Songs that use 11/8 time
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0:00 11/8 time
2:18 TOOL
3:14 11/4 vs. 11/8
4:32 Dave Brubeck & odd time signatures
5:28 Hooktheory
6:13 one-off bar
7:11 11/4 time
9:22 piano outro
What a Time Signature to be alive....
😂
That makes me wonder… what time signature (approximately) is a typical heart beat rhythm.
@@NBrixH 🤯
👌
@@NBrixH in school, I learned it was 3/4, which was why a waltz and many other songs in that tempo are so natural to feel. Bump 2 Bah Bump 2 Bah
I see TOOL, I click
Thats why Im here
TOOL is such a great band for looking at wacky time signatures. Schism is amazing because of the odd feel it gives when constantly switching between time signatures (I think it switches like 47 times or something like that). Truly insane.
Nothing wacky about odd time signatures. They just aren't as common as 4/4. I've been a fan of odd time signatures since Dave Brubeck's Take 5 album in the early 60s. They have been used by Progressive Rock groups since the 70s. Because I've listened to so much music in odd time signatures it seems natural to me.
Schism is such a brilliant song
The Rite of Spring is over a hundred years old at this point. While this sort of thing can be pretty cool and used to good effect, I wouldn't it insane or anything. It's just kinda neat.
@@itsaUSBline The difference is, the RIte of Spring isn't progressive rock lol. As a trumpet player, I get that time signatures aren't in themselves particularly "insane," but the somewhat unnerving effect that TOOL is able to pull off using these constant time signatures is what I think is inspiring. I hope that clears things up.
@@nyobunknown6983 I also quite often listen to pieces in odd time signatures, but that doesn't make them any less odd. The reason I reference Schism in particular is because I like the effect that TOOL pulls off with their usage of 5/12 -> 7/12 -> 5/12 -> 7/12 -> 6/12 -> 7/12 -> 6/12 -> 7/12. It gives you just long enough to get used to the flow of one phrase before switching up on you. I hope that clears things up.
0:58 honestly I'm not surprised to find 11/8 in video game music, video game soundtracks often explore a lot of interesting time signatures and scales and nonfunctional harmony and I wish we got more of that in "pop" music
I was surprised because is such an early Mario game.
Japanese video game music is often based on Japanese fusion like Casiopea so it's not surprising at all.
Just listen to Prog Rock if you want interesting time signatures and scales in common music.
@@bojiden yeah but you won't hear much of that just on the radio
@@bojiden 2112 is the best rush album
I don't think I've ever written a whole song in 11s but I love using it to break up sections or just create a riff where the song's normal rhythm gets lost for a bit. It's a long enough number of beats that I can put the song a little off-balance with a few sections of just one or two bars each.
Makes it a very expressive sort of meter to use in short bursts.
Amon by Diagonal is a good example of that
Pretty sure The Eleven by the Grateful Dead is entirely in 11/8.
Edit: Someone mentioned that it's not in another comment. Never mind.
Edit 2: Maybe it is. I don't know anymore.
@@ThornForTheWynn I think it is. And I think they stopped playing it because it was too hard to keep together, or just didn't work so well, with 2 drummers.
imo 11s are great for breakdowns of songs
@@weirdLEXbutok YES
I love that videogame music often has so much conceptual depth to it!
a lot of the sound designers/engineers in video games are good musicians
I feel video games are a good place to "get away with" weird musical stuff, since the players' focus is on the gameplay, and the music can subconsciously convey they mood. The Street Fighter song is a good example. It provides a rough and broken feel.
@@solemnwaltz true man
Nobuo Uematsu is on the podium with Mick Gordon, for sure
@@solemnwaltz Trueee, that's probably why a lot of Jazz Fusion is often depicted as "videogame sounding music".
When I was in high school, a band called Luna Halo released an album that my brother purchased. The 11th track on the album featured a verse that was in 11/8 and the chorus switched between 12/8 & 11/8. I think it must have gotten to me, because I was trying to write a song on piano in a completely different genre, but I couldn't figure out how to notate it. I had the free version of Finale at that time which didn't allow changing time signatures, and I thought my song was in 12/8. Turns out I had a handful of 11/8 bars in there. Wasn't able to notate the song for a while, but I won the school talent show when I played it!
Complacent ?
