The Most Important Question Of The Day

[ericcoleman]

[Poll #1301526]

A discussion of math on filkertom's LJ led to this. You can find the discussion here. I'm still not certain if the person who replied to me simply didn't get it or was trying to be funny, but it did lead to a couple other pretty good lines

Comments

[pheltzer.livejournal.com]

I know it breaks from your two option format but I think the far more important question is:
2/4
3/4
4/4

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

4/4 is certainly easier to play, but 5/4 is fun once in a while. Tull's "Living In the Past", for example.

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

My marching band teacher in high school was into John Cage. 'Nuff said.

[powersalad.livejournal.com]

The obvious 4'33" joke aside, what a halftime show that'd make - just arranging any of the prepared piano pieces would be bold enough, but how in the hell do you march to Cage I wonder?!?! Maybe Martha Graham's troupe with band uniforms on...

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

I hoped someone would pick up on this! I knew I could count on Eric's friends. ;-)

To reveal all: actually, we only played Cage in Stage Band performances, not football games. But because of Dotson's love of complex music, we did quite a bit of high-difficulty-level music on the field, which served us well in competition points. And yes, did at least one marching piece in 5/4. Kind of a step-and-schlep. If I could remember the title I would tell you... not "Living in the Past" I'm pretty sure, I would remember Tull.

Once upon a time, someone poked their head into the band room as we were gearing up for a pregame show and yelled "Hey, you in the blue suit" and as God is my witness, we all turned around. ::headdesk::

4'33"

[ericcoleman]

The second movement has always been my favorite.

[wildcard9.livejournal.com]

The obvious 4'33" joke aside

The joke is not obvious to me. Explain, please....

[ericcoleman]

4'33"

[powersalad.livejournal.com]

I went with 4/4 ONLY because it is sort of in our bodily rhythms as Westerners, HOWEVER (and this is a large HOWEVER) I think 5/4 is more interesting. The kick is hearing someone playing in 5 and it sounds so natural and easy that it feels like 4 (ex. Pat Metheny Group). Or taking it further out to 7, the Beatles on All You Need Is Love.

Extreme 5-ness? Don Ellis Orchestra on "Scratt and Fluggs", a big band country jazz hoedown in 5/4, with the band, friends and wives screaming whooping and hollering all thru it, culminating in Al Kooper falling over a music stand.

But I like 4 too.

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Ellis was cool.

4/4

[hardly-angelic.livejournal.com]

Who am I to deny the wisdom of the ages, as delivered by the prophet Dee Dee Ramone?

Re: 4/4

[ericcoleman]

And the Prophet Dee Dee came down from Queens and gave us the sacred numbers

Re: 4/4

[powersalad.livejournal.com]

and it was good. And it rocked yea verily.

[powersalad.livejournal.com]

Once when driving out on the road with business partners, we hit a certain section of I-90 between Sandusky and Cleveland, when the tires started to reveal a certain rhythm that sounded familiar but not quite. The way the road was built at that moment, I finally recognized it to be a 5/4 version of La Cumparsita! Very strange, a tango in 5/4!

Bump
Bump
Bump
Bump
BumpBARRRUMP
Bump
Bump
Bump
BumpBARRRUMP
Bump
Bump
Bump
BumpBARRRUMP

My mind filled in the melodyody, and from there it wentent. I think we may have tried to play it that way on a wedding gig. XD

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

These are faster times, so 5/4.

[wildcard9.livejournal.com]

When I played trumpet and baritone horn, almost all of the songs I played were in 4/4 time. That is what I am most comfortable in (3/4 time always threw me off).

[davidkingsley.livejournal.com]

I picked 5/4, because 4/4 should be simplied to 1.

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

it strikes me that 5/4 is composers being needlessly difficult.

Although, Pachelbel's cannon is in 4/4, and is my LEAST favorite piece of music ever. Sure, it's pretty to listen to. But you try being a bassoon player in an all-wind ensemble with a sadistic (string-playing) conductor who believes it's best played slow-as-fuck and survive it. You can't. No one can. I ended up tag-teaming with a bari-sax player, and it still kicked both our asses. Fucking boring as hell AND difficult to play. Awesome.

Actually, i'm going to change my vote to 5/4. Fuck Pachelbel and fuck his cannon.

Not that i'm still bitter.

[ericcoleman]

I didn't know you played the bassoon ... that's so cool

[jcw-da-dmg.livejournal.com]

Anyone who ever HAD to play Pachelbel's Canon has my sympathy. I've played it (or rather, ALONG with it) on a few occasions, but strictly by choice.

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

I'm sure that to anyone not playing the bass line, it's a jaunty little piece.

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

Dulcimandyas