How RUSH Uses Odd Time Signatures!!

[@TheProgSchool]

I had to cut out 12 seconds of Tom Sawyer because it was getting the video blocked! Apparently only those 12 seconds are block worthy haha

[@viniciusgmachado1204]

You’re cool, man.

[@evanmidhersand4912]

Glad someone finally appreciates Rush. Back in the 80s when I was a teenager early 20s I became quite enamored with rush because of their ability to mix up time signatures. Limelight was probably my favorite one. However one that steals the show more than any other song was The Camera Eye 👁. Try and figure out that time signature (after the extended 4/4 intro). “Grim faced and forbidding....” It’s basically 23 beats...and the way that I broke it up was 6-6-5-6. In addition at the time I made it my life’s goal to be able to hand tap Neil Peart’s drum score. Very challenging and very rewarding. Neil Peart was insane in that song.

[@TheProgSchool]

The Camera Eye is a classic, love the rhythms in that one!!

[@cpmf2112]

Producer: What time signatures are in this song? Rush: All of them :D

[@TheProgSchool]

Haha, pretty much!

[@MatheusSouza-li4jf]

I was today driving my car listening to Limelight when I noticed I couldn't count to it because I didn't know the time signature. This was bugging me so I'm glad I found your video, man. Thanks a lot.

[@TheProgSchool]

Glad I could help!!

[@ananthakrishnankrishnan7287]

This is exactly what led me to this channel. So another thanks :)

[@davidxu5834]

Same bro

[@polygraphovich]

Excellent video. I feel Rush makes these transitions between time sigs seem effortless, making it all seem so natural.

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! That’s one of the many things I love about Rush!

[@wooliegeek]

At 2:23 in the 7/8 section, it is played on 7 and 4th frets (which is how Alex and Ged play it). Odd to play since it is an odd grouping and means the pattern is played starting on a down pluck the and then an up pluck. But it works much better in that position than in the 2nd and 4th frets with the awkward shift. Give it a shot, it seems so obvious when you try it (well, it did to me when I finally switched)

[@TheProgSchool]

I'll try it out! Honestly the fingerings were not that important to me here as this video is all about the use of odd time signatures.

[@wooliegeek]

@@TheProgSchool I totally understand. No critique implied.

[@TheProgSchool]

@@wooliegeek none taken!!

[@tgorycki6825]

That's how I play it too. When I saw this video, I questioned whether I was doing it wrong, but it makes more sense playing on the 7th and 4th frets. Gets that left hand cramping up after a while LOL!

[@ModernDecay70]

Great video and explanation. As others have said Rush were the masters of using odd time signatures but still keeping that infectious groove. For the most part the average listener had no idea that they were listening to odd signatures. I don't care for a lot of modern progressive bands or the 24 bar riffs. While they are phenomenal musicians, to me most the the songs sound like someone falling down the stairs, but a lot of people seem to enjoy that. Jmo.

[@TheProgSchool]

The use of odd time Signatures for odd time signatures sake isn’t my favorite thing either. Rush did it right though!

[@crarmstrong]

Great work. You covered a lot of my favorite Rush songs - I had a smile in my face knowing others were getting to appreciate these!

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@MCMXI1]

Only Rush could provide the material for such an outstanding video. Thanks.

[@TheProgSchool]

I agree! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikezak8812]

Beatles, Zeppelin, Rush. Period. Each had their own decade- and owned their decade. Great video! Very instructive...EDIT: the whole idea was to highlight Rush's odd timing... sorry to advertise Beatles n Zeppelin, but they did it too- and very well.

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I’d definitely put Rush up there with any other band!

[@icstatonato]

Awesome video! I understand absolutely nothing about music theory, but there are a lot of moments I was listening to some song and I thought "this kinda sounds like something Rush would do". I think that this pattern of 2+2+3 that you described is exactly what creates this feel of something being "Rush sounding" for me. I'm so glad I can understand this now! :)

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! I’m glad I was able to explain it clearly. It’s tough to teach such complex musical ideas in an understandable way. I actually use that 2 2 3 rhythm in the first example from my lesson last week, kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYrae4awgt-pmZY Very much gives that Rush vibe.

