Confusing songs that are actually in 4/4!

[@iximusic]

For song & album requests and to support my channel and musical projects, please consider joining my Patreon (I can't monetize my videos): www.patreon.com/iximusic 🙌 You can also commission me to analyze your original music or do a piano cover. 🎹 And I teach private & group lessons, do film/video game scoring, and music transcriptions 🎶 TIPS: www.buymeacoffee.com/iximusic 💄

[@AH-cc9dd]

"everything is in 4/4 if you're brave enough"

[@lbright4568]

when the drums come in on pyramid song is probably my favorite moment from amnesiac, everything starts to line up so perfectly

[@AKAtAGG]

it's in 12/8 and the reason it hits so hard when the drums come in is for that reason.

[@ferrifet7267]

Aye it do be phatt

[@snoozieboi]

@@AKAtAGG what about spectre? I don't know music theory much but I think they like to play with drums coming in a the 3rd beat or something instead of the usual expected ones. Absolutely love it.

[@AKAtAGG]

@@JackMorgan06 it isn't. it's just easier to say it is/

[@iximusic]

@@AKAtAGG Ahhh I think I know what you're saying now, are you saying it's in 12/8 because you're counting the swing in the time signature? Whereas I'm saying it's 4/4 that swings?

[@iximusic]

Correction: Kimyan is Austrian-Congolese! He messaged me and sent me more songs of his that are also in 4/4 but don't sound like it: Premiére Neige (same rhythm as Mortal Life but with a clearer 4/4 subdivision), Uaminifu, and Seven Ant Foley.

[@SeanTBarrett]

I really appreciate the aesthetic choice of "songs that the artists (almost certainly) felt in 4/4" over "it adds up to 16 beats so it's 4/4" that I feel like a lot of youtube music essayists would likely do. As someone who has written (6+7+8+11)/8 and remixed others' into (11+13)/8 the distinction is dear to my heart.

[@iximusic]

And I really appreciate your comment because I think some people missed that point and I started second guessing that I had made that distinction clear in the video!

[@jorgepeterbarton]

I think sometimes the aspect of division is missed. Such like we can have 6 or 3 meter. How its written may have less convention but I did a piece in 16/8 once to represent the changing grouping that was more like 6 6 4. Oh they can say 12/8 is in 4 with triplets too I purpose

[@DustinHarms]

This is probably one of the best music channels that I've watched for what feels like ages but still hasn't absolutely blown up. Nothing else like you ixi!

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

Completely.

[@coolcarly7917]

2:15 The Pot - Tool 6:48 Myxomatosis - Radiohead 9:46 Entertain Me - Tigran Hamasyan 12:44 The Grid - Tigran Hamasyan 13:45 Mortal Life - Kimyan Law 18:43 (Secret song)

[@m3talh3ad18]

Thanks! I was looking for "10,000 - Fool". Yes, that's what I got from the album art.

[@farn451]

That Tigran stuff is basically Djent/Meshuggah on the piano!

[@YaYousef5]

Yeeeep. Love his album Mockroot. He even has a song with Tosin Abasi on his new album that's mid but fun.

[@LeXistenZ]

I was just thinking this! So cool!!

[@BrandonBakerMONOMATIC]

Oh my god. Pyramid song has always been just slightly out of reach for me to fully grasp it, let alone do a respectable cover…you just blew it wide open. When you sped up that familiar beat that I have played a thousand times before on drums, and in many contexts…but how did I not hear it all this time? When you said “feel like we are in the boat…” it was such an aha moment. A truest holy shit moment really. Now I can do a proper cover of this song, and not have to do a lame fudging of the piano part or whatever. But moreover, I UNDERSTAND IT. And I understand HOW it works and why it was so hard to wrap all my pink and gray mess around this song for all these years.

[@iximusic]

Amazing! So glad my aha could give you your aha!

