Tempo Troubles

[AntonioPetrole]

Hey i was wondering if you guys could help me out with this. I don't know why i can't figure it out, maybe my brain is just fried. I started writing a song last night and the tempo is 220bpm. I didn't realize this until today but when playing the riffs to 220bpm, im actually playing triplets (i think thats the word). Like when im programming the drums every crash hit is every 1 and a half beats as opposed to every 1 beat. Its making it very difficult to write anything else when I have to write to that timing. Now for my question, what would the tempo be to make everything on beat as opposed to ever beat and a half? Or is it perfectly fine and im just losing my mind?! haha. Here is a snippet of it.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2113488/DEATH DUDELY DO 2.mp3

Thanks for any help. I don't know why this is giving me such a headache

 

[Scott Horner]

That first part actually has a 6/8 feel to it and it seems as though your trying to program the drums to a 4/4 beat so I think that's where you're off timed cymbal hits are coming from. I'm not the best when it comes to mapping out tempos with odd time signatures so I run into this issue as well. You can leave the tempo the same but just change your snap setting where you program your drums to every 1/3 or 1/6 of a beat and the cymbals should snap into place and match up with those triplets. Hope this helps.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

That first part actually has a 6/8 feel to it and it seems as though your trying to program the drums to a 4/4 beat so I think that's where you're off timed cymbal hits are coming from. I'm not the best when it comes to mapping out tempos with odd time signatures so I run into this issue as well. You can leave the tempo the same but just change your snap setting where you program your drums to every 1/3 or 1/6 of a beat and the cymbals should snap into place and match up with those triplets. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your response but this isn't exactly what i was looking for. My question was more prone to the actual tempo. Like, the tempo is 220 but if you made it, say 155, it would be a different tempo but the riffs would still groove with it. I think im just going insane haha

 

[cent73]

The time signature of the track is 12/8 and the drums you have arranged do fit the guitar track. I don't really know, then, what's bugging you. If you want to change the tempo because it's 'too difficult to write anything', do it - it'll just be slower. Or do you want to make a change to 4/4? Then go for it - it's a bit trickier to keep the grove, but doable.

 

[FireStorm Studios]

Thanks for your response but this isn't exactly what i was looking for. My question was more prone to the actual tempo. Like, the tempo is 220 but if you made it, say 155, it would be a different tempo but the riffs would still groove with it. I think im just going insane haha

I'm a little confused about what your asking but in Cubase you can keep your bbm at 220 but make a change to the metronome to beep at 1/2 notes (or 1/8, 16th...) and not 1/4 notes.

Maybe that will help?

 

[BLUElightCory]

It sounds like straightforward 4/4 at around 147 bpm to me, if you count the crashes as 1-2-3-4 - you can also count it as 6/8 but it make the beat subdivisions a bit more complex, plus the second part doesn't work as well counting 6/8. I'd set the tempo to 147 and subdivide from there, personally.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

It sounds like straightforward 4/4 at around 147 bpm to me, if you count the crashes as 1-2-3-4 - you can also count it as 6/8 but it make the beat subdivisions a bit more complex, plus the second part doesn't work as well counting 6/8. I'd set the tempo to 147 and subdivide from there, personally.

this is exactly what i was looking for. I will give it a try when I get home. Thanks!

 

[Manifesto]

220 x 2/3 = 147

147 x 3/2 = 220

 

[cent73]

I'm sorry but I don't think it's a straight 4/4. Well, it could be written this way, but from my scoring practice you try to avoid the clutter with multiple brackets. These are the kicks in 12/8:

Here's the same part in 4/4:

The second part is more complex as the drums and the rhythm guitar keep playing playing 12/8, and the lead guitar alternates between 12/8 and 4/4. This is how it looks for the first 2 bars: the snare, the kick and the lead gtr. (the lick up the neck at the end of the phrase would be a straight 12/8). Notice the clean looks of the kicks part. With 4/4 you'd have brackets all over the place.

.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

Here you go guys

You've earned it. The tempo ended up being 147. Playing to the click at 220 made everything feel awkward and rushed cause i was playing triplets. Thanks Bluelightcory and Manifesto. And many thanks for your efforts cent73.

I really don't know what i would do without you guys <3