I was LITERALLY coming home half and hour ago thinking about this tempo change and was like "I wonder if someone's made a TH-cam video analyzing that one..." I then open TH-cam to find this on my home page uploaded fucking today One could say it was perfect timing 😎
I'm by no means an expert but I think it's possible that this tempo reduction style may have been a deliberate attempt to turn it into a pseudo-80's style beat. If you think about the time of its release, 80's nostalgia was at a high, so it draws you in with a modern faster beat of the time and seductively brings you back to time when we all thought big hair and semi-plastic clothing was the nuts.
@@mohammad4110 why would they be joking? They’re right, haven’t heard of their stuff in yeaaars since Creep. Can't imagine anything they released after is on the same level of perfection as Creep
i have come back a week later with news, i am in fact the creep and weirdo mentioned in the only good radiohead song crepe. please forgive me thom yokre.
I think in Bohemian Rhapsody they were going for the double time/half time feel. They aren’t exactly doubles and halves, but it’s pretty close. 72-146 (as opposed to 144), then 139-72. Off by two bpm in the first one and five bpm in the second. Not bad, considering it was played on tape by humans.
Mama is another My Chemical Romance song that has a tempo change, I believe! Also, they had a lot of (probably) unintentional rhythmic fluctuations on their first album too. Honey This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us has a bit around the start of the bridge where there was an unintentional speeding up part, but it goes back to the original tempo almost immediately. And on Demolition Lovers, it speeds up around when the drums and guitars come in harder and Gerard starts screaming more. I think Demolition Lovers has some other tempo changes as well. Also I think there might be something on Drowning Lessons, but I'm not sure
My favourite song that has (quite a few) tempo changes is Ode to Sleep by Twenty One Pilots, because the tempo changes have a specific meaning in the context of the lyrics. The tempo reflects the moods or the state of mind of the narrator that are also in the lyrics. There's parts where the lyrics are upbeat and hopeful, and so the music and the tempo reflects that, and there's slower parts that feel really heavy where the lyrics are quite dark. I just love how the tempo is used to show this huge contrast in the lyrics
The change in harmonic motion helps with the slowdown in "We Are Young." I love how tempo changes can be a little deceptive if the harmonic motion changes at the same time
I love how "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Céline Dion plays with tempo. The constant slowing down and speeding up add so much to the song's emotion and make it feel alive!
When I saw the title I instantly thought of the band Distant, who are way too obscure to go in this video, but their music is all breakdowns. It’s insane. But any metalcore/deathcore/hardcore punk track could have been on here. It’s a literal genre that is focused around big, emotional tempo changes, and I’m kind of sad he didn’t even mention it.
Roundabout by Yes has a very subtle tempo change, I only noticed it after playing along to the song, its a very natural speed up, like the band might have been excited recording the song. Edit: actually the tempo is all over the place in the song.
Your comment reminds me of Ringo Starr, the drummer of the Beatles. Apparently, Paul and John invited Ringo into the band because he kept the beat quite well, that's something to notice considering they had no click track to work with on stage
I think "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" also changes the tempo twice, the first time from the verse to the bridge/pre-chorus, and then again from the pre-chorus to the chorus (and, of course, again back to the verse)
As per my comment, it is one of many Beatles songs that changes both tempo and time signature at the same time. The song I cited was 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun'. They weren't called Beat-les for nothing!
On the topic of recording with clicks, I feel like they're extremely useful for playing with recordings of yourself over weeks at a time. If I'm recording piano one day, and then can't get to guitar for a week because of work, I'm not gonna remember exactly how I recorded the piano. If and when I start recording with others I'll probably stop using clicks, but as a solo artist with no studio musicians, a click is my best friend.
I usually record my stuff while I'm listening to my other stuff. I do a basic run on keyboard which basically just has my chord changes and a beat and that's my method for keeping in time when playing the other parts
@@loganricherson That works for some things, but alot of the time that rhythmic pulse in the chordal part doesn't fit. As much as I'd love to play with others and not a click, I find the click easier for working solo.
A song that starts fast, goes to a slower tempo and returns to the fast intro tempo and repeats is Ode to sleep by Twenty one Pilots. An interesting song for sure
@@i_am_an_idiot_but Black Parade is a Rock Opera classic and a pop punk masterpiece. I think it could be one of the best punk albums ever made behind that of Jeff Rosenstock, & The Clash
I just recently discovered the incredible masterpieces that hide behind "Teenagers" and "Welcome to the Black Parade" but I wouldn't call it underrated, it is very rated. Even the song with the least plays on Spotify (Blood) still has 25,000,000~ plays.
ugh i’m looking for more examples like this that are more my style and i’m having such a hard time finding some, thank you for this, west coast is my favorite tempo change example and i’m listening to the other one right now
Pulp's Common people gets gradually faster through out the entire song. They don't bring attention to any specific moment. It's just a constant energy increase.
I think Chop Suey might actually be the same tempo throughout the entire song. It doesn’t sound like it, especially in the chorus, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually consistent.
You're confusing tempo change with rhythmic change! If you want a clear example of a tempo change in metal, listen to Gun by Soundgarden. You can't miss it, it's the sole purpose of the song
@@barcelomrozovic1625 perhaps slightly, like an unintended oscilation. Personally I like to reserve the term tempo change to some other examples, where it is more abrupt and clear. I really can't think of a Soad song that does what Crowbar does on "All I had I gave" or Sleep's "Inside the sun". If you search for "Al Cisneros tripping balls" you might get what I mean
Great video, as usual. "Baba O'Riley" was an excellent choice. And I totally agree with your thoughts on click tracks. Playing with other musicians and allowing the rhythm to ebb and flow keeps the humanity in music, as wonderfully demonstrated by your examples. Thanks!
