Music school pays off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCk9jQEZeSs

I think you guys will be impressed

That was pretty damn good.

As someone who spent a lot of time performing in musical groups growing up, I must say they're pretty awesome. Some people don't realize just how hard it can be to stay in together like that. They stay together better than some (amateur) adult orchestras i've heard! Some of those kids are really young too!

Could you imagine going to that school recital and expecting to be bored out of your mind, only to hear THAT?!

Rufledt wrote: As someone who spent a lot of time performing in musical groups growing up, I must say they're pretty awesome. Some people don't realize just how hard it can be to stay in together like that. They stay together better than some (amateur) adult orchestras i've heard! Some of those kids are really young too!

And it's hard enough to stay together with regular 4/4 or 3/4 time signatures. This song is a bit less crazy than a lot of other Tool songs. It only alternates between 7/8 and 4/4.

Here I am age 26 and still can't play guitar :(

AWESOME! I'd snatch up that drummer in a heartbeat!!!

In reply to Beer Baron:

Actually from the sheet music I have, it says it alternates from 7/4 to 8/4 (kinda the same, but still different.) then has multiple extra time signatures tossed in.

but the best (worst) is schism.... it has so many time signatures!

from wikipedia (cause I am lazy):

"Schism" is renowned for its use of uncommon time signatures and the frequency of its meter changes. In one analysis of the song, the song alters meter 47 times.[4] The song begins with two bars of 5/4, followed by one bar of 4/4, followed by bars of alternating 5/8 and 7/8, until the first interlude, which consists of alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8.

The following verse exhibits a similar pattern to the first, alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8. The next section is bars of 6/4 followed by one bar of 11/8. This takes the song back into alternating 5/8 and 7/8. Another 6/8 and 7/8 section follows, and after this the song goes into repeating 7/8 bars.

The middle section is subsequently introduced, consisting of three bars of 6/8, one bar of 3/8, and one bar of 3/4 repeating several times. At one point it interrupts with two bars of 6/8 followed by a bar of 4/8, twice. A bar of 5/8 is played before the meter switches back to 6/8 for two bars and 2/4 for one bar. This repeats, setting up another section: two bars of 9/8 followed by a bar of 10/8, that pattern again, and then a single bar of 9/8 followed by alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8.

The outro has alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8, ending with alternating 6/8, 2/8 that one could interpret as pulsing with a 4/4 feel.

The band has referred to the time signature as 6.5/8.[5] Although many composers would use 13/16 instead, 6.5/8 is still a valid fractional time signature.

In reply to SCARR:

I couldn't find a consistent answer to what the time signature actually was in the song. Point remains, it's still fairly odd, has changes, and those kids keep together through it all.

As for the drummer... berkeleying murder that cymbal at the end man!

As someone who played bass professionally when he was in school (high school and college), seeing a bunch of 12-14 year old kids who are as good as (nay, BETTER) than I am is humbling.

And that is a very difficult song. As someone already said, the time signatures are nuts.

Also, that drummer is the next Neal Peart / Mike Portnoy

Just watched it.... as a former Music Ed major in college I am in awe.

That was pretty great. The drummer is something else, the bass player has all the rock god moves down pat and I didn't expect the voice out of that young girl.

Every so often I'll browse around Youtube, just following suggested links from one video to the next, and it's not unusual to start out watching some big name band and end up watching some 12 year olds covering the same song. There are a lot of young musicians out there who are amazingly good.

As far as I know I've never heard any Tool songs, but now I'll have to investigate them further.

In reply to stuart in mn:

Tool is a great band but they can get weeeeeird....

Aenima is by far their best work.

I've always been a major tool fan and every time I watch this I'm still in a bit of disbelief that these kids nail it so well.

Wow is really all I can say and kudos to the people who were able to help these kids realize their talent.

Beer Baron wrote: As for the drummer... berkeleying murder that cymbal at the end man!

That's one of my favorite things about watching Danny Carey play, not only is he so fast and technical, but he hits the drums SO HARD.

Another video, Dream Theatre / Pull Me Under. Not all the same kids but the same singer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h2h4zIhwuM Their instructor appears to be a guy named Aaron O'Keefe, he has a bunch of video posted with his students.

SCARR wrote: In reply to Beer Baron: Actually from the sheet music I have, it says it alternates from 7/4 to 8/4 (kinda the same, but still different.) then has multiple extra time signatures tossed in. but the best (worst) is schism.... it has so many time signatures! from wikipedia (cause I am lazy): "Schism" is renowned for its use of uncommon time signatures and the frequency of its meter changes. In one analysis of the song, the song alters meter 47 times.[4] The song begins with two bars of 5/4, followed by one bar of 4/4, followed by bars of alternating 5/8 and 7/8, until the first interlude, which consists of alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8. The following verse exhibits a similar pattern to the first, alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8. The next section is bars of 6/4 followed by one bar of 11/8. This takes the song back into alternating 5/8 and 7/8. Another 6/8 and 7/8 section follows, and after this the song goes into repeating 7/8 bars. The middle section is subsequently introduced, consisting of three bars of 6/8, one bar of 3/8, and one bar of 3/4 repeating several times. At one point it interrupts with two bars of 6/8 followed by a bar of 4/8, twice. A bar of 5/8 is played before the meter switches back to 6/8 for two bars and 2/4 for one bar. This repeats, setting up another section: two bars of 9/8 followed by a bar of 10/8, that pattern again, and then a single bar of 9/8 followed by alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8. The outro has alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8, ending with alternating 6/8, 2/8 that one could interpret as pulsing with a 4/4 feel. The band has referred to the time signature as 6.5/8.[5] Although many composers would use 13/16 instead, 6.5/8 is still a valid fractional time signature.

