[delb0y]

Looking for a bit of specific help on this one.

Background (you can skip this if you like)

The little folk/blues trio I'm in was playing a gig a while back and it struck us that all our songs were about murder, executions, folks leaving, and other equally depressing stuff. So we decided we needed a happy song. My buddy Sid suggested I write a song about a circus. I told him if I wrote such a song it would be all about how they de-claw and de-teeth the big cats and use sharpened steel poles to subdue them. Not a happy song, we decided. So he wrote the lyrics and gave them to me. I then came up with the tune.

The attached is just my first demo to see if the boys were happy to take this further.

The Issue

Last night we tried to get this to work and the timing was all over the place. What felt perfectly natural to me, was not working for the other guys. It was really weird.

So I listened more closely and it appears to me that what I've done without realising it is to alternate a bar of 3/4 followed by a bar of 4/4 in the verses and instrumental sections but not the bridge. This  felt right and natural to me, but is frying everyone else's brains.

We can work it out (as the greatest band once sang) but will it fry audiences' brains, too? Do you notice it or does it go along well regardless?

You're more than welcome to comment on any aspect of the song but at this stage I just want some reassurance that it's worth progressing in its current state versus should we put it all in 4/4/ throughout?

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=13356646

Many thanks
Derek

[CaliaMoko]

I do not believe it will fry the audiences' collective brains. If you can work it out as a band, I say do it. I listened to it and I think it's more interesting as is than it would be if you converted to more conventional timing throughout.

I actually don't think the audiences will notice consciously, but I think it will appeal more on a subconscious level; that is, I think it will get into their brains deeper as it is.

For reference, many of the songs in "Jesus Christ, Superstar" are non-conventional timing patterns like 5/4 and 7/4. Yours is basically a 7/4 (although, I believe there is a stretch where it is straight 4/4).

That's my opinion for whatever it's worth.

Vicki

[MartynRich]

Keep it as it is - sounds much more inventive and interesting. If its frying their brains it is just because they haven't learned the song yet. I like it.

[Neil C]

Del,
Sounds perfectly natural to me. my advice (on most things) is to not overthink things..
 
Neil

[adamfarr]

I'll freely admit to not getting on with odd key signatures as a player. I love listening to Black Dog or whatever but my brain is not naturally wired for playing that way.

So I could be in the same boat as your band I think. Question: do you need the band for this one?! Could they take a step back and just add harmonies or some spare percussion with the main accompaniment being the guitar?