A few more of my favourite examples: "The Miracle" by Queen. "Layla" by Derek and the Dominos. "Suite Judy Blue Eyes" by CSNY. (Obviously this is a suite with multiple movements, like "Evie" by Stevie Wright. A suite is a different kind of episodic song than a rhapsody. But they are smooshed together such that it reads like one song with tempo/mood changes.)
I'm so glad you said The Miracle. I feel like Queen might have a lot of examples. March of the Black Queen, Millionaire Waltz, My Fairy King, Doin Alright, It's Late (which reminds me a lot of Welcome to the Black Parade), I Want it All.
As a kid, many a Saturday afternoon was spent roller skating at De Aston school gym. Someone (sometimes me) always asked the DJ to play Come On Eileen so that we could blast faster and faster around the rink. Walls Come Tumbling Down by the Style Council was another rink favourite. My word, I'm old.
Heroin by The Velvet Underground is a great example, too. The tempo climbing functions like a prechorus in that song to reflect the building highs of the drug. Very neat
I love how my favorite band of mine, Tally Hall, plays with tempo. For example, in Ruler of Everything, the song starts at 83 BPM in its A section, then about halfway through speeds up to around 130 BPM in the B section of the song, before finally slowing back down to 83 BPM again. Similarly, Banana Man does tempo changes too, though it's more complex. It starts at 113 BPM before jumping to a Latin groove in around 125 BPM before slowing down to 100 BPM, then speeding up back to its original tempo for the final verse and chorus, then slowing back down to the previous tempo for the outro.
Prayer of a Refugee will always be one of the biggest bops and nostalgia songs for me. You've got a great range of songs here to showcase playing with tempo!
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, that little chromatic riff at the end of the chorus is a slower tempo than the rest of song. that’s one of my favorite sneaky tempo changes because it’s more built into a recurring section of the song rather than the tempo change being it’s own section/ending/etc. it also switches to 3/4 for bonus points!! It comes back to the old tempo and 4/4 on the descending scale back into the verse. Brill
A notice that in a lot of songs there's a tendency to think there's a tempo change when there isn't. Often just adding more accented beats makes a rhythm sound more energetic, whether its actually faster or not. I thought some songs were examples of tempo change but upon listening they actually weren't, just rhythm changes. These examples provided here are actual tempo changes though. It's not as common as you would think though.
As soon as I saw the title, I was hoping you'd talk about Rise Against! They do fantastic tempo changes in a lot of their songs, and Prayer of the Refugee is a great example (though my personal favourite use of tempo changes in their music is probably in Savior, the slower bridge makes the last chorus seem Extra intense even though it's the same speed as the other choruses)
A trend I’ve noticed in some metal songs specifically is to have the track start off fast, slow down during the bridge, and then end fast again (usually with a guitar solo). I’ve heard it in Blackened by Metallica, Angel Of Death by Slayer, and Holy Wars by Megadeth.
Isn't it also common for metal "drops" (if that's the right word) to be very slow? I'm not very familiar with the genre but in the few songs I listen to, I always love the way that hits.
Music production software is starting to get better about allowing you to record and play back with free timing and still get all the benefits of seeing the music on a grid by creating a "tempo map" from the performance. Most DAWs (digital audio workstations) have been able to do this for many years, but it was often a clunky and time-consuming process. Nowadays, DAWs like Studio One and Cubase make it quick and intuitive. So hopefully the regimented to-click styles of recording will start to fade, at least in genres that it makes sense to show some ebb and flow in the timing.
@@TheProxy2 I use Studio One myself, but a quick search for "tempo map cubase" brought up several options - this one looks pretty clear and describes a method pretty similar to the way it works in Studio One: th-cam.com/video/Gj3wmIKzScU/w-d-xo.html
Just today I learned how to do tempo changes in FL studio, so now my crappy stuff can be slightly less crappy. It even allows for an automation curve for tempo, so it can be abrupt or gradually.
I think slowing down for the bridge (or thereabouts) can be an emotive and powerful choice. There are a few tracks by the Beach Boys that pioneered this technique, including Wouldn't It Be Nice and I'm Waiting For The Day. There are also plenty of classic Weezer songs from the 90s that do the same thing (no doubt inspired by the Beach Boys), including Surf Wax America, Across The Sea, and The Good Life. It allows you to take a moment to reflect before the song builds back up to a dynamic and exciting close.
Not sure if it's gonna be in the video, but South of Heaven by Slayer starts in 108 BPM (i've seen scores and tabs with 54 BPM) and then speeds up to 138 BPM, Seasons in the Abyss also does something similar going from 64 BPM in the intro to 152 BPM for the rest of the song then back to 64 BPM for the outro
I really like the gradual tempo increase throughout Pulps Common People.. drives it on and gives the sense of Jarvis getting increasingly irritated.. also like the bit in the middle of Day in the Life as the story switches to the bit about getting up in the morning, then after a smoke, it returns back to the more dreamy feel.
I KNEW "Paranoid Android" would be the Radiohead mention! :-) Great video! "Just Another Story" by Jamiroquai has quite a few tempo changes in. It's an album track from their 1994 album "Return of the Space Cowboy". Also Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet" has tempo & time signature changes at the same time.
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) would make a great example here. It builds from 110 to 132 bpm slowly and steadily over the course of the whole song, to really great effect.
Pixies - a sad punk, gradually increases in tempo from the intro. The chorus is played at a fast and slow tempo which I think may be a unique example for the same section of music to be repeated at completely contrasting tempos!