Holy crap I've never seen anyone talk about Luna Halo in the wild before lmao so cool to hear about them in this context, I'm glad you brought it up!
Thanks for including a King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard song. I actually didn't realize "Altered Beast IV" is in 11/8 before, but generally many of their songs are rhythmically really intersting. Another example is "The Cruel Millennial" which is mostly in 11/8 too (although I always thougth about it as alteranting 5/8 and 6/8, but actually it's exactly the same). It's also kind of unique because the beats are grouped like 3+2+3+3 so rather than being in 12/8 but skipping the last beat, the song feels more like a 5/8 but with a beat added every other bar (and for some parts it actually becomes temporarily a regular 5/8).
I knew that Altered Beast IV was in 11/8, but I was really surprised that he included it. I literally clicked on the video thinking "nah he wouldn't include that" (it's the only song in 11/8 I can think of off the top of my head) and then barely 30 seconds later he did
Cruel Millenial is one of the best and most accessible of their odd rhythmic structures. Then you have songs like Self-Immolate in a 15/16, or Crumbling Castle which is...A beast of polyrhythms.
I also love that band because I know that if I ingest something poisonous I can just listen to them and immediately start throwing up
Altered beast IV is just wild all around. The dummers would play alternating 1/8th notes to make it sound like 1/16ths, kinda like on nuclear fusion. The kick part doesn't line up with the hi hat parts though
the alternating 16th trope seems to come off of Invisible Face in particular, though it’s seen on Nuclear Fusion too. Love that shit to shreds
There is a lot of Bulgarian folk music that is in 11, or other odd time signatures (usually with a corresponding folk dance)- Gankino Horo is one example of 11/8 (or 11/16 depending on how it’s notated).
yep - I get that the video was titled "songs that use 11/8 time" but there is a whole world of folk and non-western classical music (and western classical music, for that matter) that has dived pretty heavily into 11/8 and other asymmetrical or "odd" time signatures. I feel it would have been very constructive to include some of these but hey - your video Mr Bennet. For example, the Gankino form that Red Shirts mentioned has a division of 2+2+3+2+2. It's an absolute firecracker of a rhythm and I've seen "mainstream" audiences go nuts to to it on the dance floor!
come to think of it, the 12121231212 rhythm is actually quite symmetrical, there's a slow beat in the middle with two pairs of quick beats on each side
the song "Forgotten Isle" from Super Mario Odyssey is in 11/8, or perhaps 11/16, which i think is super fun. it's a tribal type folksy song, you should give it a listen if you haven't yet
Thank you for reminding me, such a forgotten gem that one
I *l o v e* the Gamelan influence on that whole kingdom honestly, it’s such a cool sound
@@Aquapod9 exactly! The gamelan elevates the song better, it reminds me of home
To me it sounds like 11/4.
I was listening to Eleven by Primus, when my I wanted to explain to my dad why it sounds like that. I explained it by telling him to imagine a waltz, but every fourth bar you trip over your shoelaces.
I thought "Whipping Post" as soon as I read 11/8 (though it's really 11/4) but somehow the Mario Kart 64 results music escaped me even though I've heard to it for years. Video game music really is underrated I think when it comes to some very advanced composition. I'm actually impressed that there are enough songs using this rare signature to make a video but music is full of surprises! Nice video David!
It's broken up 3/3/3/2 so I I can see it being 11/4.
I always thought it was 5/4 until now. I always hummed it in 5/4 and made an arrangement in 5/4.
Years later, I'm proven wrong.
Another good 11/4 song is 'The Eleven' by the Grateful Dead
I’m so happy you mentioned Sagat’s theme, I don’t even care you called him Sajit. LOL. Seriously though, I love that song, and it’s great to know what this time signature is called. I totally forgot that Mario Kart 64’s race results theme uses it too.
To be honest you could have made this entire video with just TOOL
lol
Came for I Say a Little Prayer, Whipping Post, and Here Comes the Sun and was not disappointed. Even got a little Yes!
😊😊
My thoughts exactly!
The Sky is Red by Leprous is an excellent example of 11/8 grooviness.
Absolutely! That song is an absolute banger, the breakdown is incredible
masterpiece !1
FUCKING YESSSS
I got the honour of seeing them finish their Radar set with The Sky is Red, easily the best album closer I've heard
I've been trying to figure out just what the heck was going on in that song!