[@icstatonato]

@@TheProgSchool definitely will check it out! Already subscribed to the channel

[@Snowdog070]

I'm such a RUSH fanatic and have been exposed to their music so much over my many years of listening and attending their concerts that I think 7 has been imprinted into my being. I'll use a hammer or knock at a door and think. I hit that thing 7 times, not 6 and not 8. I think I've programmed myself to work in 7 and I'm not a musician of any kind.

[@tgorycki6825]

This is awesome! I just realized I'd been playing the intro to Limelight wrong. That 4th fret on the G string on those opening chords makes all the difference. I've seen them live for almost every tour from Moving Pictures to Test for Echo (they skipped my town for the Power Windows tour). Thanks!🙏

[@TheProgSchool]

Glad to help!

[@wolfgineer9340]

Starts natural science.. fucking nice haha

[@TheProgSchool]

One of my favs!

[@gabrielhanley2217]

Excellent video, about as in-depth as you can get on prog time signatures without making a video longer than the average prog song!

[@TheProgSchool]

Haha, thanks! It’s hard to explain this stuff quickly, hence why my videos are all so long!

[@iseabeck9488]

Your explanation of 7/8 is why my favorite piece to conduct/perform is Flight of the Griffin by Balmages.

[@TheProgSchool]

It’s surprising how often I hear 7/8, across pretty much every style of music!

[@kipponi]

Try to sing subdivisions in karaoke today😂. Hardest thing is to find right spot to begin verses...and four different time signatures😮. And Geddy sings AND play same time. Amazing❤.

[@TheProgSchool]

Geddy is the man!

[@SoundWaveNebula]

Awesome video! It was cool to see the breakdown of Cygnus X-1. I always just played the lick. Off the top of my head, 7 is the most common odd time signature I hear in their songs. Xanadu, Anthem, and even Freewill I think has a 4 & 3 mix. I recall The Camera Eye having a cool section that I think is 6-5-6-6.

[@TheProgSchool]

I think that riff is easy enough to feel, but it was fun break it down. 7 probably is the most common odd meter they use

[@SoundWaveNebula]

@@TheProgSchool Now I'm just counting whenever a Rush song comes on my playlist. Checkout the song Driven.

[@TheProgSchool]

@@SoundWaveNebula Long that song! The intro goes between 4/4 and 7/8 and the verses go 4/4, 3/4, 4/4, 7/8 with the chorus in 6/8. Cool stuff!

[@Snowdog070]

I enjoy counting to Xanadu as I listen. Forgetting the denominator for the moment (not good at it) when the guitar starts I count 3-4, 3-4, 3-4 (for 7) then at about 2:55 into the music it switches to 4-3, 4-3, 4-3 (for 7) then a single bar of 5 then repeating 4's then back to repeating 4-3's, 5, 4's etc. Not a musician but the call might be the 3-4 at the opening "siren" sounding guitar and the response is the 4-3. I may interpret it wrong musically but its very cool.

[@dbrown6451]

Please do more!

[@TheProgSchool]

@@dbrown6451 I already have a couple more Rush lessons on the channel.

[@edvogt4039]

A theory breakdown of the solos in La Villa Strangiato would be cool.

[@TheProgSchool]

@@edvogt4039 that’s a good idea

[@P00katube]

Jacob's Ladder is considered to be one of many musical suites by Rush.

[@TheProgSchool]

It's a good one!

[@EdTravelingEast]

Great video!!!

[@TheProgSchool]

@@EdTravelingEast thanks!!

[@estebanrivera4786]

By Tor would be a great choice I believe. Give that a video!

[@neil742]

Thank you so much. What a brilliant lesson and I hope that there are more to come.

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! I have a ton of lessons on my channel already with lots more on the way!

[@johnnymoreira192]

Thanks a lot sir. 🎼

[@TheProgSchool]

You’re welcome!

[@lonewolf604]

Man if only I had a drinkin buddy like you where we could just slam a couple of brews and talk about time sigatures and music theory LOL

[@TheProgSchool]

Where are you at? I like a good brew!

[@sacheenheartbreakkid]

Great stuff my friend 👍🏻 Have a good day!