EXCELLENT song choices. The Black Parade is probably the very best emo rock album of that time period. It still really hold up. And of course I love the Radiohead and Thom Yorke inclusions. You should incorporate more Arcade Fire in your stuff. Their music covers a lot of theory.
You mean the time period where all sorts of pop-punk and post-hardcore bands were labelled as emo whether or not they actually fit? Perhaps, but it's also a strong example of how emo wasn't being used the same way anymore and was now just a trashbin to toss whatever bands kids with too much eyeliner liked.
The ending of Someone’s in the Wolf by Queens of the Stone Age begins to speed up heavily, but then returns to it’s original slower tempo. The second half of Venice Queen by Red Hot Chili Peppers also has a faster tempo change.
Here are some other examples that I know of: "Crown of Love" by Arcade Fire "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire "Secret" by The Pierces "Take Me With You When You Go" by Jack White
Lately I've been noticing quite a few songs that seem to start fast and half way through or closer to the end they drastically slow down. Something about that technique hit me more so I tried looking to see if it was an actual musical technique or just a random thing I was noticing. I'm glad that I finally found this video to prove that it's a real thing
‘You Set the Scene,’ the final song of Love’s “Forever Changes,” what many people consider to be one of the greatest albums of all time, has the best abrupt slowing of tempos I’ve ever heard, really beautiful and sparking, paradoxically, a feeling of excitement and euphoria in the listener.
'Music was my first love' - okay, fair enough. 'And it will be my last'. How did he know that, though? I mean, he ain't dead yet! Very poor show, Mr Miles . . .
Rusty Cage by Soundgarden, but not only does it slow down, but the meter goes from 4/4 to a rather complex mix of 3/4, 5/4 and 2/4 (3+3+3+5+3+2) which the band (sometimes) admit, they didn’t really plan out, it just happened to come out that way because they got a little lost, but liked how it sounded.
Yay some of my favourite songs!! I think the fact that this isn't used that often means that it has even greater impact when a song uses it. Some random thoughts: - A lot of hiphop songs use this to great effect I feel. Because I love Kendrick, King's Dead and DNA's subtle 65 to 60bpm change come to mind - and DUCKWORTH's beat changes! - I love playing Take Me Out's slowdown part because it's just so swaggery! - Evermore's tempo changes bring that excitement in for Justin Vernon's parts, and bring it back down to earth when Taylor starts singing the chorus again - Dawn Chorus is so emotive and romantic because of that loose free-time feel P.S. I'm glad Radiohead got some love in this video! I feel like you might be sleeping on them, I bet you'd love them if you gave them a chance mate! ;)
David knows a lot of Radiohead songs and features them in his videos regularly. It's just that he doesn't like them as much personally as Radiohead fans would like him to (which is completely fine of course).
I love this video!!! Thank you so much!! I’m getting my songs produced and I always felt like producers were giving me flack for not having a strict bpm or for not playing to a click track
Mrs. Train is a rather lesser known song by They Might Be Giants, but I love how it changes tempo. It doesn't really change tempo as much as it gradually speeds up constantly throughout the song, while also progressively layering more instruments and vocals. I highly recommend it
My favorite use of tempo change is on FKA Twigs's "hide", the tempo change is so slow and gradual before you know it the song comes to a complete stop, it's genius
Feel the Pain by Dinosaur Jr has to be my favorite tempo change. That really hard and simple duality of tempos played in that alternating ways mirror that simple lyrical idea "I feel the pain of everyone, and then I feel nothing". The melancholic slow section is when he feels nothing I think, and the quick section is when he feels the pain of everyone. The relative lyrical complexity of the second sextion compared to that simplicity is another duality. Essentially the general idea of "A and B": an A and B musical sextion with two different feels, two different moods (manic and depressive to a certain extent?), two different lyrical styles; it's a nesting doll of all kinds of structural dualities. It's rad as hell.
LOVE this! Especially your remarks from 16:35. 100% agree. Many Smashing Pumpkins songs have this kind of push-pull play with tempo that can't be gridded. As does the most iconic song from the 90's, "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Another top notch video, David. Thank You!
Omg, i searched for this literally a few days ago and now you release that video. I write a song that change its tempo and it's very useful to hear these examples.
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: you left out the "Things are okay with me these days" part which is between the beginning section and the "Brenda and Eddie" section in tempo. Another multi tempo song: Still the One by the Orleans
Thank you for using the longer song segments to demonstrate. As I was listening I thought, this will be demonitized. Your explanations are always clear and well thought out. Cheers!
My favourite tempo changing song is phobia by nothing but thieves, starts out as a slow song, in a billie eilish style id say, but it drops to just the drum beat, and the drummer increases the tempo probably 60 percent or more for the rock section at the end, great song. The first time i heard this song was watching them live as well, so i didnt know what was coming! It was brilliant!
I definitely noticed the use of longer clips and not relying on cover versions. I'm glad there are alternate ways to make a living off videos. I definitely will be a patron when it's a better time for me ;) awesome video!
Hello David, great work again ! You could have talked about Heroin by Lou Reed (slow in the verse and fast in the chorus), and Night boat to Cairo bu Madness which is... a tempo madness ^^ two good examples !
Daaaamn, thank you so much for this video. Im a piano composer (self-taught) and anyone who heard my music (while performing on piano) tells me its masterpiece. I do think the same, but when I'm trying to record in studio to click it sounds much worse (its still good piece of music but its like day and night difference). Your video saves me, thank you
OMG! Your vdo's have been amazing but this one totally floored me. Towards the end I had a total 'ah ha' moment when you pinpoint the problem of DAW's unwittingly making fixed tempos the standard. Worse yet, other TH-camrs even encourage that practice. While I am at -- young man: you're brilliant. Well spoken and you always have an absolute command of the facts. Something missing in today's world.
