Does Any Popular Song Uses the 3/4th Beat?

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2006-03-21 09:49am

I was trying to determine earlier today what song (that's well-known and had been on the charts from the 1960s onwards) uses the 3/4th beat... and I can't.

The closest (and the only one) I can determine is the non-chorus parts of the Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Anyone got any ideas?

Pick · Post by **Pick** » 2006-03-21 09:38pm

Haunting (Somewhere In Time) by Kamelot. Reasonably popular within its sphere?

Post by **Simplicius** » 2006-03-21 10:25pm

I think some of the older country music was in 3/4, but it's been so long since I've listened to any that I'm buggered if I can recall titles.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2006-03-22 01:40am

I'll pay attention while I'm listening to music for a while.

This will bug me...

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2006-03-22 01:49am

lousy non-creative "popular music" songwriters... 3/4 is so much cooler than 4/4.

On a related note, the Mission Impossible theme song is in 5/4.

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2006-03-22 02:47am

Stormy Pinkness by TMBG is in 3/4. I know because I have the live version from Berlin off the Dial-A-Song collection and it's live. They tell the crowd to "stomp along" and inform them of the beat to aid in the stomping.

Meeper · Post by **Meeper** » 2006-03-22 03:10am

According to this site, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica and Kiss From A Rose are, among others. I thought NEM was in 6/8, actually. But this is a pretty big list, so have a look.

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2006-03-22 03:32am

Meeper wrote:According to this site, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica and Kiss From A Rose are, among others. I thought NEM was in 6/8, actually. But this is a pretty big list, so have a look.

Thanks.

That's the motherlode, that is.

Billy Joel's Piano Man. I should have remembered that.

And yep, as Simplicius said there are a whole bunch of Country songs in there.

Metatwaddle · Post by **Metatwaddle** » 2006-03-22 04:04am

You know what's really cool? The verses to All You Need Is Love are in 7/8 time. (The chorus is in 4/4.) THIS, my friends, is why the Beatles are so much cooler than anyone writing music these days.

I always find myself liking triple or compound metered songs much better than the normal ones. Always.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2006-03-22 08:08am

Piano man is also in 3/4 time.

as for the beatles, most of their early stuff was cookie cutter 4/4 rock.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2006-03-22 09:08am

while the music in itself may have not been so popular, I seem ro recall that Insengard theme(from LOTR movies) had strange beat to it (just can't seem to what it was).

Meeper · Post by **Meeper** » 2006-03-22 09:19am

I have no idea where my LoTR soundtracks are, but from memory the Isengard theme is in 5/4, being a marchy percussive thing and all.

EDIT\ and it is!

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2006-03-22 09:19am

Lord Revan wrote:while the music in itself may have not been so popular, I seem ro recall that Insengard theme(from LOTR movies) had strange beat to it (just can't seem to what it was).

According to my sister who digs the theme it's a 5/4.

And looking through a list of Sting's song, I'm pretty sure "Seven Days" from Ten Summoners' Tale is 3/4.

Edit: And his Soul Cages' "Island of Souls" too.

felineki · Post by **felineki** » 2006-03-22 10:46am

Gradius III SNES's "Accident Road" had the first "verse" in 3/4, and the second in 7/8... I think there were quite a few others with non 4/4 time in the Gradius series' soundtracks, I'll have to check.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2006-03-22 10:52am

Pink Floyd's "Money" is in 7/4ths time, the only pop song ever in that particular time signature.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-03-22 04:24pm

If you want weird time signatures, here's the king of them: Dave Brubeck

Fleet Admiral JD · Post by **Fleet Admiral JD** » 2006-03-22 07:53pm

The Incredible's theme song arrangement we're playing in Jazz Band is written in mostly 5/4 and 3/4.

And I've seen Dave Brubeck in concert. Amazing pianist, and his saxophone guy is awesome too.

Sriad · Post by **Sriad** » 2006-03-24 10:52pm

I'm not sure of any particulars, but that list reminded me, Frank Zappa has some crazy shit.

We can also see a whole lot of Queen is in 3/4 or 6/8.

Braedley · Post by **Braedley** » 2006-03-25 12:36am

Ugh.
1) Piano Man is actually 6/8, not 3/4 (slight difference)
2) Lucy is 4/4 through the chorus. It's either 3/4, 3/8 or combo 12/8,15/8 through the versus. IIRC from my band days, it's 3/8 with 4/4,5/4 bar placing. (ie each bar is 3/8, and the bars are placed in a group of four followed by a group of five)

Other than that, there are some Barenaked Ladies songs that have some funky time signitures.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2006-03-25 12:40am

"Always With Me, Always With You" on Surfing with the Alien by Joe Satriani.

It's not 3/4 time but on his self-titled album(the second one I believe), Joe Satriani had 3 songs in 12/8: S.M.F., Slow Down Blues and Sittin' 'Round.

And Echo on Surfing with the Alien was in 5/4.

Disposable Heroes on Master of Puppets was in 6/4, well, the opening anyways. ...And Justice For All's opening was in 3/4.

Boot Hill on The Sky is Crying was in 12/8 as well. So was the title track. And Empty Arms, May I Have A Talk With You, Close to You and So Excited. If you're keeping score, that's 6 for 10.

Sorry, I'm a little bored tonight and started flipping through some of my tab books.

Pezzoni · Post by **Pezzoni** » 2006-03-25 11:18am

It's not exactly 'Popular', but Dream Theater can't get through a single song without using a strange time signiture at least once.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2006-03-25 12:35pm

Im not much of a music master. How do you go about counting time signatures on a song?

Braedley · Post by **Braedley** » 2006-03-25 12:47pm

Listen for the downbeat (the first beat in a bar). It's always the strongest beat in the bar, and is usually when you hear the kick drum. Then count the beats until the next downbeat.

To illistrate this a little further, 4/4 time has a beat pattern of strong, weak, medium, weak, whereas 3/4 has strong, weak, weak, and 6/8 has strong, weak, weak, medium, weak, weak.

You can also listen for cord progression. In 3/4, cord progression almost always occurs on either just the first beat or all three beats. In 4/4, it occurs on the first and third.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-03-25 01:35pm

Barracuta by Heart is one of the most messed up time sigs in rock.

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2006-03-27 10:18pm

Barenaked Ladies' "When You Dream" from Stunt is either a 3/4 or a 6/8.