________TIME SIGNATURES DUMBED DOWN SO EVEN I CAN DO THEM_______

  TIME SIGNATURES FOR CHILDREN, LIKE ME

Back in '69 I got an import record of a band from Brit called King Crimson that literally changed my life. At the time I was playing in a Blues band that played the real deal. In fact I would frequently make a pilgrimage to Chicago to buy the blues records & buy records by Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Freddy King etc. In fact when Clapton did the Beano record I already new the Freddy King covers he played on it before I dropped the platter on my turntable. But I digress.

I was so impressed by Robert Fripp. The guy had invented  Prog Rock. In 1969 no one had the skill, the speed or the Metal tone he had. No one in Rock used the scales or the the modes he did. Yes a few Jazz players had the chops but they were very, very, very clearly playing Jazz. Fripp's playing had more to do with a Bartok String Quartet than a Charlie Parker tune. But again I digress.

The point is by '71, I was in Brit and playing with Tallis. Not to get into much depth of the bands cred we opened for Rush.

It consisted of a  violinist from the London Philharmonic, a young lady who had a gig singing operetta, a Jazz drummer from the Ronnie Scott scene and a killer Rock bass player that doubled on keys. These guys couldn't even 'think Covers' it wasn't even a topic brought up. To say the music was complex would be an understatement. 

It was normal to use as many as 3 different time signatures in a tune. Surprise, surprise I didn't read music. WTF, how can I handle all this sh@t.

THE BIG SECRET

You can really just turn time signatures into patterns of ones, twos, and threes. It really isn't hard.

Try this. Play a phrase as a waltz. 1, 2, 3, ___1, 2, 3. Easy, yes? Know play a simple riff in pairs. 1, 2 __1,  2__1, 2 etc.

Know put the two together. 1, 2__1, 2 3__1,2__1, 2, 3 ...repeat, repeat.

Think of it as ...Waltz, Rock, Waltz, Rock

Yes! You now have a cool 5/4 groove going.

Longer time signatures are only a lot of waltz and Rock bits strung together.

Try adding a second 1, 2. Bingo! 7/4.

Teach it to your band and after a couple of weeks you start just 'feeling' these new grooves. Enjoy.