Songs with half time/double time

[Huw Owens]

Jackson Browne’s version of Take It Easy.

 

[Huw Owens]

As far as a name for this sort of thing, really what’s going on is the difference between a 4/4 feel and a 2/2 feel.

However, in conversation I just use half or double time, in relation to a main tempo.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

Wow, longtime since i heard that Nevermore song

"Dead Heart" is my most fav album by them...i love playing along to the whole thing.

 

[2 hit wonder]

Stay With Me.

 

[Paul Blood]

Evil Ways- Carlos Santana

 

[bud7h4]

VH - little guitars

 

[joedrum]

Brave Strangers - Bob Seger

 

[doggyd69b]

Hi guys, I'm making another little list of songs and this time the topic is half time/double time. It doesn't matter what proportion of the song is in either, as long as it makes the transition, even for a bar. I will also take a song that just has a backbeat on the 4 or a reggae feel that makes the song feel slower (like Sting/Cold Chisel do)

I don't actually know if there's a common term for normal time when a song transitions into half time or double time but I'm pretty sure everyone knows what I mean when I ask this question.

So far I have

April sun - Dragon
The letter - Joe Cocker
The outlaw torn - Metallica
Through the never - Metallica
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
Wagon Wheel Darius Rucker
Better - Screaming jets
Leave me alone - Pink
Copperhead road - Steve Earle
Don't stand so close to me - The police
Forever now - Cold chisel
China grove - Doobie brothers
Pardon me - Incubus

Any ideas?

You can add Megadeth's Holy Wars, and for that matter a whole lot of other Megadeth songs since tempo changes are what they are known for.

On that same vein a lot of metal has multiple changes during a single song.

 

[brady]

Broken Hearted Savior - Big Head Todd and The Monsters
In the solo, towards the end.

 

[SmoothOperator]

Cherokee War Dance uses this technique for an ancient technique. It is interesting and shows some of the variety of Native American drumming techniques especially tempo changes. The plains Indians changed tempo more gradually in their War Songs. I was surprised that the war song was such a slow tempo at first when I was researching these things. Ancient Dub Step.

 

[2 hit wonder]

Proud Mary - Ike and Tina
Dixieland Delight - Alabama

 

[ToneT]

Janis-Me and Bobby McGee

 

[bud7h4]

Cheap Trick -dream police
Metallica - welcome home (sanitarium) . . . . half / regular / double time
Dream Theater - pull me under