Funhouse by Pink. She actually changes tempo whilst counting so it is very noticeable. I am very tone-deaf and notice tempo changes in songs - I use to play drums in a band and with cadets... so I love when a song "plays" with tempo and performs tempo changes... especially when the lyrics say "slow" (or a variation) and the temp does actually slow down...
I'd like to share one of the most interesting usages of tempo changes I know. It's from the italian punk rock band CCCP. The song "Io sto bene" starts with a solid riff at around 120 bpm but IMMEDIATLY goes for a tempo increase: by the 10th second in is already at around 150 bpm. I love the effect of this speeding up riff right at the beginning
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Another awesome video, David! And I wholeheartedly agree with what you said about click tracks.
You should really listen to ‘The Kids’ - Charlotte Cardin. I think it changes from 4/4 to 3/4 (or6/8)
I've always loved the slow down in "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand. Dynamic tempo perfection
as a newbie rock fan, that song has been in weekly rotation for most of this year just for the tempo change. very pleased with it's inclusion here.
I was LITERALLY coming home half and hour ago thinking about this tempo change and was like "I wonder if someone's made a TH-cam video analyzing that one..."
I then open TH-cam to find this on my home page uploaded fucking today
One could say it was perfect timing 😎
I'm by no means an expert but I think it's possible that this tempo reduction style may have been a deliberate attempt to turn it into a pseudo-80's style beat. If you think about the time of its release, 80's nostalgia was at a high, so it draws you in with a modern faster beat of the time and seductively brings you back to time when we all thought big hair and semi-plastic clothing was the nuts.
PERFECTION INDEED
Completely agree! 🙌 it’s so clean 😚
Hey, not bad! He made it more than 10 minutes without mentioning Radiohead!
I was waiting for "Happiness is a Warm Gun" to get a mention, but no Beatles at all!
@@DeGuerre I was waiting for You Never Give me your Money.
i read the title and immediately checked the video chapters for radiohead lol.
well, to be fair that video has double the usual duration, so it would be 5 minutes
I was waiting for Go To Sleep
i’m really glad radiohead is getting some more attention on this channel, he hardly mentions them.
@@mohammad4110 why would they be joking? They’re right, haven’t heard of their stuff in yeaaars since Creep. Can't imagine anything they released after is on the same level of perfection as Creep
Isn’t Creep the only radiohead song?
@@TommoFromDorset probably
i have come back a week later with news, i am in fact the creep and weirdo mentioned in the only good radiohead song crepe. please forgive me thom yokre.
What's radiohead? Is that a game?
I think in Bohemian Rhapsody they were going for the double time/half time feel. They aren’t exactly doubles and halves, but it’s pretty close. 72-146 (as opposed to 144), then 139-72. Off by two bpm in the first one and five bpm in the second. Not bad, considering it was played on tape by humans.
I would've expected Free Bird to be on here, absolutely legendary tempo change.
Lynyrd Skynyrd are blockers, atleast their debut album is, Rick beato used free bird in a video once and it was instantly taken down
what song y'all wanna heaar
And Stairway to Heaven, but x same. Blockers.
Mama is another My Chemical Romance song that has a tempo change, I believe! Also, they had a lot of (probably) unintentional rhythmic fluctuations on their first album too. Honey This Mirror Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us has a bit around the start of the bridge where there was an unintentional speeding up part, but it goes back to the original tempo almost immediately. And on Demolition Lovers, it speeds up around when the drums and guitars come in harder and Gerard starts screaming more. I think Demolition Lovers has some other tempo changes as well. Also I think there might be something on Drowning Lessons, but I'm not sure
Yes!
Yes mama had a tempo change and a time signature change, love that song
A real mcr fan 🥺❤️
IMO Mama is their best song. The way they use sounds and how you can easily hear the emotions is amazing. I love the break down in the middle.
6:41 it's amusing that the abrupt change in We Are Young completely messes up the audience clapping
My favourite song that has (quite a few) tempo changes is Ode to Sleep by Twenty One Pilots, because the tempo changes have a specific meaning in the context of the lyrics. The tempo reflects the moods or the state of mind of the narrator that are also in the lyrics. There's parts where the lyrics are upbeat and hopeful, and so the music and the tempo reflects that, and there's slower parts that feel really heavy where the lyrics are quite dark. I just love how the tempo is used to show this huge contrast in the lyrics
The change in harmonic motion helps with the slowdown in "We Are Young." I love how tempo changes can be a little deceptive if the harmonic motion changes at the same time
I love how "It's All Coming Back to Me Now" by Céline Dion plays with tempo. The constant slowing down and speeding up add so much to the song's emotion and make it feel alive!
Jim Steinman loved playing with tempo. Just listen to anything he wrote or produced for Meatloaf.
Woke up, fell out of bed. Dragged a comb across my head.
@@madisntit6547 😂
I read somewhere that that is Vladimir Putin's favourite song!
@@madisntit6547 Seriously. It's that section he referred to once in an interview. Wish I could find it.
@Very Nice
As I don’t know music professionally and just have ears I have that track in my playlist “Songs that move”.
Stairway to Heaven. But of course, if you used that as an example you'd be zapped by the death ray.
No Stairway? Denied!
Why??
@@Otra_Chica_de_Internet He could get his video blocked by their label.
Ironic how obsessively their catalogue is protected, given the number of plaigarism suits they've had to settle...
