Rush's obsession with 7/8 time

[Guest Quigley_Moog]

I have noticed that Rush is like OBSESSED with 7/8 time. Here's my proof:

 

Anthem: intro

A Farewell to Kings (the song): guitar and bass solos

Natural Science: different parts

Tom Sawyer: bridge and guitar solo

Subdivisions: intro and different parts of song

Distant Early Warning: keyboard parts

Marathon: bridge and bass solo

 

Does anyone have any others to add?

[My_Shrimp_Cot]

Most of Limelight

 

 

 

I wouldn't say obsessed, though, they just use whatever time signature is appropriate.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Quigley_Moog]

QUOTE (My_Shrimp_Cot @ Apr 4 2005, 01:16 PM)

Most of Limelight I wouldn't say obsessed, though, they just use whatever time signature is appropriate.

Define "appropriate." I have a hard enough time writing in 4/4 let alone 7/8 or 5/4. By 'appropriate' do you think that certain time signatures are used to convey certain moods? I do.

[My_Shrimp_Cot]

QUOTE (Quigley_Moog @ Apr 4 2005, 01:18 PM)

QUOTE (My_Shrimp_Cot @ Apr 4 2005, 01:16 PM) Most of Limelight I wouldn't say obsessed, though, they just use whatever time signature is appropriate. Define "appropriate." I have a hard enough time writing in 4/4 let alone 7/8 or 5/4. By 'appropriate' do you think that certain time signatures are used to convey certain moods? I do. I like how odd times are used in "the trees" and "Kid gloves" especially

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

They don't sit down and say "Let's write in (x) time signature." They just write what they feel.

 

Jacob's Ladder alternates between 5/4, 6/4 and 7/4, then 6/8 and 7/8.

Limelight is 7/4 not 7/8.

The middle of La Villa (A Lerxst in Wonderland) is in 7/8.

Kid Gloves is in 5/4 for the intro and verses and 4/4 for choruses.

The Trees starts in 3/4, moves into 4/4 and the solo section is 5/4.

Edited April 4, 2005 by CygnusX-1Bk2

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

QUOTE (Quigley_Moog @ Apr 4 2005, 02:18 PM)

QUOTE (My_Shrimp_Cot @ Apr 4 2005, 01:16 PM) Most of Limelight I wouldn't say obsessed, though, they just use whatever time signature is appropriate. Define "appropriate." I have a hard enough time writing in 4/4 let alone 7/8 or 5/4. By 'appropriate' do you think that certain time signatures are used to convey certain moods? I do. Rush don't set out to consciously write in odd time signatures. Geddy and Alex get all their ideas from sound check jams and their writing session jams. The odd time stuff just kind of happens naturally for them.

[1-0-0-1-0-0-1]

I didn't see your post before I wrote mine, Cyg. I swear I didn't copy your answers!

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

A likely story!

[Schro]

I see I am needed here. Let me help.

 

What really happened is that after their debut album Alex and Geddy decided they should do something different than 4/4 because every band used that time signature and they needed to distinguish themselves.

 

So they would take two 8 sided dice and "roll the bones" so to speak to find out what time signature a new song would be in. If a song section was feeling stale, they'd roll a new signature to transition too and liven things up a bit.

 

On days they were feeling really adventurous, they would use two 20-sided dice instead. It's rumored, however, that Neil confiscated the 20-sided dice after Hemispheres.

 

Glad I could clear this up.

 

 

Schro

[Hyperspace]

That's not really obsessed, considering how many songs they have.

 

It's better than writing all your songs in 4/4. Bands who do that = lame.

[Pags]

QUOTE (Schro @ Apr 5 2005, 02:12 PM)

I see I am needed here.  Let me help. What really happened is that after their debut album Alex and Geddy decided they should do something different than 4/4 because every band used that time signature and they needed to distinguish themselves. So they would take two 8 sided dice and "roll the bones" so to speak to find out what time signature a new song would be in.  If a song section was feeling stale, they'd roll a new signature to transition too and liven things up a bit. On days they were feeling really adventurous, they would use two 20-sided dice instead.  It's rumored, however, that Neil confiscated the 20-sided dice after Hemispheres. Glad I could clear this up. Schro

"I see I am needed here. Let me help."

 

 

Classic!! The 20 sided die had me gufawing.

