes out.
Im cracking up just typing this.


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 01:18 [#00218552]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



I can't say one! there are too many precious moments in most
of his films that really are mind alltering for the better.
They make me laugh 'till tea squirts out of my nose.


 

offline Taoist Blockade from Wales on 2002-05-14 01:20 [#00218554]
Points: 1169 Status: Lurker



Heehee, the first part of bananas when hes dating those
girls is so priceless, his facial expressions are brilliant.


 

offline JivverDicker from my house on 2002-05-14 01:27 [#00218557]
Points: 12102 Status: Regular



genius!


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-14 04:37 [#00218710]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



I admire www.mp3.com/tom7 for often using unconventional
time signatures.

I just see it as a set decided number of time units that are
repeated over and over, you can choose 5,7,16, anything,
though if you choose a larger number it's more divisible
unless it's like a prime muthafuka bitch yo, allowing you to
place strikes of sound in time in more intricate places, yo.


 

offline astar from Canada on 2002-05-14 05:09 [#00218723]
Points: 247 Status: Regular



yeah man, just think fractions.


 

offline nanotech from Sukavasti Amitaba Pureland (United States) on 2002-05-14 07:23 [#00218786]
Points: 3727 Status: Regular | Followup to Nexus 6: #00217901



nexus 6: isn't that a band that dan myer produces?


 

offline license from out of nowhere on 2002-05-14 07:30 [#00218791]
Points: 865 Status: Lurker



I do a lot of 3/4 without even thinking about it. it's
probably cos I have Polish heritage.


 

offline Junktion from Northern Jutland (Denmark) on 2002-05-14 09:26 [#00218845]
Points: 9713 Status: Lurker



did any of you hear my song "Beat in a Bottle"?! I would
like an oppinion since the topic is unusual time signatures


it's on junktion.soundvault.net


 


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