No way other leprous fans
diamond eyes by the deftones is 11. I think it's pretty cool how it's simple but they use the crash to distract from the odd signature and make it feel like 3
Here are a few more:
- "First Circle" by Pat Metheny Group is mostly in 11/4 and it features a clave starting with one 8th rest through the whole song, the subdivisions are felt in 8ths so it completes a 22/8.
- "Ekko's Theme" from League of Legends is mostly in 11/8 since it alternates bars of 6/8 and 5/8.
- "Pantagruel's Nativity" by Gentle Giant, the bridge section (about 2:11) is full in 11/4, a very long bar.
- "A Passion Play (Part 1)" by Jethro Tull has also a nice 11/8 (6/8 + 5/8) section starting from about 10:30 and also the Ian Anderson's flute solo stills in 11.
- "As I Feel I Die" by Caravan is in 11/8 when the full band enter (about 1:45) in form of 3+3+3+2 followed by a 6/8 + 5/8 movement for the organ's solo.
- "Herandnu" by Weather Report, fathers of jazz fusion, they are jamming the whole song in 11/8 (4+4+3), the bass shines because it was composed by Alphonso Jhonson.
- "Slightly All the Time" by Soft Machine also pioners of jazz fusion the first bridge (about 5:42) is in 11/16, is like a 4/8 + 3/16. The following section is in 9/4.
- "Eleven Wives" by Avishai Cohen Trio has a memorable 11/8 time very acclaimed in contemporary jazz scene, can also be felt in 22/16.
- Simon Phillips playing in "33/8" track, there is a shuffle movement that happens twice in which he plays a triplet 11/4 that equals the 33/8.
- "Cotopaxi" by The Mars Volta intro and outro are in 11/8 (4+4+3), the chorus in 4/4 and the bridge section in an interesting 9/4.
-"Herd Culling" by Porcupine Tree of their new album is in 11/8, similar to Soft Machine's 11 but a 4/4 + 3/8 and then the chorus in 6/8 + 5/8 form.
- "The Sky is Red" by Leprous is one of my recent discoveries of a full song in 11/4 with differents phrasings and there is a polypulse in the coda section in which the drums are playing in some kind of 11/2 over the 11/4, like a half time but in 11.
Surely there are a lot more of 11s out there, mostly in progressive music and jazz fusion worlds. Also but more unusual in videogames / film scoring. 😅
Very interesting, I’ll have to give these a listen. Thank you for putting this together
Wow, great songs, thank you
I am pleased and not surprised at all that TMV is in that list.
"First Circle" is one of the best songs ever. PMG was amazing.
Two more good jazz fusion tunes in 11/8:
- "Magical Dog" by Jan Hammer Group
- "Nuclear Burn" by Brand X (featuring Phil Collins on drums!)
And there's a video game example that just hit this past week - the East Province theme from Pokemon Scarlet/Violet is largely in 11/4!
Alternate title: Exploring the Tool time signature.
Well I wasn’t expecting this, but I’m glad it’s here. 11/8 is probably one of the most interesting time signatures I have ever came across in recent memory, and whenever I see musical compositions use that time signature, it excites me a bit.
Also, apologies in advance if this comes off as shameless plugging, but I actually did try to make a track that purely stays in 11/8 time a year ago, and I think it turned out well…
Favourite song in 11, although it's probably 11/4, is First Circle by Pat Metheny. It's also one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Checked it out. That song slaps hard
Glad you brought up videogame music because I feel its the subsection of music where you hear the most odd time signatures nowadays since modern videogame music is the closest we have to classical music. Almost like an evolution in a way.
There's a game called Bug Fables which features a track titled "Oh No! Wasps" that cycles between a bar of 12/8 and 11/8 followed by a 4/4 coda or "chorus". Worth checking out if you want some 11/8 action!
That's interesting. What do you mean that it is the closest we have to classical music? That's a cool take
Thank you so much for featuring Awaken by Yes. Progressive Rock such as them needs a bigger outlet
9:00 always been my issue. When using 8ths and 16ths u can group them in a way that makes sense to use the higher order sigs. The fact that you can do the grouping of notes like thst is helpful for odd signatures.
I’m glad you included Awaken - Yes’ finest moment for me.
