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Alex and His Guitar


Lorraine
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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It refers to how many beats are in each measure. As a listener, you can only (or mainly) pick it up by listening to the melodic phrases that repeat. If you can read sheet music, you can 'hear' it without it being played.

 

The Trees, for example- the solo section is in 5/4 time- five beats per measure, and each beat is a quarter note.

 

The various and tricky time signatures are what is at the heart of the complexity of Rush music- the prog period and the epics in particular. They seemed to be unafraid of anything. It's difficult to write music in unconventional time signatures, and even trickier to play.

 

Edit- or I should say, even trickier to play, until you figure it out. Then it becomes much easier. :LOL:

Edited by Blue J
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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It's how musical passages are grouped/arranged. Go listen to the intro to Kid Gloves. If you count each note that Alex is playing, you're counting quarter notes. You'll notice that the notes are arranged into groups of 5 (1-2-3-4-5, repeat). That means the intro is in 5/4: 5 groups of quarter notes per measure. The verses are in 5/4 as well. When the music changes to fit the "call it blind frustration" sections, it switches to 4/4 (you count 1-2-3-4, repeat). The duration-value of the notes in both those sections is the same -- they're quarter notes, but the grouping changes from groups of 5 to groups of 4.

 

OK I cut and pasted this post to my Music Tutorial notepad.

 

I'm listening to the song now and hear what you mean.

 

Thanks, JARG! :guitar:

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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It's how musical passages are grouped/arranged. Go listen to the intro to Kid Gloves. If you count each note that Alex is playing, you're counting quarter notes. You'll notice that the notes are arranged into groups of 5 (1-2-3-4-5, repeat). That means the intro is in 5/4: 5 groups of quarter notes per measure. The verses are in 5/4 as well. When the music changes to fit the "call it blind frustration" sections, it switches to 4/4 (you count 1-2-3-4, repeat). The duration-value of the notes in both those sections is the same -- they're quarter notes, but the grouping changes from groups of 5 to groups of 4.

:blink: :sigh: :LOL: ...
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Or listen to Whispers in the Dark from our 2nd CD, Lorraine. That's in 7/4 until the choruses, when it switches to 4/4. There's even a spot near the end where the time sig goes from one measure each of 4/4 to 5/4 to 6/4 to 7/4.
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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It's how musical passages are grouped/arranged. Go listen to the intro to Kid Gloves. If you count each note that Alex is playing, you're counting quarter notes. You'll notice that the notes are arranged into groups of 5 (1-2-3-4-5, repeat). That means the intro is in 5/4: 5 groups of quarter notes per measure. The verses are in 5/4 as well. When the music changes to fit the "call it blind frustration" sections, it switches to 4/4 (you count 1-2-3-4, repeat). The duration-value of the notes in both those sections is the same -- they're quarter notes, but the grouping changes from groups of 5 to groups of 4.

 

Haha- another song in 5/4. I didn't think of Kid Gloves, but that's true.

 

Cygnus X-1 (Book I) is another one that stands out to me, but I don't know what its time signature is, actually. I've only played it on drums, and not guitar.

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Or listen to Whispers in the Dark from our 2nd CD, Lorraine. That's in 7/4 until the choruses, when it switches to 4/4. There's even a spot near the end where the time sig goes from one measure each of 4/4 to 5/4 to 6/4 to 7/4.

That is one great song. With pleasure will I listen to it. Again.

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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It's how musical passages are grouped/arranged. Go listen to the intro to Kid Gloves. If you count each note that Alex is playing, you're counting quarter notes. You'll notice that the notes are arranged into groups of 5 (1-2-3-4-5, repeat). That means the intro is in 5/4: 5 groups of quarter notes per measure. The verses are in 5/4 as well. When the music changes to fit the "call it blind frustration" sections, it switches to 4/4 (you count 1-2-3-4, repeat). The duration-value of the notes in both those sections is the same -- they're quarter notes, but the grouping changes from groups of 5 to groups of 4.

 

Haha- another song in 5/4. I didn't think of Kid Gloves, but that's true.

 

It's easier to hear in than in The Trees, imo, due to the percussive (and more simple) nature of the guitar part. The Trees guitar pattern is much more fluid and complicated, so it's harder to pick up on when the pattern repeats.

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Or listen to Whispers in the Dark from our 2nd CD, Lorraine. That's in 7/4 until the choruses, when it switches to 4/4. There's even a spot near the end where the time sig goes from one measure each of 4/4 to 5/4 to 6/4 to 7/4.

That is one great song. With pleasure will I listen to it. Again.

 

That crazy bombastic intro is in 7/8, but it goes by so fast that you can ignore it for counting purposes!

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I forget now whether Geddy said it was Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures that was their first 4/4 album?

 

Both have songs having time sigs that aren't in 4/4.

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Remember he has tricky dicky bass and drummer behind him playing dicky tricky time signatures .You can practise widdly tricky guitar licks in your bedroom but it all goes dicky if it aint sticky with the other guys in the band.

 

What's a time signature?

