Songs were tempo changes

[LiveMusic]

I wrote a song that is a very slow, sensual piano ballad. I am matching the mood of the lyric sections with volume. Crescendo and decrescendo. However, in these sections, I also kinda want to speed it up and then slow it down some. Accelerando and ritardando. Hey, I cheated and looked the terms up.

 

So, this is "allowed," right? I only play by ear, so I don't know much. I mean, if you were playing in a band, who is leading on a song like this? The pianist? Singer? (In my case, that would be moi on both accounts.) Drummer? Actually, I can't imagine a drummer being used on a song like this. Maybe none at all.

 

I can't think of songs like this but I'm sure there are some.

[Rim]

The song that stands out in my mind that does this is Lionel Ritchie's "Say You, Say Me". I don't think it's a problem in a band setting as long as it is practiced beforehand.

[NMcGuitar]

Of course it's "allowed"! Music has been using tempo as a tool throughout history. That is one of the things that bothers me about a lot of current music - playing/recording to a click-track. An accelerando or ritardando often gives a piece more "feel", and makes it less mechanical.

 

I'll second Rim on the advice that if you are going to perform it with a band, make sure it is well practiced, and make absolutely sure everyone knows who the "conductor" is (most likely this will be you).

 

[Slowly]

Jimmy Page told me to tell you "That doesn't work." Kcbass

[LiveMusic]

Originally posted by Kcbass:

Jimmy Page told me to tell you "That doesn't work." Kcbass

What you referring to? Not Stairway To Heaven. If so, that's not what I'm talking about. That's a sudden shift in tempo.

[Philip OKeefe]

Of course that's "allowed", as is rubato - where tempo fluctuates or goes fairly "free"...

 

Subtle little tempo changes can make a dramatic difference in a song. Try this sometime: Sequence a song using MIDI - it can be anything you'd like. The insert a tempo change of 1 = 3 BPM's (beats per minute) going into the chorus, and then drop it back coming back out into the verse... play with the values until you find what "works", but I think you'll find it gives a "lift" or increase in energy to the chorus.

 

There was an article in EM years ago called "The Feel Factor", and IMO, it was a groundbreaking article... I THINK the author was Michael Cooper... anyway, he discussed tempo elements and "pocket" - playing on "top" of the beat or behind it a bit, and how that changes the "feel", and gave some excellent examples that would not only apply to MIDI, but also your audio editing and "nudging" - excellent and recommended reading. I'll see if I can dig it up - I think it was circa 1989 or so. Craig would remember it, I'm sure.

[Dennyf]

Originally posted by Philip O'Keefe:

Of course that's "allowed", as is rubato - where tempo fluctuates or goes fairly "free"...

And here I thought the drummer just sucked.

[Hound Dog]

American Pie speeds up and slows down. It works for that song.

[I I mjrn]

Originally posted by LiveMusic:

Originally posted by Kcbass:

Jimmy Page told me to tell you "That doesn't work." Kcbass

What you referring to? Not Stairway To Heaven. If so, that's not what I'm talking about. That's a sudden shift in tempo.

I don't have the recording to reference right now but I think it's not even a tempo change in that song, although this may be a matter of semantics.

The underlying beat stays the same, doesn't it? Memory suggests that the phrases/measures get halved in length...but again that's a matter of concept/terminology.

 

That's not really the same thing as slightly accelerating or slowing the tempo for a certain feel.

[phaeton]

is that "Songs where tempo changes"?

 

So, this is "allowed," right? I only play by ear, so I don't know much.

 

Someone beat me to it, but yeah... of course you're allowed to do this.

 

Speaking of examples, check out Pink Floyd's "Summer '68" off of Atom Heart Mother for a pianoistic tempo change. If you don't have it i'll be a pirate for educational purposes and upload an mp3.

 

It's also a great example of how NOT to squash a piano with compression, but oh well.

[RABid]

Honky Tonk Woman by the Stones has a gradual tempo increase throughout the entire song. Lots of classical music has gradual tempo changes scribed for those who notice.

 

Robert