Audiobus: Use your music apps together.

What is Audiobus?Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.

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How do you train your brain to work in different time signatures?

This may be very basic for many of you accomplished musicians, but I’m a noob who’s stuck within his pop / rock youth comfort zone for far too long!

Any tips as I’m a venturing out of 4/4 land. 3/4 first port of call, any really groovy 3/4 tunes you guys can think of to let me feel the way they are getting their groove on?

I’ve knocked up some bass and percussion, but when I play over them, my brain is still looking for that 4/4. Is it just practice practice practice till the brain gets it, or do you peeps have any wonder training techniques that kick your brains into line?

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Comments

  • Programming patterns in drum machines and groove boxes that were capable of non-4/4 time sigs helped me a lot burning them into my brain :#

  • Don’t feel the meter, feel the accents/subdivision. Basically lead with musicality and then it’s surprisingly easy.

  • Thanks both of you. Sat here with some spoons trying to tap along to what I’ve just programmed In iBassist and Mid East Drummer with my looking on wondering what’s happening :p

  • Have a listen to this - here’s how to rock 3/4.

  • @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Thanks both of you. Sat here with some spoons trying to tap along to what I’ve just programmed In iBassist and Mid East Drummer with my looking on wondering what’s happening :p

    Yes! Do that regularly from time to time and you'll get used to it. Tapping along with the beat is even better.

  • 12 123 or 123 12

    or 12 12 123 or 123 12 12

    That's odd time sigs sorted. Well at least 5 and 7

  • Just tap your finger or hand evenly while saying those patterns and it will make sense.

  • Then once you got that. Try doing the 5 5 5 ala Zappa.

    5/8 then 5/8 then 5/4

  • I started learning music after 30 years hidding myself from it and this is one of the first issues I'm getting.

    @OscarSouth said:
    Don’t feel the meter, feel the accents/subdivision. Basically lead with musicality and then it’s surprisingly easy.

    This is a good advice.

    @rs2000 said:

    @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Thanks both of you. Sat here with some spoons trying to tap along to what I’ve just programmed In iBassist and Mid East Drummer with my looking on wondering what’s happening :p

    Yes! Do that regularly from time to time and you'll get used to it. Tapping along with the beat is even better.

    And I will add (to paraphrase my teacher) alongside hearing a lot of music (in that non4/4 patterns of course. From Ravel's bolero to Spanish flamenco or Jojo Mayer, J Dilla...

  • The Canadian band Rush did a number of great odd-meter rock songs in the late 70s/early 80s.
    Listen and tap :)

  • @PhilW said:
    Have a listen to this - here’s how to rock 3/4.

    Loved it, thanks :)

  • edited October 2018

    I'm slowly going insane but my brain is noodle-ticking...
    ...1 2 3, 5 6 7 (It should be like 3/4 or 6/8 or is this severe case of 'triplet damage'?).

    Maybe my 'internal brain tick' is making it really hard for me to stay in sync with a 4/4 metronome?!

  • Thanks all of you. Pulled out all my old Jethro, Zappa etc to search for things to tap along to.

    So Thanks a lot to you guys my dogs going nuts as I’m tapping all around the house :D

  • edited October 2018

    Another nice one:

  • @BroCoast said:
    Then once you got that. Try doing the 5 5 5 ala Zappa.

    5/8 then 5/8 then 5/4

    We seem to get quite a few Zappa fans here - must be crazed minds attracted to a crazed mind ;)

  • @Dubbylabby said:
    I started learning music after 30 years hidding myself from it and this is one of the first issues I'm getting.

    @OscarSouth said:
    Don’t feel the meter, feel the accents/subdivision. Basically lead with musicality and then it’s surprisingly easy.

    This is a good advice.

    @rs2000 said:

    @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Thanks both of you. Sat here with some spoons trying to tap along to what I’ve just programmed In iBassist and Mid East Drummer with my looking on wondering what’s happening :p

    Yes! Do that regularly from time to time and you'll get used to it. Tapping along with the beat is even better.