@@davincent98 I see you are a man of culture as well
Awwww, I was waiting for him to talk about big metal breakdowns where it goes from, like 180 to 45.
When I saw the title I instantly thought of the band Distant, who are way too obscure to go in this video, but their music is all breakdowns. It’s insane. But any metalcore/deathcore/hardcore punk track could have been on here. It’s a literal genre that is focused around big, emotional tempo changes, and I’m kind of sad he didn’t even mention it.
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand is one of the best examples of a Tempo change in a song. It hits everytime you listen to it.
Roundabout by Yes has a very subtle tempo change, I only noticed it after playing along to the song, its a very natural speed up, like the band might have been excited recording the song.
Edit: actually the tempo is all over the place in the song.
I was gonna say that you needed to be more specific, because there are many tempo changes in that song and some are not that subtle...
Rick Beato mentions this during his 'what makes this song great'. He points out that Yes lack of use of a 'click track' is what makes it so dynamic.
@@arthurgordon6072 Bill and Chris- they were locked in... Lot's of prog, up to Dream Theater play all kinds of tempos in one song
Your comment reminds me of Ringo Starr, the drummer of the Beatles. Apparently, Paul and John invited Ringo into the band because he kept the beat quite well, that's something to notice considering they had no click track to work with on stage
Every Yessong, basically.
Why haven't you featured me? When I play I alter the tempo at every bar!
Truly avant-garde
Maybe if you went to fewer bars you'd be able to play in better time...
Hard relate
I charge tempo during the bar
@@man0sm So was mine!
I think "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" also changes the tempo twice, the first time from the verse to the bridge/pre-chorus, and then again from the pre-chorus to the chorus (and, of course, again back to the verse)
@@pastorandreaswendt the slower tempo is around 70, and the faster around 100. Also the 3/4 should 6/8. It feels like 123 123 instead of 12 12 12
As per my comment, it is one of many Beatles songs that changes both tempo and time signature at the same time. The song I cited was 'Happiness Is A Warm Gun'. They weren't called Beat-les for nothing!
That is time signature (but yes also tempo)
@@Squingle09 3/4, not 6/8.
On the topic of recording with clicks, I feel like they're extremely useful for playing with recordings of yourself over weeks at a time. If I'm recording piano one day, and then can't get to guitar for a week because of work, I'm not gonna remember exactly how I recorded the piano. If and when I start recording with others I'll probably stop using clicks, but as a solo artist with no studio musicians, a click is my best friend.
I usually record my stuff while I'm listening to my other stuff. I do a basic run on keyboard which basically just has my chord changes and a beat and that's my method for keeping in time when playing the other parts
@@loganricherson That works for some things, but alot of the time that rhythmic pulse in the chordal part doesn't fit. As much as I'd love to play with others and not a click, I find the click easier for working solo.
Honorable mention: Pink Floyd's _Money_ changes tempo _and_ time (7/8 -> 4/4) at the same moment, and does so seamlessly.
It doesn't change tempo if you think of the first part as 7/4
@@MyNameIsNeutron Yeah, but is the second instrumental 4/4 or 12/8.
@@Bacopa68 i'm pretty sure it's just swung 7/4 to swung 4/4 tho so the groove of 4 makes it feel faster than it is
The 7/4 is swung too, I believe, but yeah
@@windmillCR yeah you're right i just haven't listened to it in a while
A song that starts fast, goes to a slower tempo and returns to the fast intro tempo and repeats is Ode to sleep by Twenty one Pilots. An interesting song for sure
"Black Parade" is overwhelmingly underrated. I don't care what genres of guitar-based music you may or may not like, it's a masterwork.
It’s overrated. Their first album is underrated.
@@i_am_an_idiot_but
Black Parade is a Rock Opera classic and a pop punk masterpiece. I think it could be one of the best punk albums ever made behind that of Jeff Rosenstock, & The Clash
@@SaathvikPoluri Agree, it’s still overrated
I just recently discovered the incredible masterpieces that hide behind "Teenagers" and "Welcome to the Black Parade" but I wouldn't call it underrated, it is very rated. Even the song with the least plays on Spotify (Blood) still has 25,000,000~ plays.
I love MCR
Other examples:
“It All Feels Right” by Washed Out
“West Coast” by Lana del Rey
ugh i’m looking for more examples like this that are more my style and i’m having such a hard time finding some, thank you for this, west coast is my favorite tempo change example and i’m listening to the other one right now
Pulp's Common people gets gradually faster through out the entire song. They don't bring attention to any specific moment. It's just a constant energy increase.
The bridge section in "House of Memories" by Panic! at the Disco has a very cool tempo change as well
That's an interesting song harmonically too
Love that song
"Chop Suey" has multiple tempo changes. For some reason, the slowdowns in the chorus manage to heighten the intensity of the music.
I think Chop Suey might actually be the same tempo throughout the entire song. It doesn’t sound like it, especially in the chorus, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually consistent.
Sugar does a change at the endbb
You're confusing tempo change with rhythmic change! If you want a clear example of a tempo change in metal, listen to Gun by Soundgarden. You can't miss it, it's the sole purpose of the song
Prison Song would be it, wouldn't? During "baby you and me" part
@@barcelomrozovic1625 perhaps slightly, like an unintended oscilation. Personally I like to reserve the term tempo change to some other examples, where it is more abrupt and clear. I really can't think of a Soad song that does what Crowbar does on "All I had I gave" or Sleep's "Inside the sun". If you search for "Al Cisneros tripping balls" you might get what I mean
Great video, as usual. "Baba O'Riley" was an excellent choice. And I totally agree with your thoughts on click tracks. Playing with other musicians and allowing the rhythm to ebb and flow keeps the humanity in music, as wonderfully demonstrated by your examples. Thanks!