[@Butterfliesandzebras]

It would be sick to do a video on songs that are in odd time signatures but that flow so naturally you don't even notice that they AREN'T in 4/4. One of my favourite off time riffs that really sounds like 4/4 is Soundgarden - Kyle petty, son of Richard. Matt Cameron is a master at those weird meters

[@iximusic]

I thought about doing that video! Because that's how you know the odd time groove truly grooves. I don't have a song collection ready to go for that topic. I think I would have to poll the masses. Would you say Fell On Black Days kinda has that feeling? I'll bet a lot of songs in 6/4 feel like 4/4 to many ears. And partly it's because I feel like it's often grouped as 4 and 2. Kyle Petty, Song Of Richard - around 1 minute mark right? That's noice.

[@JarKaze]

instantly thought of snarky puppy after reading this 😂 they make 7/8 sound so natural

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Dramamine by Modest Mouse is a good one. Also the song Teeth Like God's Shoeshine, it starts in 4/4 then changes and you hardly notice.

[@SugarySerial]

@@iximusicmaybe a bit too obscure, but Stereolab have some of my favorite, particularly on the album Dots and Loops. This is my new fave channel!

[@dclarkmusic]

Yeah tigran takes that Meshuggah rhythm thing and adds in all those gorgeous Armenian scales and additional complexity. The ultimate “no fucking way this is in 4/4” is his song Vardavar. I find it impossible to feel in 4/4, but apparently it is.

[@dirkster42]

As someone who gets thrown off the underlying beat by surface level syncopation really easily, this is exactly the kind of breakdown that I need.

[@SeanTBarrett]

I grew up accidentally hearing my parent's record of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" incorrectly, and after spending 40+ years getting used to odd time signatures and frequently changing time signatures, when I finally heard it again, I can't hear it correctly; to this day I hear the shifting syncopations as (effectively) dropped and added beats.

[@sharjesm]

Ixi and Beato are the best music channels on youtube. Not only is their analysis very interesting and informative, personally, I love that they analyze the bands I love... from the 80s, 90s and 00s. ❤

[@stephenoxf]

They're both fantastic, I'd add in David Bennett Piano as well. Thing about Rick Beato is that he seems to neglect all current music and write it off, he's sort of rose-tinted. But the content is still quality. Love Ixi though!

[@pulykamell]

@@stephenoxfDefinitely David Bennett. Also like 12-tone and Adam Neely. Beato is ... yeah, a bit curmudgeonly with modern music and he's fallen off my radar, but he has great content out there, too.

[@MorzakEV]

Thank you!!!! I’m a guitarist and had a go at playing pyramid song on my wife’s Kawai mini grand - beautiful instrument - as I thought it looked pretty simple chord wise, but I just couldn’t intuit the rhythm. This has been a MAHOooSIVE help. I’ve subscribed to catch your dedicated video. Also, I fell in love with you mic only to find it has already passed. RIP.

[@the_algo_rhythm]

Watching my favorite music theory analyst dissect polyrythym and polymeter... Sublime.

[@ryanodonnell2726]

No exaggeration, I spent 2 years thinking about what time signature Pyramid Song was in before finally understanding... it was in 4/4 all along.

[@Chilipotamus]

Never would have anticipated seeing Kimyan Law on here, his production is so unique and an absolute breath of fresh air!

[@deadbeef2482]

Kimyan Law is actually Austrian and not Australian, had the honor of meeting him backstage in Fluc in Vienna couple of years back, lovely fella :) Burial feat. Spaceape - Spaceape is another rhythmically interesting track actually in 4x4 I've made a minimix 10 years ago of somewhat weird 170 bpm beats, it's on mixcloud as "Deep Session 10 Minimix by Sebastard" Awesome vid Ixi!