Heavy agree with you on that one
However, I rather prefer the 11/8 part in The Gates os Delírium, where Patrick Moraz rides a mejestic synth melody
INSTANT LIKE FOR SAGAT IN THE THUMBNAIL!!!!
One of the hardest part of this fight, back in the day in the arcades, was the threat SAGAT meant to the player, and I just LOVE how his uneasiness and unpredictability (at any given moment he could deliver a powerful move that draws off half of your health bar) translates on his theme... Like you're fighting someone increadibly hard to read, and his theme shows it!
I always loved to listen to it for the same reason I hated to play against him. Exactly for this tension... And it has a big deal in my transition from aspiring game developer (as a teenager) to musician (as an adult)
he really did pronounce his name like "sajit"
kinda whack
The chorus for Asphyxia by Cö Shu Nie switches between 11/8 and 12/8. (Or 5.5/8 to 6/8 if you want to be extra janky)
and it's an absoulte banger
Really cool video! My personal favorite in 11 is The Eleven by the Grateful Dead on Live/Dead, such a masterpiece!
Beat me to it. Was going to post this song :) love early versions when the jam into the eleven. The dead make it sound so easy
...and broken up the same way as Whipping Post.
Atlas Stone by Haken is in 11/8 and it's incredible, can't reccomend it enough.
How could you miss the Grateful Dead's contribution - "The Eleven" (counted as 3-3-3-2) from their early album "Live Dead"? Unlike the Allman Brothers' "Whipping Post" it's entirely in 11/8...
I was just about to mention it too, classic
The Dead even named it "the Eleven" ......and it was 50 years ago. Haaaaa
They way they would transition from 6/8 to 11/8 going from St. Stephen into The Eleven was so clever
Came here to mention the Dead's "The Eleven" too... :)
th-cam.com/video/NE5VdsuGWJg/w-d-xo.html
Looking for this comment!
One video game tune you should really listen too is “castle Bleck” from super paper Mario. It changes time signature very frequently, going from 13/8, to 3/4, to 4/4, to 15/8 and briefly 5/4 (not in any particular order.)
Edit: also, you should look at more video game music in general.
One of my favorite odd time signature songs is Jungle B from the Spelunky soundtrack, which has a 13/8 time signature.
Dave you're a treasure, love your content man!
Cheers!
A few people have mentioned Forgotten Isle from Super Mario Odyssey, easily my favorite piece in 11 because it's just so damn smooth
love your composition and performance in the end! thanks for this!
Very happy to see some of my current favorite bands - King Gizzard, Tool, and Yes - on here! I'd also point to King Gizzard's "Gamma Knife" as a song where much of it is in 11/8 (most notably the solo near the end). Also, I think "Out of Tartarus" from the video game Hades is largely in 11/8, but people online seem to be in disagreement about that, so I'm not entirely sure.
Upvote for Gizzard.
i love your "songs that use" series, it allows me to find good songs in odd time signatures. im not even a pianist, im a drummer and i really like odd time signatures
Right in two is one of my all time favorite Tool songs. Thank you for using it!
Thank you for including the last bit about notating as alternating time signatures. I cannot imagine a scenario where I would purposefully notate a piece of music as “11.” It obscures more than it communicates to the performer. IMHO, never notate in 11 or 13. Your example of how you would prefer to notate the bit from Here Comes the Sun was a perfect illustration!
A way to have a cleaner overall page and still communicate where the stressed beats go is by having a note under the time signature at the start, such as 11/4 (3+2+3+3) like the sheet music for Eleven Four at 4:57 does
One of my favorite uses of 11/8 is the chorus of “Diamond Eyes” by Deftones. It could also be notated as switching between measures of 6/8 and 5/8
The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders by Sufjan Stevens is in 11! The way it’s written sounds like a bar of 5/8 followed by a bar of 6/8 repeating, but at that point it’s probably easier to say 11. I asked my piano teacher what he thought that time signature was, and he ended up explaining that it could be anything because the point of music notation is to get the idea across rather than to be exact. Like “musical grammar,” if you will
I was just about to comment that!
The Grateful Dead has a piece in 11/8 called...you guessed it....The Eleven.
David! I love your videos! Fascinating stuff. Excellent
You forgot a tune by the Grateful Dead literally called ‘The Eleven’. It begins with a sea shanty style tune, grows into a jam in 4/4 then is cued by the bass and drums kicking into an 11/8 ostinato (counting 6+5 or like ‘whipping post’ 3+3+3+2) complete with lyrics and some cool call and response singing. Check out the version on ‘Live Dead’ - it’s possibly the best rendition of this tune - especially when it melts in to a killing version of ‘Turn on Your Lovelight’
Severely underrated dead tune, glad I got to hear it live this summer
I was about to make the same comment! He also forgot to mention estimated prophet in his 7/4 video. Sad. Also the primus song I’m pretty sure took direct inspiration from the Grateful Dead
@@longtoast6788 les claypool Is definitely a fan of the Grateful Dead
@@longtoast6788 "Did not include" != "forgot"
Another prime example for 11/4 is "The Sky is Red" by Leprous. The outro features an incredible polyrhythmic pattern while retaining the 11 count and is probably one of the most intense endings to a live show I've ever witnessed.
My favorite use of 11/8 in recent memory is Palm’s “Feathers” off their new album Nicks and Grazes. Once the drums come in after the vocal intro, the song is completely in 11/8
Excellent, David, thank you for this upload.
11/8 is my favorite! I often subconsciously write passages that way and the time signature has made it into more of my songs than I can even count at this point. Very very fun stuff.
A cool video would be you analyzing old school video game music. Is there something about them that they have in common that makes so many so addicting?
11 is so much fun! My favorite thing about odd time sigs is the ability to subdivide for different feels. The song "In the Wake of Evolution" by Kaipa uses groupings of 5 and 6 to achieve a wonky 6/8 feel, while Steve Vai's "Windows to the Soul" uses something that's almost closer to 5 1/2 time to achieve a kind of "drunk" waltz feel.
Great video! I liked your piano piece, sounds dreamy.
"Cattle & Cane" by the Go-Betweens is a great example of 11-time. There's also a Rodrigo y Gabriela piece called "11:11" in 11. Stephen Malkmus's "Planetary Motion" is largely in 11, too, as is Adrian Belew's "Modern Man Hurricane Blues"
Surprised you didn't mention Don Ellis' "Live in 3⅔/4 time" and his track "Upstart" Don Ellis was an absolute genius
Neil Young words between the lines of age is 11/8 before the verses. Out of all the people I’ve watched explain time signatures you explain it the best way.
Damn, never thought of the verses like that 😮.
Very helpful. Thanks David!
Hi David! Thanks for all your work and all these great videos! They really demonstrate how harmonic or rythmic concepts are used in songs and thus helps us feel and internalise these concepts! I was wondering if you would be interested on doing a video on polyrythms? For example songs that use the 3:2 or 4:3 polyrythm! I feel it could be really interesting! I would love to do it myself but I'm no youtuber and I feel that your content would be of much greater quality! Thanks again for all your work and greetings from Chile!
Also Waving a White Flag by The Smile is 11/8 - so they placed two 11/8 tracks so close together in the end of their album
Thank you David 4 your work..
Thanks!
Hearing you talking about Tool was awesome, would love a video by them
Herd Culling by Porcupine Tree is also in 11/8. I think it's really cool, because it goes through a few ways to divide 11 up. There's a section that's 3+3+3+2, 4+4+3, and I think 2+2+2+2+3
Was actually gonna comment this. Pretty sure there's also a bit of 11/8 in Population Three, another track from Closure/Continuation.
@@aardvark_04 I'm not going to pretend I know the first thing about counting time signatures, but I found a post that said it was 13/8, broken up into 3+3+3+4
@@aresh.4341 Actually I think you're right, the part I was referring to is not in 11 thanks for the correction.
Oh thanks B)
I'm so glad to hear about Esperanza Spalding, damn I love her music so much
Me too😍
Sagats theme is such a cool piece of music, and I never expected to see it in one of your videos
Composed by Yoko Shimomura, she's one of the goats of video game music
It's a really nice piece there!
I have some tracks on odd time signatures and I love that it doesn't feel odd
wow your composition at the end sounds amazing!!
Rush's Cygnus X-1 has a section of mixed 11/8 and 12/8 a little after the 3 minute mark.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' Almost 12 and Life in Eleven are also great examples of subdividing 11 in different ways.
I just love sooo much your content. Keep doing this about odd time signature.
Such a beautiful piece at the end
The Charm Offensive by Oceansize is my favorite 11/8 song. Such a great groove
Yep- Commemorative T-Shirt as well!
City of Angels by The Flower Kings is in 11/4 as well.
Thank you so much for this i cannot even being to tell you how long ive been looking for a vidie just like this.
It's like 3am and I'm doing a PowerPoint on songs with unique time signatures and this is such an informative video and it works perfectly for my PowerPoint and it's so easy to understand for people that have no idea about this topic.
Great video on a beautiful time signature! 🥰 Never noticed that Mario Kart piece was in 11!!! Blew my mind! I’ve been hearing that piece since I was a kid. So cool!
9/11 commemorative t-shirt by Oceansize is the most brilliant use of this time Signature with a catchy riff throughout a very interesting chord progression.
I saw Mario and Tool in a thumbnail how would I not click
You should definitely check out the tool and n64 sound bite videos. Surprisingly good.
Great video, as always! Another cool example of 11 time in video game music is Overture from Castlevania 3 (it's in 11/4). It's neat hearing an odd meter in NES/ 8-bit era VGM.
thanks! you dont know how perfectly this simple little video helped me, i was actually trying to figure out the time signature for blockhead by devo, and here the exact answer is!
Great video! I didn’t know there were so many songs in 11/8. One that I would have liked to see is Cygnus X-1 Book 1: The Voyage by Rush. I don’t know why David never seems to talk about Rush even though they have so many great unique musical concepts in they’re songs. All the same, very interesting video. 11/8 is too underused.
Completely agree! It’s pretty saturated with the Beatles and Radiohead, which I get because they’re his influences and they’re great. But I’d love to see some other artists new to the channel on here! Come to think of it, I don’t know if I’ve seen any (or much) content from other prog acts like Yes or Camel, but I seem to remember him discussing ELP’s Tarkus. We need more prog on this channel!
Yeah I was thinking about that all the time. A lot of primus and tool but no rush? The son were included but not the father
Anti-Prog snobbery. If he wants odd time signatures, why not Rush's "Freewill" (13/8 to 12/8 to 4/4 transition) or "Far Cry" (31/8)?
@@guessundheit6494 i would classify freewill more as 7/8 + 8/8 cause it's flows better, but it's my uneducated guess so yeah 😂
that’s les claypools favourite rush song
I think I mentioned Caravan's "Hello, hello" before. The chorus is in 11/8 and the verse is in 7/8. And I love it!
Great video! Very good explanation for 11/8 vs 11/4
I've been a formerly published (albeit self taught & prior undiagnosed ASPD sufferer) drummer/bassist/guitarist/vocalist w/ a legacy spanning decades, and I genuinely can't thank you enough for explaining this within terms of such clarity, that even I can finally for once cognitively grasp it's methodology.
Imagine someone potentially gifted with an almost photographic memory in surreal terms of melody and rhythm who ironically is seemingly blind to time sigs & attempts to break everything into impossible multiples of 2,4,8,16, or even 32 bars in 4/4?! Ha! That was me unfortunately for many years.
It really hit me most profoundly during your Beatles- Here Comes the Sun breakdown explanation, which was always a part that I would potentially fumble upon up until rehearsing just the other day.
As a self taught musician, now in his late 40's, who's subsequently also just recently been diagnosed within the autistic spectrum? (My son's initial diagnosis is what threw the red flag)
I must say it again...
THANK YOU!
My interest in theory has honestly been a somewhat frustrating journey within the hills & valleys of mental reverse engineering & constructive relearning.
Needless to say?
You just earned a Like, a Bell Notification, a New Subscriber, and a Fan! Ha! 😅
Cheers!
✌🤟🖖
Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers Band is one of the best, if not the all time greatest 11/8 song.
That bass line is something else.
For the intro anyways
The eleven by the grateful dead comes to mind
@@brendanotoole5871 that's what I was thinking too
Another example of songs in 11 is Along the Ridgeway by Big Big Train. The verse has a 6 + 5 feel, and the break section is a fast 11/16 (5 + 6) if you haven't before, give it a listen
thanks a lot for this suggestion - love it! :)
your song at the end sounds beautiful ^^
Tool are just MASTERS of making it feel like the odd signatures are normal and quite musical
The chorus of Diamond Eyes by Deftones is mostly in 11/8!
'Slightly All The Time' by Soft Machine is a great example of 11/8!
