09-19-2015, 07:12 AM
Math Rock is a genre which gets its name from the technical side of music and sadly isn't a genre where bands sing about math problems.
The rhythm in most popular or standard music works in groups of 2 or 3, like the standard 4/4 (aka common time) works in duplets, and music working in triplets (also called waltz times) will be in 3/4 or 6/8 time. Math Rock derives its name from the fact that bands will create rhythms in asymmetrical time signatures (meaning they're not written in duplets or triplets) like 7/8 or 5/4. If duplets and triplets are used, they will constantly change meters in groups of 2 or 3, so a riff can start off in start off in 4/4, but the rest of the riff will be in a 6/4 measure. Those are just mere examples, but how it looks on paper is where they get the name of the genre from, as it sounds mathematical in nature.
Other aspects will be melodies that are jagged (not "clean" or "smooth" flowing compared to normal melodies), or will use counterpoint meaning the music will be in the same key, but are rhythmically independent from each other. Like most genres, bands will use all or some of these elements.
Anywho, some examples to discuss:
The rhythm in most popular or standard music works in groups of 2 or 3, like the standard 4/4 (aka common time) works in duplets, and music working in triplets (also called waltz times) will be in 3/4 or 6/8 time. Math Rock derives its name from the fact that bands will create rhythms in asymmetrical time signatures (meaning they're not written in duplets or triplets) like 7/8 or 5/4. If duplets and triplets are used, they will constantly change meters in groups of 2 or 3, so a riff can start off in start off in 4/4, but the rest of the riff will be in a 6/4 measure. Those are just mere examples, but how it looks on paper is where they get the name of the genre from, as it sounds mathematical in nature.
Other aspects will be melodies that are jagged (not "clean" or "smooth" flowing compared to normal melodies), or will use counterpoint meaning the music will be in the same key, but are rhythmically independent from each other. Like most genres, bands will use all or some of these elements.
Anywho, some examples to discuss: