Tasodrums
The time signature can change mid-song
In most songs, the time signature stays the same from start to finish. But it doesn't have to. In some songs the time signature changes for the chorus or a solo, for example, and in some it even changes every bar.
In this post we go through example songs where the time signature changes. If 4/4, 3/4, 6/8 and 7/8 aren't familiar yet, read Time Signatures 1 and Time Signatures 2 first.
Pink Floyd – Money
Money is one of the best-known songs in an odd time signature. The song is mostly in 7/4, meaning you count to seven in quarter notes in each bar: ONE-two-three-four-five-six-seven. For the guitar solo the song switches to 4/4, and after that it goes back to 7/4.
- 7/4: ONE-two-three-four-five-six-seven
- 4/4 (solo): ONE-two-three-four
Listen to how the bass riff always starts over after seven beats, and how the groove starts to feel more familiar when the solo begins.
The Beatles – All You Need Is Love
All You Need Is Love is a good example of how a time signature change doesn't necessarily sound strange. In the verse, bars of 4/4 and 3/4 take turns. So you first count to four and then to three (ONE-two-three-four ONE-two-three), for a total of seven beats. The chorus is regular 4/4. A lot of people don't notice the changes at all, because the melody flows so naturally.
- 4/4: ONE-two-three-four
- 3/4: ONE-two-three
Metallica – Mama Said
Metallica's Mama Said switches between 4/4 and 3/4. Try counting ONE-two-three-four along with the song and notice the spots where the one comes right after three.
System of a Down – Toxicity
In Toxicity, the time signature changes between 6/8, 12/8 and 4/4 during the song. Try counting along and notice where the counting changes.
Dream Theater – The Dance of Eternity
Dream Theater is famous for changing time signatures several times in the middle of a song. The Dance of Eternity is probably the best-known example: people have counted its time signature changing over a hundred times.
In the video below, the time signatures are shown on screen through the whole song. This is really demanding stuff, but it's a fun example of how far you can take time signatures.
Different instruments, different time signatures
Also, not all the players always play in the same time signature. One instrument might play in one time signature and the others in another. This isn't very common, but it's more common in certain genres, like progressive rock, fusion and jazz.
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
In Kashmir, the drummer plays a steady 4/4 groove the whole time, but the guitar riff is three beats long. So the riff starts over every three beats and the groove every four. That's why they're always in slightly different places, and they only line up again after several bars. Try counting ONE-two-three-four while clapping every third beat, and you'll hear the same thing. This gives the song its famous, slightly "stumbling" feel.
How do you practice songs like these?
- Count out loud. Count along with the song and write down where the counting changes, for example "after the chorus, two bars of three".
- Learn the parts separately. First practice each part as its own loop, and only then put them together.
- Always find the one. When you know where the bar starts, it's easier to keep up, even when the time signature changes.
- Use a metronome that supports time signature changes. Many metronome apps let you build a song where the time signature changes.
Time signature changes sound hard at first, but once you've got the basic time signatures down, these songs will slowly start to make sense too. And they're really rewarding to play!