A few more of my favourite examples:
"The Miracle" by Queen.
"Layla" by Derek and the Dominos.
"Suite Judy Blue Eyes" by CSNY. (Obviously this is a suite with multiple movements, like "Evie" by Stevie Wright. A suite is a different kind of episodic song than a rhapsody. But they are smooshed together such that it reads like one song with tempo/mood changes.)
I'm so glad you said The Miracle. I feel like Queen might have a lot of examples. March of the Black Queen, Millionaire Waltz, My Fairy King, Doin Alright, It's Late (which reminds me a lot of Welcome to the Black Parade), I Want it All.
I've actually been waiting for this one because I find songs with tempo changes really fascinating! Thank you David :)
You should try getting into prog
So glad Take Me Out was included
As a kid, many a Saturday afternoon was spent roller skating at De Aston school gym. Someone (sometimes me) always asked the DJ to play Come On Eileen so that we could blast faster and faster around the rink. Walls Come Tumbling Down by the Style Council was another rink favourite. My word, I'm old.
Heroin by The Velvet Underground is a great example, too. The tempo climbing functions like a prechorus in that song to reflect the building highs of the drug. Very neat
I love how my favorite band of mine, Tally Hall, plays with tempo. For example, in Ruler of Everything, the song starts at 83 BPM in its A section, then about halfway through speeds up to around 130 BPM in the B section of the song, before finally slowing back down to 83 BPM again. Similarly, Banana Man does tempo changes too, though it's more complex. It starts at 113 BPM before jumping to a Latin groove in around 125 BPM before slowing down to 100 BPM, then speeding up back to its original tempo for the final verse and chorus, then slowing back down to the previous tempo for the outro.
Prayer of a Refugee will always be one of the biggest bops and nostalgia songs for me. You've got a great range of songs here to showcase playing with tempo!
Beep Beep (Little Nash Rambler) by the Playmates is a classic novelty song. Each verse modulates and speeds up with the car speed.
I forgot about that song existing!
Crazy Little Thing Called Love, that little chromatic riff at the end of the chorus is a slower tempo than the rest of song. that’s one of my favorite sneaky tempo changes because it’s more built into a recurring section of the song rather than the tempo change being it’s own section/ending/etc. it also switches to 3/4 for bonus points!! It comes back to the old tempo and 4/4 on the descending scale back into the verse. Brill
The slowed-down section in L.A. Woman that leads into the climax pretty much makes the whole song...
A notice that in a lot of songs there's a tendency to think there's a tempo change when there isn't. Often just adding more accented beats makes a rhythm sound more energetic, whether its actually faster or not. I thought some songs were examples of tempo change but upon listening they actually weren't, just rhythm changes. These examples provided here are actual tempo changes though. It's not as common as you would think though.
Take Me Out's slow down always puts a rush of blood to the head every time. A perfect entry.
The Tina Turner version of Proud Mary is one song I bring up when talking about covers that surpass the original song. Love that song
As soon as I saw the title, I was hoping you'd talk about Rise Against! They do fantastic tempo changes in a lot of their songs, and Prayer of the Refugee is a great example (though my personal favourite use of tempo changes in their music is probably in Savior, the slower bridge makes the last chorus seem Extra intense even though it's the same speed as the other choruses)
A trend I’ve noticed in some metal songs specifically is to have the track start off fast, slow down during the bridge, and then end fast again (usually with a guitar solo).
I’ve heard it in Blackened by Metallica, Angel Of Death by Slayer, and Holy Wars by Megadeth.
Isn't it also common for metal "drops" (if that's the right word) to be very slow? I'm not very familiar with the genre but in the few songs I listen to, I always love the way that hits.
@@jonnybuijze1770 Yup. They’re called “breakdowns” in metal music, by the way.
Geek U.S.A, smashing pumpkins
One of the greatest songs of all time with a tempo change:
GEORGE HARRISON - SOMETHING
Music production software is starting to get better about allowing you to record and play back with free timing and still get all the benefits of seeing the music on a grid by creating a "tempo map" from the performance. Most DAWs (digital audio workstations) have been able to do this for many years, but it was often a clunky and time-consuming process. Nowadays, DAWs like Studio One and Cubase make it quick and intuitive. So hopefully the regimented to-click styles of recording will start to fade, at least in genres that it makes sense to show some ebb and flow in the timing.
do you know a good video tutorial explaining this tempo map in cubase? im still new and want to get a hang of it
@@TheProxy2 I use Studio One myself, but a quick search for "tempo map cubase" brought up several options - this one looks pretty clear and describes a method pretty similar to the way it works in Studio One: th-cam.com/video/Gj3wmIKzScU/w-d-xo.html
@@chrishillery thanks a lot!
Just today I learned how to do tempo changes in FL studio, so now my crappy stuff can be slightly less crappy.
It even allows for an automation curve for tempo, so it can be abrupt or gradually.
Fate of the Stars by Tally Hall is also a good example. During the chorus, the tempo gradually increases from 66 to 99 and it fits the song a lot
I think slowing down for the bridge (or thereabouts) can be an emotive and powerful choice. There are a few tracks by the Beach Boys that pioneered this technique, including Wouldn't It Be Nice and I'm Waiting For The Day. There are also plenty of classic Weezer songs from the 90s that do the same thing (no doubt inspired by the Beach Boys), including Surf Wax America, Across The Sea, and The Good Life. It allows you to take a moment to reflect before the song builds back up to a dynamic and exciting close.