I know that is in English, but I have no clue what any of it means. SWMBO deciphered it into "the bassist plays fast."

One more video: Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx6LhBvo8Ms That girl has some pipes.

Band practice wasn't anything like that when I was in school. If it was, I wouldn't have been allowed in the room!

I couldn't get the instructors to let us play Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears. It probably would have sounded like cats in a blender anyway.

Rob_Mopar wrote: I couldn't get the instructors to let us play Chicago or Blood Sweat & Tears. It probably would have sounded like cats in a blender anyway.

That's too bad - there were some pretty good band arrangements for them back in the day. Our band director (this was in the early 1970s) was pretty hip and let us play a lot of fun stuff - we even did Santana/Black Magic Woman as part of our field show in marching band. Won the state championship with that one.

moparman76_69 wrote:

SCARR wrote: In reply to Beer Baron: Actually from the sheet music I have, it says it alternates from 7/4 to 8/4 (kinda the same, but still different.) then has multiple extra time signatures tossed in. but the best (worst) is schism.... it has so many time signatures! from wikipedia (cause I am lazy): "Schism" is renowned for its use of uncommon time signatures and the frequency of its meter changes. In one analysis of the song, the song alters meter 47 times.[4] The song begins with two bars of 5/4, followed by one bar of 4/4, followed by bars of alternating 5/8 and 7/8, until the first interlude, which consists of alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8. The following verse exhibits a similar pattern to the first, alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8. The next section is bars of 6/4 followed by one bar of 11/8. This takes the song back into alternating 5/8 and 7/8. Another 6/8 and 7/8 section follows, and after this the song goes into repeating 7/8 bars. The middle section is subsequently introduced, consisting of three bars of 6/8, one bar of 3/8, and one bar of 3/4 repeating several times. At one point it interrupts with two bars of 6/8 followed by a bar of 4/8, twice. A bar of 5/8 is played before the meter switches back to 6/8 for two bars and 2/4 for one bar. This repeats, setting up another section: two bars of 9/8 followed by a bar of 10/8, that pattern again, and then a single bar of 9/8 followed by alternating bars of 6/8 and 7/8. The outro has alternating bars of 5/8 and 7/8, ending with alternating 6/8, 2/8 that one could interpret as pulsing with a 4/4 feel. The band has referred to the time signature as 6.5/8.[5] Although many composers would use 13/16 instead, 6.5/8 is still a valid fractional time signature.

I know that is in English, but I have no clue what any of it means. SWMBO deciphered it into "the bassist plays fast."

Well.......Chancellor and the guitarist didn't play fast in this song or really any tool song. Tool is really about Maynard and Carey.

How about some Pistols and Petunias?

More kids; this time performing GNR's "You Could be Mine". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT8upWEDirM

moparman76_69 wrote: I know that is in English, but I have no clue what any of it means. SWMBO deciphered it into "the bassist plays fast."

Time signatures aren't about how fast they play. This is more like, "Not only do they count funny, but they keep changing how they count."

Do you know anything about music theory? Basically, time signatures are fractions of how many beats per measure over how long of a note gets a beat.

Almost all music you listen to is 4/4 time. That is four quarter notes per measure. Listen to a song and you can tap your foot and count 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -. The next most common time signature is 3/4 time. This is waltz rhythm and is counted 1 - 2 - 3 -. If you want to get a bit more weird, listen to "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck. It is in 5/4 time. If this song is in 7/8 that is like 1 2 3 4 5 6 7.

If I had to come up with a car analogy... it's like figuring out firing order, timing, balancing everything, etc. on an inline engine with a certain number of cylinders (x/4 time) vs. figuring all that out on a V-configured engine (x/8 time). 4/4 is a simple inline four engine; 3/4 would be an I3. 8/8 and 6/8 would be a V8 and V6. 7/8 time would be like a V7 engine... does that sound like a crazy engine to try to tune? Well, it's a crazy time signature to try to play.

SCARR wrote: In reply to Beer Baron: Actually from the sheet music I have, it says it alternates from 7/4 to 8/4 (kinda the same, but still different.) then has multiple extra time signatures tossed in.

Okay, I challenged myself to follow the time changes. Surprisingly easier than I expected. Sounds like most of the song is 8/4. Then the 7/4 comes in at the instrumentals after "...I choose to do / what it takes to step through" and lasts through the "See my shadow changing / stretching up and over me..." section before going back to 8/4 for the end.

So basically... the rhythm section gets to rock 7/4 through the most intensive breakdown. Awesome.

I just watched the video.
I kept expecting Jack Black to come out and I really think the band will win the Battle of the Bands.