Tempering Time Signatures with "The Beat"
How "dropping the beat" creates the feeling of a waltz, rock & roll, and iconic grooves.
We've Got the Beat!
Whether it's with headphones, earbuds, speakers, or a live performance, we've all moved with the beat. There's no counting involved. We simply feel when "the beat" comes in. But what is "the beat"?
Depending on your understanding of music the beat can mean many things. It can be the count of three beats in a waltz or four beats in a disco groove. The beat can be a timing signature of 6/4 that lets a performer know how many quarter notes are in a measure and how they should be treated. The beat can simply beat how one moves in a dance, which happens in eastern dance music where odd timings like 5/4 is used so that the dancers turn 90 degrees on each count but end up facing a different part of the room after five beats.
Today we'll focus on treating the beat as an emphasis. The beat can be strong, weak, or somewhere in the middle. The count is the number of beats in a measure, bar, or some repetitious unit. Regardless of what number we use, the strong beats drive the song forward. As we explore some great examples of time signatures, I want you to focus on the strength of the beats. Placing a strong beat on the first count is a great place for any songwriter to start. Pro musicians know that playing with the strength of beats will create interesting and even captivating songs. Let's look at a few examples.
Take Five with 5/4
"Take Five" was released in 1959 with a vamp of Ebm and Bbm7. The main chord progression may be simple, but it's the count and beat that makes this song what it is. In 5/4 time we have a count of 5 beats per measure with a strong beat on counts 1 and 4. Counts 2, 3, and 5 are all weak. With the form "Strong, Weak, Weak, Strong, Weak" the song can feel like it’s in ¾ for three counts and then 2/4 for two counts. ¾ is the common timing of a waltz. 2/4 is the timing of a march. This allows "Take Five" to feel like a dance that walks a narrow line.
The same feeling can be found in the theme music for Mission Impossible. While the first three beats lead in and through each measure, the last two beats are what makes this song what it is. With a form of "Moderately Strong, Weak, Weak, Strong, Strong" we can feel the emphasizing "march" in the last two beats more than anything else. Try out these forms of 5/4 counts yourself and listen to how those strong beats drive what you play.
Rock Out in 4/4
"We Will Rock You" by Queen takes the 4/4 count to a welcomed extreme. The standard 4/4 rock and roll count is "Strong, Weak, Less Strong, Weak". In the recorded version of this song the bass drum drives the first two counts as strong beats. A group of claps accents the third beat as almost as strong as the first two counts. The last count is non-existent. With the form of "Very Strong, Very Strong, Also Pretty Darn Strong, Crickets" the song itself is driven hard toward the listener.
If you think about it, "We Will Rock You" is a slow song. People in stadium seats can stop each foot once for the first two beats, clap, and then do nothing without breaking a sweat. In October of 1977, when the song was first released, Queen performed the song with a faster tempo and the standard "Strong, Weak, Less Strong, Weak" style of 4/4 rock and roll. While 4/4 is used in many songs, these two versions of "We Will Rock You" are fantastic highlights of how the beat can alter how a song feels.
Recorded Version
Fast Version
The Elegant Dance of 3/4
A typical waltz uses ¾ in the form "Strong, Weak, Weak". But we don't want a waltz to appreciate ¾. Instead, we should turn to "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal. This is a masterpiece that uses ¾ in a unique way. The emphasis appears to be on the second beat because of the way the intro works. The very first beat is on “2”, so the counting starts in with “2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3…”. The song plays out in the form "Strong, Moderate, Moderate" and “1” can be felt very strongly in the “-by” part of "Ba-by, I compare you to…". Listen for the moderate beat of “3” on "Ba-", the strong beat of “1” on "-by", and another moderate beat for “2” as "y" carries on.
"Gravity" by John Mayer also uses ¾, but in a very cool way. The main form is "Strong, Weak, Weak", but with a twist. At first the bass drum is driving the main pulse and hits once in the first set. The second time around the bass hits twice or on "One-&". This break down adds extra energy within the time of the first beat, but only on every other measure. Listen to the bass drum to kick in as the strong beats of this song's "Strong, Weak, Weak, Strong x2, Weak, Weak" form.
March in 2/4 Soldier!
2/4 time is a march. Because of that, musicians are either in time or they are not. Period. Such a short cycle of two beats forces musicians to also stick to the beat, which means that jazz players will have a hard time swinging the beat if they want to stay in time.
Of course, there are uses for this strict format. Aside from songs like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Old McDonald”, we can turn to “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Rimsky Korsakov. Composed from 1899 to 1900, this classic piece uses a “Strong, Weak” or “Strong, Moderate” beat.
At times you can feel like it is all strong beats as if the song is really played in ¼ time. As odd as it is to even suggest ¼ time, 2/4 with all strong beats can make us respond that way. To combat this and create a true feeling of 2/4 it is important for the second beat to be weaker. Check out the next video of “Flight of the Bumblebee” and let yourself get lost in the speed of Katica Illényi to feel the ¼ count until 21 seconds in. At this point the rest of the ensemble has stopped playing strongly on each beat. Now only the first beat is strong, and the second beat is weakened by playing softer or having certain instruments not play at all.
Free Yourself from Time
With “The Bees” in mind, let’s check out one more great example. “Las Abejas”, which means “The Bees”, was written by Agustín Barrios in 1921 is one of my favorite pieces to listen to. To me it’s how thrash metal would have sounded in a classical music environment. It’s possible to count this in 4/4, but I tend to feel it as a hard 2/4 using the form “Strong, Less Strong”.
The mood of the song changes and both beats become weaker. Instead of having the form become “Moderate, Weak” you can feel it more like, “STRONG, LESS STRONG, Strong, Less Strong, strong, less strong” as the bee’s story unfolds.
But that’s not all. “Las Abejas” starts in a free-time feel and returns to free-time about one and half minutes in. By dropping the concept of “the beat” at the 1:33 mark in the next video, we get a feeling similar to jet lag. The cool thing about this is that the free-time hasn’t started yet. At the 1:33 mark a harmonic note is played and lasts for four cycles of 2/4. Then the next melodic line comes in and starts the actual free-time. Try counting “1, 2, 1, 2…” quickly just before the 1:33 mark and keep it up. You’ll hear a single note for eight beats, and then the melody steps out of time.
How ever you use time, the strength of beats, or compound time such as ¾ + 2/4 = 5/4 is up to you. Explore new ways of counting and experiment with your own song writing. You just might find your own marching dance to rock out to.