Not sure if it's gonna be in the video, but South of Heaven by Slayer starts in 108 BPM (i've seen scores and tabs with 54 BPM) and then speeds up to 138 BPM, Seasons in the Abyss also does something similar going from 64 BPM in the intro to 152 BPM for the rest of the song then back to 64 BPM for the outro
@@Alfred_-vp9ys What made you think my comment was supposed to be funny?
@@Wind-nj5xz What you think he meant is not what he meant
What about raining blood? From fast to crazy fast
Literally half slayer songs and nearly every 90s death metal song has tempo changes to boost that chaotic feeling
@@kanvolu Yeah it's pretty common in metal
I really like the gradual tempo increase throughout Pulps Common People.. drives it on and gives the sense of Jarvis getting increasingly irritated.. also like the bit in the middle of Day in the Life as the story switches to the bit about getting up in the morning, then after a smoke, it returns back to the more dreamy feel.
I KNEW "Paranoid Android" would be the Radiohead mention! :-) Great video! "Just Another Story" by Jamiroquai has quite a few tempo changes in. It's an album track from their 1994 album "Return of the Space Cowboy". Also Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet" has tempo & time signature changes at the same time.
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) would make a great example here. It builds from 110 to 132 bpm slowly and steadily over the course of the whole song, to really great effect.
Pixies - a sad punk, gradually increases in tempo from the intro. The chorus is played at a fast and slow tempo which I think may be a unique example for the same section of music to be repeated at completely contrasting tempos!
Perfect timing. Just yesterday I was researching tempo changes/metric modulation in songwriting.
Neil Young & Crazy Horse "Sedan Delivery" goes back and forth between fast and harsh verses and calm choruses
Metallica’s Master of Puppets has the mellowed out musical interlude in the middle is at a much lower tempo.
EXCELLENT song choices. The Black Parade is probably the very best emo rock album of that time period. It still really hold up. And of course I love the Radiohead and Thom Yorke inclusions. You should incorporate more Arcade Fire in your stuff. Their music covers a lot of theory.
You mean the time period where all sorts of pop-punk and post-hardcore bands were labelled as emo whether or not they actually fit? Perhaps, but it's also a strong example of how emo wasn't being used the same way anymore and was now just a trashbin to toss whatever bands kids with too much eyeliner liked.
The ending of Someone’s in the Wolf by Queens of the Stone Age begins to speed up heavily, but then returns to it’s original slower tempo. The second half of Venice Queen by Red Hot Chili Peppers also has a faster tempo change.
Here are some other examples that I know of:
"Crown of Love" by Arcade Fire
"Wake Up" by Arcade Fire
"Secret" by The Pierces
"Take Me With You When You Go" by Jack White
Lately I've been noticing quite a few songs that seem to start fast and half way through or closer to the end they drastically slow down. Something about that technique hit me more so I tried looking to see if it was an actual musical technique or just a random thing I was noticing. I'm glad that I finally found this video to prove that it's a real thing
The Good Life - Weezer, Solo/Bridge section, just perfect
‘You Set the Scene,’ the final song of Love’s “Forever Changes,” what many people consider to be one of the greatest albums of all time, has the best abrupt slowing of tempos I’ve ever heard, really beautiful and sparking, paradoxically, a feeling of excitement and euphoria in the listener.
The first song that comes to mind when I think of tempo changes, is "Music" by John Miles.
'Music was my first love' - okay, fair enough.
'And it will be my last'. How did he know that, though? I mean, he ain't dead yet!
Very poor show, Mr Miles . . .
I freaking love this channel. I’ve never learned this much from a music teacher
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John is another great example
I thought of that, but that's sort of 2 songs...
@@MomLAU Just Funeral For A Friend has tempo changes between sections
Rusty Cage by Soundgarden, but not only does it slow down, but the meter goes from 4/4 to a rather complex mix of 3/4, 5/4 and 2/4 (3+3+3+5+3+2) which the band (sometimes) admit, they didn’t really plan out, it just happened to come out that way because they got a little lost, but liked how it sounded.
Love that song, great example.
Yay some of my favourite songs!! I think the fact that this isn't used that often means that it has even greater impact when a song uses it. Some random thoughts:
- A lot of hiphop songs use this to great effect I feel. Because I love Kendrick, King's Dead and DNA's subtle 65 to 60bpm change come to mind - and DUCKWORTH's beat changes!
- I love playing Take Me Out's slowdown part because it's just so swaggery!
- Evermore's tempo changes bring that excitement in for Justin Vernon's parts, and bring it back down to earth when Taylor starts singing the chorus again
- Dawn Chorus is so emotive and romantic because of that loose free-time feel
P.S. I'm glad Radiohead got some love in this video! I feel like you might be sleeping on them, I bet you'd love them if you gave them a chance mate! ;)
Regarding Radiohead: Clearly, you're new to this channel.
@@A.F.Whitepigeon I see that as a sarcastic comment. We all know this channel has plenty of Radiohead content.
David knows a lot of Radiohead songs and features them in his videos regularly. It's just that he doesn't like them as much personally as Radiohead fans would like him to (which is completely fine of course).
Subtlety and sarcasm not certain people's strong point, obviously . . .
I love this video!!! Thank you so much!! I’m getting my songs produced and I always felt like producers were giving me flack for not having a strict bpm or for not playing to a click track
Mrs. Train is a rather lesser known song by They Might Be Giants, but I love how it changes tempo. It doesn't really change tempo as much as it gradually speeds up constantly throughout the song, while also progressively layering more instruments and vocals. I highly recommend it
Btw, as a former tap dancer, (somewhat taught) guitarist, and self taught 🙌 piano 🎹 slave.., i LIVE for a Good Tempo Change !!! 🤟🥰
I really like the tempo change in Potion Approaching by Arctic Monkeys. It's really smooth and it's such a vibe
do any other arctic monkeys songs have a tempo change?