Great collection of songs that I love!!! I always got very drawn to the MarioKart 64 music when it played, and I think I recall counting it out at one point...
I love the song Island by Echolyn, which starts of in 11/8, but uses a lot of variation. It has these sections:
* A: The opening guitar riff consists of 3 groups of 5/16 and one of 7/16.
* B: When the band come in, the guitar plays the same riff. The drums play a rhythm of 2 groups of 4/8 and one of 3/8 in double time feel. The keyboard plays a melody group in 3 groups of 3/8 and one of 2/8.
* C: The guitar starts playing the keyboard riff (3+3+3+2), the drums switch to normal tempo feel and play in the same groupings. Mind that this is not compound sounding (12/8 minus 1/8). The snare is on every third beat of the 3/8 groupings.
* D: Then the whole feel changes to compound 3+3+3+2 pattern, like a 12/8 minus 1/8.
* E: Another riffs comes in and it has the same 3 x 5/16 + 1x 7/16 idea as the opening riff.
* After a 5/8 break, the parts B, C and D are repeated.
* F: A new riff comes in, grouped 7/16+5/16+5/16+5/16
* E is repeated
* G: Guitar only 3+3+3+4 (but not compound feel)
* H: Band without guitar plays a section consisting of 2 bars with different groupings: first is 4/4+3/8, second is 6/8+5/8. Is repeated with a weird but cool guitar solo.
* I: 12 bars of plain 4/4
* G: is repeated with full band 2x
* J: Another riff for the guitar in 5+5+5+7/16, the drums go over this in 4/8+4/8+3/8 (double time)
After this extensive intro of over 3 minutes, the verse starts and a good part of the rest of the song is in 4/4. Some of the 11/8 are repeated and there's also a 11/8 compound (12/8 - 1/8) part. I think this is probably the best excercise in 11/8 and various ways to shape this time signature.
Songs that use 11/8 time, otherwise known as "The Tool Discography."
I've always naturally subdivided odd time signatures into groups of 2, 3, or 4. So, I think of 5/4 as a group of 3 then a group in 2 or vice versa. Likewise, I think of 7/8 as a group of 4 then a group of 3 or vice versa depending on the song. It's good to see that that is the way real musicians think about these meters in their brain too. I was always wondering if I was just sort of cheating because I wasn't a good enough musician to THINK in odd time signatures.
Really nice video as usual. I also thought about the following examples. "Communion And The Oracle" by Symphony X uses both 10/8 and 11/8 in the intro. "Lonely Street" by Kansas is also a kind of 11/8 shuffle.
I'm glad you brought up I Say A Little Prayer. This exact part always flustered me. I finally heard the counts and beats more accurately here in this clip. At the 4th beat, hit the snare twice, then the kick drum twice. Then you do a tiny fill and go back to the top.
I personally love how 11/8 is used in Balkan tunes and songs.
I always count "Awaken" by Yes as 6 beats and 5 beats. A killer you left out that I was looking for was "Words" by Neil Young. The verse is 4/4, but shifts to 11 in the instrumental sections.
It's my favorite time signature for one primary reason: to me, it invokes an expanse or a space. Gives songs this proggy and ethereal feeling similar to a ballad, but with emphasis on a setting or landscape of the mind over the rather explicit narrative common with ballads. There are other time signatures that does this of course, songs by Deftones for example. Anyway, it was the best analogy I could come up with. 11/8 is great for composing float-y, and/or dreamy melodies, and is unique in that it never feels repetitive or exhausting.
Awesome video, thanks! I reckon that you should have used the verse section of Eleven by Primus though, because it makes that wonky shuffle feel of the 11 count really obvious. Never mind. Really liked your tune at the end. Great way to end the video!
Something you don't see very often
Depends on the kind of music you listen to. Proggy stuff loves these sorts of unsteady rhythms.
I listen to the Allman Brothers and Tool quite a bit so 11/8 is a common occurrence.
wait, you can see music? XD
A more obscure video game track in 11/4 is “Rural Makai City Esoterica” from the 12th Touhou Project game. Translations of that title may vary, but generally people the game itself is called Undefined Fantastic Object if that makes it easier to find.
Touhou nation repping 😈
Check out Rachel Flowers, she has a song called "Goes to Eleven" from her album Listen.
Very nicely explained thank you 👌🏻