[@KoraOSRS]

6:40 it's not obnoxious!! I was smiling thinking you were gradually fading out _your_ counting to let the viewer continue to count themselves as the drums kicked off! 😂

[@chrissmart9761]

Awesome video! Just found this channel. I can't believe you did a video on things that are actually in 4/4 but don't feel like it, WITHOUT MENTIONING MESHUGGAH! LOL

[@iximusic]

I knowww I'm sorry! I don't know their music. I will know it in the future. But I didn't. Forgive meeeee

[@Dasein23]

I know right! People be listening to Bleed going “omg what crazy time signature is this in?!?” And I’m like “uhh 4/4”

[@chrissmart9761]

I'm probably not that big a Meshuggah fan, because Bleed is still my favourite riff of theirs.@@Dasein23 It's that slow pitch bend up that almost makes my stomach flip flop. #PerfectPitchLife kzbin.info/www/bejne/i2WqiYGwpNJpn80

[@chrissmart9761]

Live version kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGLLnnxqmtatptU&start_radio=1

[@treykorte6984]

And Bleed has a backbeat throughout a lot of it, a lot of their other material can come across much more confusing

[@infertype]

Love the rhythm of Pyramid Song, and yes indeed it's 4/4 with those wonderful dotted notes to throw us all off.

[@TheShamaness.]

Love this so much! As a quick note for the incredibly tricky Tigran Hamasyan tune(love their music btw) there is a very mind boggling series of phrasings that add up to 32, so it doesn't even out until what actually is more like 2 full measures. 5-5-7(17) and then 5-5-5(15), so really just throwing all those odd tuplets at us.. all adding up to 32, which is a multiple of 4. Pretty incredible

[@robertpreteroti3459]

This video is amazing!! I love polyrhythms, they scratch an itch in my brain like nothing else.

[@kempmusik]

i love watching your brain work, Ixi. You are a treasure. its so refreshing to see music analysis on youtube. keep 'em coming!

[@jshiggity]

Oh man when you started clapping on that kimyan law track... I felt the shift physically.

[@hananc]

Sometimes I love it when the algorithms bring me something I really love. A woman (better) analyzing music (great) that is sophisticated (best!). Yay for much more new music to discover! Thanks!

[@aajfranklin]

God bless you for including album art to help folks who want to skip around

[@michaelroberts1064]

always fun to see musicians I admire interacting on yt. love your rh covers

[@aajfranklin]

@@michaelroberts1064 This must be what it's like to be recognised in public 😂 Thanks for the kind words!

[@jimcurtis9052]

I’ve always been interested in polyrhythms but can never seem to figure them out myself. One of the reasons why I like Djent music. Great lesson here. Thank you IXI. ❤️🤘🙏

[@jselengut]

First time on your channel. You're fun! Thanks.

[@speakwithanimals]

hearing you break down that Tigran song has me wanting to see you analyze some Meshuggah! Most of their stuff is a similar concept, with Haake on the drums keeping a 4/4 or 3/4 pulse in the hats and snare while the kick and the rest of the band just go polyrhythm crazy

[@billyalarie929]

The ENTIRE STRUCTURE of “Entertain Me” comes off as one huge breakdown you could easily hardcore dance to. And then the breakdown itself. This song is more monstrous in that way than most ACTUAL hardcore songs. (Botch could collab with him)

[@charlescoleman6896]

The official score book of Mahavishnu Orchestra songs, which was supposedly Mclaughlin-approved, notates "You Know, You Know" entirely in 4/4, with the first note on the and of 4

[@Rubi1007]

hey, I was trained in jazz drums throughout school (I'm a producer now) and I love how in all of these songs, I immediately recognized the tracks as 4/4. It's really interesting to see how other artists view and learn about rhythm. Wonderful video!

[@hello_bread225]

Probaby the wierdest one that i found is contortionist by their dogs were astronauts. It feels normal, right up to the point where the drums come in. I would highly recommend giving it a listen :)

[@evilscientistrecords]

00:38 I'm not surprised you picked this beat to show off 4/4, but I'm glad you did :D

[@MuammarElKhatib]

I love your secret song, "Pyramid Song." I had the privilege to listen to this song at a Radiohead concert in Boston like five years ago. This song is magic when you hear it live. It's like the piano is flooding your senses, and at the same time, the music is caressing your head and involving you in the void of existence. Damn.

[@guitaro5000]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you!