    And I will add (to paraphrase my teacher) alongside hearing a lot of music (in that non4/4 patterns of course. From Ravel's bolero to Spanish flamenco or Jojo Mayer, J Dilla...

    Funny how we avoid some things that we really shouldn’t :)

  • @rs2000 said:
    The Canadian band Rush did a number of great odd-meter rock songs in the late 70s/early 80s.
    Listen and tap :)

    I have some Rush somewhere, will look them out :)

  • @Fruitbat1919 said:

    @BroCoast said:
    Then once you got that. Try doing the 5 5 5 ala Zappa.

    5/8 then 5/8 then 5/4

    We seem to get quite a few Zappa fans here - must be crazed minds attracted to a crazed mind ;)

    Listen and tap :#

  • @Fruitbat1919 said:

    @BroCoast said:
    Then once you got that. Try doing the 5 5 5 ala Zappa.

    5/8 then 5/8 then 5/4

    We seem to get quite a few Zappa fans here - must be crazed minds attracted to a crazed mind ;)

    As an undergrad in music I had to perform and analyse dosens of Zappa tunes. Cryptic shit! (great music through!)

  • Got one of the best Sub37 patches from this song:

  • @OscarSouth said:

    @Fruitbat1919 said:

    @BroCoast said:
    Then once you got that. Try doing the 5 5 5 ala Zappa.

    5/8 then 5/8 then 5/4

    We seem to get quite a few Zappa fans here - must be crazed minds attracted to a crazed mind ;)

    As an undergrad in music I had to perform and analyse dosens of Zappa tunes. Cryptic shit! (great music through!)

    Yeah, I think Zappa is too advanced for me at this time lol

  • Take a look at "Signals music studio" YTchannel, for example:

  • edited October 2018

    @Fruitbat1919 said:

    @Dubbylabby said:
    I started learning music after 30 years hidding myself from it and this is one of the first issues I'm getting.

    @OscarSouth said:
    Don’t feel the meter, feel the accents/subdivision. Basically lead with musicality and then it’s surprisingly easy.

    This is a good advice.

    @rs2000 said:

    @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Thanks both of you. Sat here with some spoons trying to tap along to what I’ve just programmed In iBassist and Mid East Drummer with my looking on wondering what’s happening :p

    Yes! Do that regularly from time to time and you'll get used to it. Tapping along with the beat is even better.

    And I will add (to paraphrase my teacher) alongside hearing a lot of music (in that non4/4 patterns of course. From Ravel's bolero to Spanish flamenco or Jojo Mayer, J Dilla...

    Funny how we avoid some things that we really shouldn’t :)

    well Music language is a PITA so as usual I search for solutions to learn and point others.
    One resource I found is Numerofonía (Dr. Aschero) Numerophonics which is an attempt to modernize music language into something more scientific and near. The way he explain the beat and subdivision is genius. If you need help with Spanish, just ask me and I will be very glad to translate anything. I started to collect all the material I found to help me learn deeper and faster (as I could).

    Avoid this field is precisely one of the points Dr. Aschero brings (which people call solfeophobia) and it's related to the not natural form of how Solfeo is conceived (and perpetuated).

    Dr. Aschero said:
    You will need 5 symbols to get the same musical data in Solfeo where you can get in 1 symbol in Numerophonics.

    Don't be bothered by don't understand the language. The moment we realize it's not so hard we start learn. I'm talking about Spanish this time but it's applied to any language in the world. :wink:

    Jump into minute 3:30 for demo.

  • @Fruitbat1919 said:
    This may be very basic for many of you accomplished musicians, but I’m a noob who’s stuck within his pop / rock youth comfort zone for far too long!

    Any tips as I’m a venturing out of 4/4 land. 3/4 first port of call, any really groovy 3/4 tunes you guys can think of to let me feel the way they are getting their groove on?