[@josephrincon8924]

Looking at your gear listed and I don't see a PRS listed, am I missing something? Awesome video BTW.

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! It might just be missing from this video, which I made over two years ago at this point.

[@tonygonzalez958]

Another great 👍 video. I grew up with rush.. awesome. I really have a hard time figuring out time signatures in songs. And when I put a odd drum loop on the daw and try to play to it sounds really awkward. Keep up the vids 👌

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! I’m a huge rush fan as well!

[@DaveDurango]

amazing channel. binging it all

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks! Glad you’re enjoying it!

[@estebanrivera4786]

5:52 Time to get into my arm dance B^I

[@TheProgSchool]

Haha

[@Snowdog070]

New subscriber. Very much enjoyed your vid. Huge RUSH fan, nay, fanatic as my nick might suggest. I hail from Neil's home town of St. Catharines. I'm a lay person though. No musical talent but I have two ears and an ability to count (sometimes). Your vid helps me to understand RUSH's music even more. Understanding a bit of the mathematical structure of their music helps me to appreciate it that much more. Question: you spoke of the front half of Jacob's Ladder but what about the second half? I count the second half based upon Alex's guitar part as 13. as in 6-4-3. It repeats after the 13th note as I count it rather than as some have counted it as 6-7, 6-7 etc. Thoughts?

[@TheProgSchool]

Glad you are enjoying the content! I’d count that as 3/4 and then 7/8. Essentially the 7/8 adds one extra eighth note. So you could think of it as 6 to 7. I’d probably count it as 1 2 3, 1 2 3+a

[@Snowdog070]

@@TheProgSchool Okay, thanks. I'm not good at determining the denominator, ie the "8" in "7/8" or the "4" in "7/4". I'm much better at the "7" part in my example. I don't expect you to do a vid on this inability of mine as I suspect that the vast majority of your audience are trained or accomplished musicians and my silly questions would bring the level of discourse down many octaves to use a musical term. Watching an old live KZbin vid of Yes doing Closer to the Edge as I write this. Great stuff. Looking forward to your next video. Take care.

[@charlieYTonly]

Thank you. Great video.

[@TheProgSchool]

Thanks for watching!

[@kirkkelley1899]

Hyperspace section has got Brand X written all over it.

[@evanmidhersand4912]

If you have time, please confirm guitar solo time signature in Marathon. From time to time I convince myself that it’s simply 7/4 but I come back to doubting this each time!...seems like it might be 13/8.

[@TheProgSchool]

I just listened to it, it’s all in 7/4 or 7/8. The drum groove is probably what is making it feel confusing.

[@P00katube]

The Beatles "Rain" is an examplecof an odd time signature

[@TheProgSchool]

The Beatles do have some good examples of odd meters

[@T.d.Mack74]

The best all time

[@TheProgSchool]

Definitely up there!!

[@1976P]

Far Cry has an interesting opening. 7/8 7/8 7/8 5/8 7/8 7/8 7/8 3/4 7/8 7/8 7/8 5/8 7/8 7/8 7/8 4/4 Losing It is mostly in 5/8 but mixes 4/4 in the chorus and some 6/8 in the violin solo.

[@prestomattwine]

Do you have full tabs available for these tunes?

[@TheProgSchool]

I don’t. I just tabbed out the parts I analyzed. There are some good tabs out there since Rush is such a popular band.

[@beefcake0354]

I can never count odd time signatures, let alone play them. love Rush anyway

[@niftyfiftytwo1484]

Do Freeze!

[@TheProgSchool]

@@niftyfiftytwo1484 👍

[@rickygallagher1677]

Great band. Tool are picking up where they left off imo.

[@TheProgSchool]

@@rickygallagher1677 tool is great as well!

[@panurge987]

Nice analysis, but I'm pretty sure 80s Rush played to a click.

[@TheProgSchool]

I’m sure they did in some cases. I was mostly referring to early Rush with that particular comment. I’m not going to claim to be an expert on 80’s Rush haha

[@bemersonbakebarmen]

The best of prog trios.... rush Keith Emerson fans be triggered

[@TheProgSchool]

Haha, that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it!!!