[@MooImABunny]

I had the huge luck of seeing Tigran live twice so far, his shows are amazing

[@GabiBrooks]

Speaking of rhitmic complexity, I'd love to see you do a Meshuggah analysis.

[@TheOriginalHairyDave]

Particularly since of a lot of their stuff is actually 4/4 as well

[@GabiBrooks]

@@TheOriginalHairyDave exactly!

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

"Concatenation" would be amazing.

[@Rhuggins]

Its been a minute since ive been on your chanel - and you're over 50k now! Holy COW!! I'm sooo happy for you. You are a gem :)

[@Glavanovibes]

One of my favorite examples of this is "Pinzin Kinzin" by Avishai Cohen Trio from the record Gently Disturbed. The bassline at the beginning is disorienting, but then the piano comes in with the quarter note. In sixteenth notes, it's 4+5+4+5+4+5+5= 32 sixteenth notes for a 2 bar cycle.

[@mixxdup]

i love love love your channel. your content is so easily digestible given the complexity of the music you work with, and your passion really shines through. thank you for making the videos you do ❤️

[@KoraOSRS]

Ngl, I clicked cuz I saw funky blue sipstick, and stayed for cool theory analysis of Tool, now I'm pumped for what's next!

[@Paula.B.]

How did I find your channel only yesterday? I don't know, but now I'm a fan. After listening to you, I have to listen to every song you've been through. Awesome. Thanks.

[@bck480]

Instant subscriber after this video. Your music taste is impeccable.

i love you for using "closer" for the 4/4 example

[@Inequities]

I have the BIGGEST crush on ixi 😭😭. Not because of her looks (but she is beautiful), not because of her style (but she’s eccentric and enigmatic), and not because of her taste in music (although it’s amazing). It’s because of her love for the most cerebral complexities of music and pulling parts out of songs and playing with them and then putting them back together at the end. She’s dope af and I’m hooked.

[@chisler6192]

Your channel is amazing, I'm really happy I found it before

[@user-ec3tb9xe6p]

Fascinating video. Counting along to "Pyramid" made my skin crawl! All the examples were well-chosen and presented. Bravo!

[@cosmicphoto05]

I am in absolute awe at how Tool can keep their shit together with all their changing time signatures and polyrhythms.

[@1tsam1r1cle3]

as someone who can play rosetta stoned, practice. lots and lots and LOTS of practice.

[@1tsam1r1cle3]

*can play rosetta stoned on drums. forgot to specify.

[@nivarad8497]

hella impressive dude!@@1tsam1r1cle3

[@Outplayedqt]

@@1tsam1r1cle3Have you tried Invincible yet? Been practicing it for almost a year now using Johnkew as a great reference, and god, finishing work and hopping on the throne to play Invincible is one of the very, very few cathartic experiences I have in life these days. Props for rocking on Rosetta Stoned!

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

Lmfao, Meshuggah has been doing that since 1995.

[@MrBmnmtfk]

Hell yeah its a good day when a new ixi video drops

[@sdproffer]

You’re awesome and this was point-ful

[@PSLegend999]

the last one really broke my brain. good job!

[@DavideDF]

This video was fire, subscribed! Great analyses

[@tibr]

Recently saw Tigran live, one of the most impressive live performances of my life, Great video!

[@gertistamherd]

Kimyan Law is an Austrian-Kongolese musician, not an australian. But so nice to see him in here. His music is something special. You all gotta check out his Music Video/Short Film "Uaminifu". Pure Goosebumps Material

[@iximusic]

I will thank you! His aesthetic is beautiful

[@emmalerow8298]

You are phenomenal! Your videos bring so much knowledge and joy.

[@VinceViglione]

Cheers for including Tigran as he is probably my favorite artist of all time. Kimyan Law I was not aware of so thank you for that too!!