    I’ve knocked up some bass and percussion, but when I play over them, my brain is still looking for that 4/4. Is it just practice practice practice till the brain gets it, or do you peeps have any wonder training techniques that kick your brains into line?

    practice. this sort of thing is called, thinking outside of the box, for all you 4/4 , 4 on the floor people, but one of the issues is, odd meter can be very non musical, non flowly, very disruptive to being able to bop your head to the beat. It's my opinion that it's sometimes, if not often , used as a way to show how clever and complicated a musician/composer can be, but the best odd time music, in my opinion, is music that remains musical and one can still feel the pulse of the music and enjoy it without a sudden jolt into NONGROOVE. For instance, the song Money, by Pink Floyd, is odd meter, and you don't really notice that it is. I'll bet a lot of people don't even know that it is. It's just a good song. Also, I head a story from the mouth of the VP of Pink Floyds record label at the time. Pink Floyd didn't want to release Money on that album. But the record company insisted that without it, the general public had thing to chew on and relate to . Pink Floyd thought they were selling out by releasing this track that had been heavily influenced by the producer the record company hired for the album. Money went on to become the biggest selling sing Pink Floyd has ever had, I believe and the Album Dark Side of the Moon is one of the all time best selling pop/rock albums in history. Had this odd time song not made it on the record, music history might be a bit different today.

  • Overload of interesting stuff now lol

    Just had some King Crimson on and I can definitely imagine some ‘Showing off’ happening for the sake of @bedheadproducer, if that’s what you meant. Sometimes simpler and to the point (or beat) is definitely needed.

    Anyhoo, I’m off to make something simple, as my head is overloaded with seeming complexity now, or maybe I just need a coffee.....

  • @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Overload of interesting stuff now lol

    Just had some King Crimson on and I can definitely imagine some ‘Showing off’ happening for the sake of @bedheadproducer, if that’s what you meant. Sometimes simpler and to the point (or beat) is definitely needed.

    Anyhoo, I’m off to make something simple, as my head is overloaded with seeming complexity now, or maybe I just need a coffee.....

    All this complex stuff can sometimes be a great inspiration to write simple, good songs :smiley:
    Coffee is good.

  • @PartOfPayn said:
    Take a look at "Signals music studio" YTchannel, for example:

    That helped quite a bit, especially to see what was happening in the King Crimson I was just listening to :)

  • @rs2000 said:

    @Fruitbat1919 said:
    Overload of interesting stuff now lol

    Just had some King Crimson on and I can definitely imagine some ‘Showing off’ happening for the sake of @bedheadproducer, if that’s what you meant. Sometimes simpler and to the point (or beat) is definitely needed.

    Anyhoo, I’m off to make something simple, as my head is overloaded with seeming complexity now, or maybe I just need a coffee.....

    All this complex stuff can sometimes be a great inspiration to write simple, good songs :smiley:
    Coffee is good.

    Yeah, I’m off to stick on some Virgin Prunes now and relax in my comfort zone with a coffee. Back to weird tapping later :D

  • edited October 2018

    @Fruitbat1919 said:

    @PartOfPayn said:
    Take a look at "Signals music studio" YTchannel, for example:

    That helped quite a bit, especially to see what was happening in the King Crimson I was just listening to :)

    Even though I like the sound of the phasing that KC did, I always thought it looked ultra geeky because of the concentration it requires.

    Luckily we can achieve that with sequencers and look 4/4 cool. B)

    Bedheadproducer hits on my thoughts with it. Often the nu prog (post early 80's) odd time sig stuff isn't really interesting as music but is just geek/flash.

    What I can dig is the Canterbury prog that is still great songs with some odd sections. Getting away from 4/4 is about getting off the ground. That's why heaps of those bands had a nice floaty feel, often 6/8 for chilled, 5/8 for a bit more drama.

    It's harder to write great 4/4 songs than odd stuff in my opinion. The odd is always formulaic to some degree.

  • edited October 2018

    Waltz is 3/4 time, probably the easiest to 'imagine' Bmm tsh tsh Bmm tsh tsh Bmm tsh tsh Bmm tsh tsh, don't worry too much about the numbers it is the feeling that counts (unintended pun), the numbers are just a way of describing the feeling

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