 

It's how musical passages are grouped/arranged. Go listen to the intro to Kid Gloves. If you count each note that Alex is playing, you're counting quarter notes. You'll notice that the notes are arranged into groups of 5 (1-2-3-4-5, repeat). That means the intro is in 5/4: 5 groups of quarter notes per measure. The verses are in 5/4 as well. When the music changes to fit the "call it blind frustration" sections, it switches to 4/4 (you count 1-2-3-4, repeat). The duration-value of the notes in both those sections is the same -- they're quarter notes, but the grouping changes from groups of 5 to groups of 4.

 

Haha- another song in 5/4. I didn't think of Kid Gloves, but that's true.

 

It's easier to hear in than in The Trees, imo, due to the percussive (and more simple) nature of the guitar part. The Trees guitar pattern is much more fluid and complicated, so it's harder to pick up on when the pattern repeats.

 

True- and I've never thought of it that way, but you're absolutely right.

 

Since I've been a drummer for much longer than I've been a guitarist (and my guitar playing has been all rhythm parts or Travis picking, rather than melodic lead lines and so forth), I thought of The Trees as a more 'obvious' example. In my mind, it's much easier to hear in that one! Just different perspectives.

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Here's an example of another nutty one, and it's not a Rush song- the Allman Brothers tune Whipping Post is in 11/4.

 

If you listen to the bass guitar that opens that song and count it out (rather quickly), you can pick up on that.

 

Just a digression, since we're talking about time signatures. Carry on...

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Here's an example of another nutty one, and it's not a Rush song- the Allman Brothers tune Whipping Post is in 11/4.

 

If you listen to the bass guitar that opens that song and count it out (rather quickly), you can pick up on that.

 

Just a digression, since we're talking about time signatures. Carry on...

 

Wow...I've listened that songs many times and never thought to even count it.

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The opening riff to The Spirit of Radio is genius. It exempted him from the guitar god competition of the 1980's in one riff. By that I mean in four or five bars Alex put them all to shame . Its not flashy , its not full of dive bombs and artificial harmonics . it's ful of win, a masterpiece of riffage. It's easily recognizable and bad ass. Alex had nothing to prove after that . It cemented his reputation as a hard rock master. I've been trying to play it correct for as many years as it has been on record . I think I got it right but it never really sounds the same as Alex plays it . Yes his stuff is complicated but foremost its musical and that is extremely hard to do . I may of started playing guitar becuase of other players but I remained one because of Alex . There is no one better in his era. It would of been a very boring world without Alex' playing that is for sure . He is the best .
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Here's an example of another nutty one, and it's not a Rush song- the Allman Brothers tune Whipping Post is in 11/4.

 

If you listen to the bass guitar that opens that song and count it out (rather quickly), you can pick up on that.

 

Just a digression, since we're talking about time signatures. Carry on...

 

Wow...I've listened that songs many times and never thought to even count it.

 

Depending on what you can hear most easily, it may be even easier to count it out when the guitars come in along with the bass.

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Here's an example of another nutty one, and it's not a Rush song- the Allman Brothers tune Whipping Post is in 11/4.

 

If you listen to the bass guitar that opens that song and count it out (rather quickly), you can pick up on that.

 

Just a digression, since we're talking about time signatures. Carry on...

 

 

Wow...I've listened that songs many times and never thought to even count it.

 

OK, I just youtubed it. I have an easier time counting it 1-2-3/1-2-3/1-2-3/1-2, but that does add up to 11/4. Cool!

Edited by JARG
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Do the Waltz of The Shreves in 3/4,Alex dances well on that one.Lorraine you opened up a can of worms on this topic and i am sorry if i have gone over your head on somethings(wife nods head)
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Do the Waltz of The Shreves in 3/4,Alex dances well on that one.Lorraine you opened up a can of worms on this topic and i am sorry if i have gone over your head on somethings(wife nods head)

Yes, the technicalities go over my head sometimes, but the yearning inside of me to be able to transfer myself into music and the exceedingly deep regret that I do not have nor ever will have the talent to do so is what surfaces more than anything else.

 

I admire all of you that have the talent more than you know.

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Rhythm guitar has been mentioned. Can someone give me an example of that in a Rush song?

 

The vast majority of Alex's work in Rush is as a rhythm guitarist. That's true for a great many other bands as well. Most of the time, in popular music, the guitar is just playing rhythm parts.

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I forget now whether Geddy said it was Permanent Waves or Moving Pictures that was their first 4/4 album?

 

Both have songs having time sigs that aren't in 4/4.

 

I haven't sat down and counted them, but I would think most of the debut album was in 4/4.

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Rhythm guitar has been mentioned. Can someone give me an example of that in a Rush song?

 

It's the strumming of chords (groups of either four, five, or six strings) on a guitar, rather than the more melodic phrases of individual notes played in succession. The rhythm part is what is 'underneath' the lead melody that you hear.

 

As was mentioned earlier in the thread, Alex is a master of being able to sound like two guitarists at once.

 

I know I haven't given a specific example, but that's the best way I can describe it.

Edited by Blue J
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