From: dave anderson
Rachel Stevens latest is 12/8, not 3/4 or 4/4.
Basically for those who don't know and are interested, the TOP (or first
as written above) part of the time signature, is the strict number of
beats in the bar. To be honest, its the only really important one for
listening to it.
The Bottom (or second) part of the time signature, is the 'note value'
that the beat actually is. So, 4/4 is 4 beats in the bar, and each beat
is written as a 'quarter-note', or 'crotchet' in musical notation. 4/8
would still be 4 beats in the bar, with each note written down as an
'eigth-note', or 'quaver'. Hence why the bottom/second have of the time
signature isn't important for listening.
So to Rachel Stevens track, why is it 12/8?
It's 12, because if you listen to it, you can hear it - it sounds like
4-to-the-bar, but every 'beat' is split three ways instead of 2 or 4.
That's why it sounds so swingy.
Isolee did a clever track a while back on Playhouse, had 12/8 over 4/4,
sounded a bit wierd, but very very funky...
cheers,
dave
