Is this really 6/4 time?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Starstreams
  • Start date Start date
Starstreams

Starstreams

Member
This is something I need to practice. It’s suppose to be in 6/4 time but my teacher said that my left hand plays all the 8th’s
It just doesn’t seem to be lining up.

See here.
http://www.pyramid-of-wisdom.com/64.htm



Edit, I guess it's right because they are double para diddles
 
Looks like 4/4 with triplets to me - that would explain your teacher's comment.
 
No it's definitely not 4/4 with triplets. You'd need a "3" to indicate the triplet.

It looks more like 6/8 than 6/4 (and if so, there should be another bar line in the middle). At any rate, you're missing a beat (or a rest at least) in the down stemmed notes on "beats" 3 and 5 (if we're calling this 6/4).

I've always thought of 6/4 more as a duple meter than a triple meter. You have this notated as a triple meter, which is why to me it looks more like 6/8.
 
I thought it was just badly notated with the "3" missing. The lower notes don't look 3/4 or 6/8 at all. But I think the accent in the middle is intended to indicate where the bar line should be, as you say. It just seems a rather scruffy piece of notation, sorry, hard to read.
 
Ok I understand now. it is 6/4 time.

Look at the link again, I updated it.
http://www.pyramid-of-wisdom.com/64.htm


In this case being that this is a Para diddle.
The blue numbers are quarter notes being played six times per measure.
The Red numbers are foot patters he throw in latter and are just quarter notes where you use a rocking chair motion with the left foot on the hi hate.
 
Understood. You should notate rests in the red parts to make it clearer. Good job :)
 
very true, Thanks Garry.

by the way, I did one more edit basicly to note that I was missing the counts on the feet like you mentioned.

anyway, some of this stuff is crazy like on the link below where they talk about Asymmetrical meters, very confussing:
It says
-----
Asymmetrical meters like 7/8 or 5/4 are typically simple meters. There are five quarter notes in a measure, but each quarter note divides into two eighth notes, therefore it is simple time.
------
I think I understand it but it's just hard applying it sometimes.

http://www.musictheoryresources.com/members/FA_rhythm.htm
 
Salsa music typically has a bar in 4/4 followed by a bar in 5/4. Pink Floyd's Money I think is the same. It's much easier just to listen and pick up than to notate!

At least in the US you use simple and straightforward terms like whole, half and quarter notes etc. I started off in the UK in the 70's playing trombone, studying music, and we had to learn totally superfluous words like crotchet, quaver, semi-breve and so on, just another barrier to musical communication really.

[Edited to say, I don't think that music theory link you posted is terribly helpful. Not wrong, just not well written - well done for working it out. There are better ways of explaining it]
 
See now, I love Pink Floyd, happens to be one of my favorite bands.
Anyway, you said you think Money is in 5/4 time

I mean how do people just know that? I mean if you asked me to figure out the time signature just by listening I wouldn’t know unless it was in 4/4 time.
And I’ve listened to them for 20 years.
But I know what you mean; Money does have a strange kind of rhythm. To figure that out do you just count the base guitar strikes until it reaches the begging of the riff?
 
Starstreams said:
See now, I love Pink Floyd, happens to be one of my favorite bands.
Anyway, you said you think Money is in 5/4 time

I mean how do people just know that? I mean if you asked me to figure out the time signature just by listening I wouldn’t know unless it was in 4/4 time.
And I’ve listened to them for 20 years.
But I know what you mean; Money does have a strange kind of rhythm. To figure that out do you just count the base guitar strikes until it reaches the begging of the riff?

No Pink Floyd's "Money" is in 7/4.

The riff is like "one two (and) three four five six seven"
 
Starstreams said:
very true, Thanks Garry.

by the way, I did one more edit basicly to note that I was missing the counts on the feet like you mentioned.

anyway, some of this stuff is crazy like on the link below where they talk about Asymmetrical meters, very confussing:
It says
-----
Asymmetrical meters like 7/8 or 5/4 are typically simple meters. There are five quarter notes in a measure, but each quarter note divides into two eighth notes, therefore it is simple time.
------
I think I understand it but it's just hard applying it sometimes.

http://www.musictheoryresources.com/members/FA_rhythm.htm

Hey! I was the one who pointed out that you were missing rests in the lower part first!! :)
 
famous beagle said:
Hey! I was the one who pointed out that you were missing rests in the lower part first!! :)

You did. You are not wrong. ;) Have a rep point :)
 
Back
Top