[@juancholoops]

Ok I just found my favorite youtube channel 🤍

[@citrineflora]

I'm so glad I found your channel! We have similar taste in music, so I'm shamelessly logging all your recommendations. And, this video is exactly the type of shit I think about daily, so please keep 'em coming! 🙏🏼

[@daftkifty]

My favourite example of this is "No Signal" by Chon. An absolutely brilliant tune.

[@MarcelVincent]

pyramid song at the end was so great... ive known for a long time this song was in 4/4, Thom york himself has had trouble with this song live because of how on the off beat the piano is. There is a video on it somewhere in the depths of youtube

[@amplethought]

Ixi- I’m subscribing. I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years and have NEVER more enjoyed a video on ALL of KZbin, let alone about TIME SIGNATURES. WTF, yo? Thank you!!

[@GreatBigBore]

I can’t stop watching this video. Although I know Led Zeppelin isn’t really in the genres you listen to, at least from what I’ve seen of your vids so far, it would be really cool if you could count through the piano break in “Fool in The Rain”. I’m told by drummers that it’s the same rhythm both before and after the drums start, but I can’t hear it! Anyway, thanks for this video, it keeps me busy

[@mashupfy]

Hi! You're totally right with the Pyramid song explanation about being inspired by the 3-2 clave, but it's more logical to think that you're counting half notes instead of quarter notes that are easier to play with (just like Phil and his swung 4/4 drums). The official Amnesiac sheet book has this rythm too.

[@ondinnonk]

The Tool discussion reminds me of Justin Chancellor: "Pass the Goddam Butta" 😂 polyrhythm

[@ondinnonk]

Ah, you mention it in the Myxamatosis section >_

[@alecsnider3225]

Pyramid Song becomes much easier if you think of it as a slowed down bossa nova, or as you said, a clave. It took me years, but when the lightbulb finally came on, it was blinding :)

[@jeronimoh]

This is cool. Thanks for sharing this. Very cool break down of timing

[@DanMilliganMusic]

Drummer here....LOVING this vid. That Tigran Hamasyan track is NUTS!

[@hananc]

when trying to decypher the meters of music, I am using a counting app. I tap the screen and it counts for me. this way I can concentrate on the music.

[@emptysoul8462]

The Pot is actually the first song i fully learned or bass. It taught me so much, it was my big switch to electric instruments and music-making in general.

[@i_want_my_shuggah]

Congratulations.

[@TopaT0pa]

I had "The Bad Plus - Physical Cities" in my mind the whole time. :D

[@fwah23]

fun rhythm geek out! after watching your breakdown of myxomatosis, slightly higher-level breakdown of the snare might be phrase 1 - 'tresillo (long-long-short) starting on the 1', phrase 2 - 'normal snare on 2-4 ', phrase 3 - 'tresillo starting on 2 (long-long, no short)' phrase 4 - 'snare on 2-4'. and repeat and the bass does 4:3 polyrhythm thing over two phrases and ends on a 'short' eighth note to reset back to the 1.

[@garethcoxmusic]

As a drummer Tigran is easy to follow as the Snare always lands on the 3rd crochet.

[@iximusic]

What's a crochet in this context?

[@victorstriga]

I watched some NIN videos from you today, you have a cool personality & music taste!

[@JakeDiMare]

Awesome analysis! I've always been attracted to music that takes risks with time signature, polyrhythms, and other unique beats. No surprise, Tool and Radiohead are among my all time favorites.

[@JakeDiMare]

Oh, also...If you're as addicted to exotic rhythm as I am, check out the jazz band, The Bad Plus.

[@Adamreir]

Hahaha! The rhythm in Pyramid Song is the bossa nova rythm played slowly. Never realized 😂

[@drfill9210]

To hold a poly rhythm, you just count to whatever in your head. He'd be counting to 4.

[@CamiloDiaz]

The Tigran hi-hat + snare always in four against the poly madness is a page straight from the Meshuggah playbook

[@bulkvanderhuge9006]

I always pick up the 4/4 when the Bass comes in on The Pot.