@@jg6551 library pictures, pretty visitors
My favorite use of tempo change is on FKA Twigs's "hide", the tempo change is so slow and gradual before you know it the song comes to a complete stop, it's genius
Feel the Pain by Dinosaur Jr has to be my favorite tempo change. That really hard and simple duality of tempos played in that alternating ways mirror that simple lyrical idea "I feel the pain of everyone, and then I feel nothing". The melancholic slow section is when he feels nothing I think, and the quick section is when he feels the pain of everyone. The relative lyrical complexity of the second sextion compared to that simplicity is another duality. Essentially the general idea of "A and B": an A and B musical sextion with two different feels, two different moods (manic and depressive to a certain extent?), two different lyrical styles; it's a nesting doll of all kinds of structural dualities. It's rad as hell.
LOVE this!
Especially your remarks from 16:35. 100% agree.
Many Smashing Pumpkins songs have this kind of push-pull play with tempo that can't be gridded. As does the most iconic song from the 90's, "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
Another top notch video, David. Thank You!
Maudlin of the Well’s “Revisitation of the Blue Ghost” has a great tempo change in the beginning. Feels like time is slowing down.
Omg, i searched for this literally a few days ago and now you release that video. I write a song that change its tempo and it's very useful to hear these examples.
These videos are brilliant David, I absolutely love music, this makes me love it all the more. Thanks very much.
Really did not expect to see Rise Against in a video like this! My favourite band, and I always feel like they are overlooked
Hedwig's "Wig in a box" is a good build up temp song. It's starts off way slow and finishes heavy.
the new UK no 1 song, "Afraid to Feel" by LF System, has loads of tempo changes and its an absolute banger!!
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant: you left out the "Things are okay with me these days" part which is between the beginning section and the "Brenda and Eddie" section in tempo.
Another multi tempo song: Still the One by the Orleans
I'm so glad you talked about Rise Against it really deserves more attention and I've never heard anyone talk about it really
Deep Purple 'Child in time' is another that uses time changes, especially when they played it live. Far faster than the recording!
Thank you for using the longer song segments to demonstrate. As I was listening I thought, this will be demonitized. Your explanations are always clear and well thought out. Cheers!
You are the best David!
Thank you!!
@@DavidBennettPiano your welcome, also your video are very nice,
Tempo changes are one of the hardest things to get right, but when you do, it feels soooo goood.
11:15 saw that one coming! I really like the tempo changes in the chorus to The Metro cover by System Of A Down.
My favourite tempo changing song is phobia by nothing but thieves, starts out as a slow song, in a billie eilish style id say, but it drops to just the drum beat, and the drummer increases the tempo probably 60 percent or more for the rock section at the end, great song. The first time i heard this song was watching them live as well, so i didnt know what was coming! It was brilliant!
System Of A Down are certified kings of tempo changes, just like at Radio/Video, classic use of Fast to Slow to Fast again
I definitely noticed the use of longer clips and not relying on cover versions. I'm glad there are alternate ways to make a living off videos. I definitely will be a patron when it's a better time for me ;) awesome video!
"Killing In The Name" by Rage Against The Machine has some very cool tempo changes
It just changes between 3/4 and 4/4 though.
David ... It is 12;30 AM as i listen t this. And strangely it was just what I needed to hear. Thanks for posting this topic and subject.
Thanks David :)
I'm FRENCH, I Love your Fantastic Channel, it's Affordabe ad Comprehensive . Thank You and Good Luck, DAVID !
Hello David, great work again ! You could have talked about Heroin by Lou Reed (slow in the verse and fast in the chorus), and Night boat to Cairo bu Madness which is... a tempo madness ^^ two good examples !
Ooh, yes, Madness is excellent! There's a band that definitely deserves more credit for their impact on popular music in the '80s and '90s!
Daaaamn, thank you so much for this video. Im a piano composer (self-taught) and anyone who heard my music (while performing on piano) tells me its masterpiece. I do think the same, but when I'm trying to record in studio to click it sounds much worse (its still good piece of music but its like day and night difference). Your video saves me, thank you
Absolutely love evermore's tempo change. It caught me off guard at first but it is so meaningful for the story of the song.
OMG! Your vdo's have been amazing but this one totally floored me. Towards the end I had a total 'ah ha' moment when you pinpoint the problem of DAW's unwittingly making fixed tempos the standard. Worse yet, other TH-camrs even encourage that practice. While I am at -- young man: you're brilliant. Well spoken and you always have an absolute command of the facts. Something missing in today's world.
Iron Maiden's famous "Fear of the Dark"s tempo also changes a lot.
Funhouse by Pink.
She actually changes tempo whilst counting so it is very noticeable.
I am very tone-deaf and notice tempo changes in songs - I use to play drums in a band and with cadets... so I love when a song "plays" with tempo and performs tempo changes... especially when the lyrics say "slow" (or a variation) and the temp does actually slow down...
Come On Eileen sounds so funny at 2x speed XD
I'd like to share one of the most interesting usages of tempo changes I know. It's from the italian punk rock band CCCP. The song "Io sto bene" starts with a solid riff at around 120 bpm but IMMEDIATLY goes for a tempo increase: by the 10th second in is already at around 150 bpm. I love the effect of this speeding up riff right at the beginning