[Guest Quigley_Moog]

QUOTE (Hyperspace @ Apr 5 2005, 03:04 PM)

That's not really obsessed, considering how many songs they have. It's better than writing all your songs in 4/4. Bands who do that = lame.

I guess I shouldn't have used the word 'obsessed.' I don't mean it in a bad way. I was just trying to point out that they seem kind of fond of that meter. I like how they use it, though. And yes, I do think it is better than 4/4 all the time.

[vital signz]

Schro,

 

I swear, your posts are causing me to have to wear back support because everytime I read them I laugh until I fracture my ribs....my wife actually came around the corner thinking she was missing a good Seinfeld rerun!

[KinetoBass]

Yea I'm sure they just write what they feel.

But 7/8 is very common also.

I tend to write some stuff in 7/8 and 5/4.

If you guys want to hear some Rush inspired rock music,

check out our new CD entitled Transform.

 

KINETO

 

Thanks

 

Dan

[daveyt]

QUOTE (KinetoBass @ Apr 23 2005, 10:31 AM)

check out our new CD entitled Transform. KINETO Thanks Dan

sweet bass! i liked the lyrics to THEOREM too, it was fun.

 

dude the bass on HUMAN UPGRADE RULES! and the website is cool

[Steel Rat]

QUOTE (Schro @ Apr 5 2005, 02:12 PM)

So they would take two 8 sided dice and "roll the bones" so to speak to find out what time signature a new song would be in.  If a song section was feeling stale, they'd roll a new signature to transition too and liven things up a bit.

2d8!

 

QUOTE

On days they were feeling really adventurous, they would use two 20-sided dice instead. It's rumored, however, that Neil confiscated the 20-sided dice after Hemispheres.

 

1d20!!

 

No wonder the stereotypical rush crowd is overcrowded with D&D players!

Edited May 15, 2005 by Steel Rat

[Slaine mac Roth]

QUOTE (Hyperspace @ Apr 5 2005, 08:04 PM)

That's not really obsessed, considering how many songs they have. It's better than writing all your songs in 4/4. Bands who do that = lame.

I think that's a little of a narrow minded attitude, considering how many classic songs have been written in 4/4 time. The way I look at it, the mark of a good is is how it sounds, not what time sig its in.

[NeilPeartFan2112]

Just another reason why Rush is so unique and amazing.

[Disco]

Edited June 9, 2005 by Disco

[DoubleAgent420]

[CygnusX-1Bk2]

13/8 may work, but theoretically alternating these as separate measures is more "correct." Check the staff if you have Rush Complete. Each change corresponds with a chord and rhythm change. Also the rhythmic differential is the final beat of the longer measure, hence the alternating time signatures and not a combining of the two into the larger number. Phrases like these occur throughout much of Rush's music.

Generally how things are counted are kept as simple as possible. Some Indian and South American musics have bars of 21 or 23 beats, or more. Even those are broken down into denominational beat groups of duple and compound meters. A bar of 12/8 will often be broken down and counted as 4 triplets in a 1-2-3-4 fashion, emphasizing the first beat of each triplet as a downbeat.

Edited June 10, 2005 by CygnusX-1Bk2

[Disco]

QUOTE (DoubleAgent420 @ Jun 10 2005, 12:17 PM)

I've picked out one other Rush song in the entire catalogue that contains 13/8...... Time Stand Still, in the instrumental mid section. Freeze works like this I think..... The drums play in 6/4 while the guitar plays in 5/4 (this is later in the song) and when they match up (after 20 measures) they go into 4/4.

Man, we're deep, deep into spod territory here aren't we? I don't think any of my mates know (or are likely to) that I spend some of my time thinking - and then writing about - Rush's time signatures. It's good to have you fellows here to share this with, here on the less obvious threads in more obscure reaches of the board...

 

First, another 7/8! The 'I bring Truth and Understanding

I bring Wit and Wisdom fair' part of Apollo Bringer of Wisdom. ('I bring truth', is 1-2,1-2,1 etc)

 

As to Freeze, I still can't work out the into timing even with your help. To save face a bit, I'll say the chorus is 5/4 (each 'Sometimes' starts on the first beat of the bar, there are 4 bars betwen each 'Sometimes' if that helps the counting.)

 

Oh, and asking for 13/8 spots - man, I just dunno !!! I'll have a listen, time to strap on the Geek-Boots again.

 

Disco