[@lilerick3352]

I’m obsessed with this channel! You’re absolute badass!!! 🤘🏼🤘🏼

[@_uncredited]

Pyramid Song is measured in Royal Cubits of 139/4.4.4, in the key of H (but with a flattened 8th).

[@ronsmith1777]

Thank you, thank you! Awesome and amazing, thank you for this eye opening perspective. And awesome lipstick!!

[@Blender_and_Chirp]

I feel like Pyramid Song is ametric before the drums due to a rest and when drums come in I’m hearing a swung 3/4. I’m not a drummer though so I can’t be certain. Coldplay Clocks would’ve been neat bcuz it’s one of those 123, 123, 12 4/4 songs. I almost got that from Pyramid but it never seemed to reset with a two count. This was a great video, made me want to count and see for myself. Lol.

[@doordedeur]

Drops Of Jupiter by Train seems to start off in a 3/4 beat, but when the drums come in, then the chords and melody turn out to be syncopated.

[@Zenzuke]

Oh my god, you are incredible, fastest subscribe in my life. I'll be SHOCKED if your channel doesn't explode in the next... year or so.

[@mattuskamusic]

That’s the funny thing about music analysis. I watched a video a while back where they were showing the time signature changes on a Radiohead song. Don’t remember which one. It changed from 4/4 - 3/4 -2/4. Over several bars. I did some simple math and realized you could fit it all in 4/4. Sure the phrases didn’t line up but over time they did. I think it’s a modern music thing to think that phrases have to begin on beat one and end on the last beat of a bar.

[@nintendoor1]

I have always been so confused by Myxmatosis. Thank you for this, you’ve scratched the itch in my brain, finally

[@jono2330]

Every song is in 4/4 if you try hard enough Also i had such a hard time learning the bass part of the pot before i figured out it was 4/4 my brain exploded when i did

[@reydemagival]

Mastodon's Peace and Tranquility is another one of these that blows my mind. Clearly a 7/8 squirrely guitar riff but no, it's in 4/4.

[@the_algo_rhythm]

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR SO LONG. 🖤🖤🖤

[@esabaliauskas]

cant wait for pyramid song analysis!!! Please do! :)

[@zakthewack]

I know this has aready been said, but this applies to literally every meshuggah song except for "I" and a part of future breed machine

[@misterguy9051]

i love metrics. polymetrics even more... (regarding Pyramid, i'd count it twice as fast to better feel the swing of it but that's just me.. great vid.. I'm gonna check more.. cheers)

[@FramesGone]

Pyramid Song's structure is so freaking interesting in so many ways. Really looking forward to the vid :)

[@swancrunch]

loved the Kimyan Law's one. will definitely check this artist. so simple yet so weird, really has a 5/4 feel to it. or like short-short-short-long aksak thing. do you know more songs like that? would love to watch a part 2 or something) love these confusing but simple 4/4s. like Svanrand by Heilung - literally only a kick drum, but sounds like 7/8. or Head Mounted Sideways by VOLA - simple af, yet first time it sounded to me like djenty polymeter, only after like 3d listen i got that there are no poly, kek.

[@Chilipotamus]

Pretty much all of his output has wild rhythms baked into them, Uamanifu is one of my favorites

[@zorilla0]

A song this topic immediately reminded me of was "We Are" by Karnivool. At its heart, it's a standard 4/4 song with a triplet shuffle, but the studio version puts uses a drum polyrhythm over the whole thing that makes it sound like the song is playing 5D chess. Hearing the live version with the more straightforward drum pattern helps demystify things a bit.

[@unitymask]

Its kind of fascinating how good of an example closer is of 4/4 rhythm because even if its the most common rhythm i tend to think of closer when it comes to 4/4 rhythms too LOL (Maybe just cause it's catchy though...)

[@aceofspades02]

22:32 I only disagree on being "pointless". Thanks for sharing it. I'm subscribing thee now, due to the music erudition level, here and also because thy voice soothes me. sincerely, Ace

[@hoagy_ytfc]

As soon as I saw the title, I wondered "how long before Pyramid Song?" - had to wait longer than expected!