# Challenging myself



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Some of you know that I started some music lessons during lockdown.
I've decided to push myself a little bit this week.

Normaly when I'm playing a song I know or building a song with my band or friends I go with the feels of the song, the beat of the drums or what the others players do. I don't do things on purpose if you will.

Yesterday, I've deceided to write a song in 3/4 time signature. I know, this is not the most challenging time signature but I want my brain to think about it, to construct the melody around that beat.

Let me tell you that is not an easy task. I'll see where that will brings me! 

Wish me luck!


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Post the results. It will be fun.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I never ever consider time signature when writing, myself. A lot of sparrows songs are 3/4 but I dont know if they are any of the ones I had a large part in...


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Budda said:


> I never ever consider time signature when writing, myself. A lot of sparrows songs are 3/4 but I dont know if they are any of the ones I had a large part in...


I am no mad math scientist when playing music but I just tough it would be fun to try.
I can't imagine how challenging it is to come up with weird time signature and changing in the middle of the song without looking like a deer in front of car's lights!


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

KapnKrunch said:


> Post the results. It will be fun.


Or totally devastating!


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Ti-Ron said:


> Or totally devastating!


I am going through this myself. The real challenge is leaving my fantasy world (of how good it sounds) and entering reality (what needs improvement!).


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Ti-Ron said:


> I am no mad math scientist when playing music but I just tough it would be fun to try.
> I can't imagine how challenging it is to come up with weird time signature and changing in the middle of the song without looking like a deer in front of car's lights!


Easy. Practice til its second nature.


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## bigboki (Apr 16, 2015)

Next step, 7/8ths


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

if you want a real challenge trying writing a happy song in 3/4
instrumentally there's no shortage of happy waltzes and similar fiddle tunes but sing a song in 3/4 and it's gonna be devotional, melancholy, or heartbreak
or maybe i need to open my ears and listen around a bit more
j


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

This ain't exactly upbeat eh @Sketchy Jeff


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

ha ha ha i love Tom Waits he takes depressing so far off the edge of the musical map that you end up coming up for air all the way over on the other side in a happier place but kinda squinty and pale in the unfamiliear sunshine

and i'm not sure a Tom Waits song really has a time signature they are their own sprawling meandering thing. Wilco's One Sunday Morning is a bit like that with the off-kilter break even though the rest of it is sort of in time

j


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

Budda said:


> Practice til its second nature


and play Rheostatics covers
j


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Sketchy Jeff said:


> if you want a real challenge trying writing a happy song in 3/4
> instrumentally there's no shortage of happy waltzes and similar fiddle tunes but sing a song in 3/4 and it's gonna be devotional, melancholy, or heartbreak
> or maybe i need to open my ears and listen around a bit more
> j


Like this?


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

Ti-Ron said:


> Like this?


that's a happy song?

and i dunno i could be really wrong but i'd count that sort of in 9/8


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

Sketchy Jeff said:


> that's a happy song?
> 
> and i dunno i could be really wrong but i'd count that sort of in 9/8


I don't feel like getting drunk and cry all night long while listening to it.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

Ti-Ron said:


> cry all night long


it's like slightly but politely angry K-pop
j


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

@Ti-Ron you better work on your Korean too -- that song was about suicide. lol. no, just kidding buddy!! 

Good on those young girls. I thought it was great (whatever it was about).

How's the challenge going today?


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## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

KapnKrunch said:


> @Ti-Ron you better work on your Korean too -- that song was about suicide. lol. no, just kidding buddy!!
> 
> Good on those young girls. I thought it was great (whatever it was about).
> 
> How's the challenge going today?


You got me on this one, I had to counter check, this is a japanese band! 

I got a little melody on guitar and synth as an intro, I'm working on a second part with chords more in a "punk" sound and damn those are not easy to mix!


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I joined Kompoz this week hoping to collab with people there. A guy in Delaware, that I "met" on the song-writing forum, is supposed to whip up a rendition of a 12-bar that I sent him (_The Invisible Guy_). He says he is getting side-tracked by the ideas he is getting off it. LOL. I won't participate in the playing until i get my new interface -- the RME BabyFace with zero latency. Check out the site.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Cool idea! 

I don't think I've ever tried to write in anything other than 4/4 . But I've had to play music in unusual time signatures.

There's a trick to tackling weird time signatures. If you group every thing in 2's and 3's, it becomes much easier. 

For instance, for 5/4 you could break it into 2 + 3 or 3 + 2. They're very different grooves. The first one would be counted 1-2-3, 1-2. The second would be 1-2, 1-2-3.

There's a joke that musicians can't count past 3. Well, it's because we don't have to.

Something in 7 would give you more options for a groove: 2 + 2 + 3 or 2 + 3 + 2 or 3 + 2 + 2. Are you hearing Rush songs in your head yet? (Of course, they switch meter all the time within a song.)

When I hear something in a weird meter, I usually try to figure out what groove they're using. It's a fun exercise. 

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Ti-Ron said:


> You got me on this one, I had to counter check, this is a japanese band!
> 
> I got a little melody on guitar and synth as an intro, I'm working on a second part with chords more in a "punk" sound and damn those are not easy to mix!


Tricot is great!


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

bigboki said:


> Next step, 7/8ths



I'm working out an original with a 7/8's section that turns to 4/4 at the moment. It's a PITA for sure. I'm finding that if I use a mixture of "feel" and paying attention to the 7/8's when they come in helps a bit. It might not work for everyone, but once you have the odd times, even 3/4 (which isn't easy if you aren't use to it @Ti-Ron ) under your fingers well (like @Budda mentioned), it'll flow better. I'm still working on the transition for the 2 time sigs. Not to get too much into detail, but I'm finding throwing in a bar of 2/2 after the 7/8 seems to help with the transition to 4/4. Getting back to 7/8 fropm 4/4 is a bitch and a half though.


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