There is 8 notes in a scale including the octave, so if take in acount that the scale can be played in a bar with 8th notes that could be a logical explanation ? 4th notes being the same as 2 8th notes ?..... Now that Im thinking about it, this is the same as why did the chicken cross the road.
Why are there 4 beats to a bar ?
There aren't always. ? It's mostly a number divisible by two (Hence 2/2 timing, which isn't uncommon) It's a convention that most music uses to make the majority of time signatures relatively easy to follow. As the denominator is a division of a whole note and the easiest devisor to use is 2, we end up with 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 being the easiest to use.Why are there 4 beats to a bar ?
Some composers do use what are called irrational measures with "odd" divisors, these are often in multiples of three to make tuplets easier to notate. Henry Cowell used everything from 1 to 9 in Fabric, and Brian Ferneyhough, Thomas Adès and John Pickard all commonly use irrational measures.
Note: Dweezil Zappa used to write parts in 1/1 timing to make some of his more complex passages easier to follow. I don't know if he still does though.
Sounds like a logical answer. I've trolled the net for an official answer and got zut so far So i have used my imagination and come up with a Cliff Clavin answers (* warning do not construe anything I write below as fact)There is 8 notes in a scale including the octave, so if take in acount that the scale can be played in a bar with 8th notes that could be a logical explanation ?
Answer 1: The oldest instruments known to man after drums where wind instruments. Hollowed out bones animal horns, and bamboo pipes. After discovering that different lengths of wind instruments produced different tones primitive man experimented with changing the length of the horn or pipe by making holes at different intervals on the instrument. Different tones could be produced by by closing and opening the holes with the fingers of one hand with the thumb underneath, presumable the other hand was occupied holding the instrument to the lips, especially horns. Since there are only 4 fingers available to stop or open the holes, these instruments had four holes in them, these instruments had a 4 note range. When it came to organizing music, repetitive 4 note phrases were the easiest and common therefore it became a standard to measure music into four notes or beats to the bar. 8)
PS there was a blind leper, Ogg Strause who lost one of his fingers on his stopping hand - he went on to develop the waltz. ?
Rene, sounds very sensible to me. I'm sold, particularly the way you've proven the existence of the rule with an exception (the waltz)! ? ?
LOL! I have to say that it probably predates the wind instrument phase of musical development. After all early drummers had two hands and two feet, totalling four. So Early "rock" band drummers probably started it all. As usual, it's the drummer's fault. ?
maybe pre-historic humans had four different notes (diffrent sizes gongs, etc) to present the four different seasons they revered etc, lol i'm just talking crap ? but it seems that our "lingo" is still largely influenced by "old" times and let's be honest, just like anything else music changes with the ages.
We all just talking crap here - some folk call it lateral thinking (thinking on your back as opposed to thinking on your feet), others would say analysis paralysis. Here is another thing I have notes, when someone knocks at your door it is usually 4 taps - yes there are few dudes that hammer out special codes etc, but I'm talking about the average Joe Soap here.) BTW who thinks my signature are has become too big and pretentious ?lol i'm just talking crap
yip, too big and pretentious!! lol no i'm kidding....don't you guys sleep?!
Sleep, what's that
BTW That logo was starting to rat my eyes. I created it when I was in my afro-centric phase, now that I look at it it is so PJ Powers and I am so not there anymore thank G ... Clapton. ?
BTW That logo was starting to rat my eyes. I created it when I was in my afro-centric phase, now that I look at it it is so PJ Powers and I am so not there anymore thank G ... Clapton. ?
haha good one. OH and it wasn't a bad sign...FYI ?Renesongs wrote: Sleep, what's that
BTW That logo was starting to rat my eyes. I created it when I was in my afro-centric phase, now that I look at it it is so PJ Powers and I am so not there anymore thank G ... Clapton. ?
Right - I'll fill you in as to why 4 beats work and why we tap out that rhythm on the door and why it sounds the most obvious and natural thing to do.
Think of your breathing..........Breathe in....hold......breathe out.......hold - seem natural enough - Ok theres the one source.
Now what's that related to and what's the source of why we breathe like that?
Think of your heart. There's your natural beat of 4.
That's why the world works naturally around cycles of 4.
This is why music is extremely important to us - it helps us keep the natural rhythms that we sub-consciously crave. Thats why the beats and rhythms take you into different altered states. Relaxed or moody, high intensity etc. Our higher paced lives of today equate to to the faster rhythms like the hi tech disco stuff.....thats why old foggies prefer slower paced stuff - our bodies are more aligned to a world that may have the same intensity but not the same rhythm. So I might like Black sabbath with its more heavy but steady modes Vs something like Trivium, which apparently some guys like. Ok so you cannot compare Black Sabbath with Trivium I hear you say...yeah,yeah ..but you get what I am saying.
Think of your breathing..........Breathe in....hold......breathe out.......hold - seem natural enough - Ok theres the one source.
Now what's that related to and what's the source of why we breathe like that?
Think of your heart. There's your natural beat of 4.
That's why the world works naturally around cycles of 4.
- 4 seasons
- 4 directions
- 4 times of the day
This is why music is extremely important to us - it helps us keep the natural rhythms that we sub-consciously crave. Thats why the beats and rhythms take you into different altered states. Relaxed or moody, high intensity etc. Our higher paced lives of today equate to to the faster rhythms like the hi tech disco stuff.....thats why old foggies prefer slower paced stuff - our bodies are more aligned to a world that may have the same intensity but not the same rhythm. So I might like Black sabbath with its more heavy but steady modes Vs something like Trivium, which apparently some guys like. Ok so you cannot compare Black Sabbath with Trivium I hear you say...yeah,yeah ..but you get what I am saying.
lol a bit phylosophical but ok, i can deal with that!!! ?
@ Marq - The most logical one I have heard so far I think I'll use that one next time I'm asked 8)
Just be careful that the bass-players don't start feeling superior because their instrument has the same number of strings as this mythical supreme number of four.Renesongs wrote: @ Marq - The most logical one I have heard so far I think I'll use that one next time I'm asked 8)
BTW, Douglas Adams said the answer to the meaning of life is 32; 32 is 8 x 4 and 8 is 2 x 4. So maybe there's something there? ?
That nothing - Fire engines are red because.....
There are 12 men on a fire engine - There are 12 inches in a ruler
Queen Victoria was a ruler - Queen Victoria ruled England
England ruled the waves - Russia waived the rules
Russians are red - therefore Fire engines are red
There are 12 men on a fire engine - There are 12 inches in a ruler
Queen Victoria was a ruler - Queen Victoria ruled England
England ruled the waves - Russia waived the rules
Russians are red - therefore Fire engines are red
42! Sies man!
Thanks Norio I was a bit dubious about 32 but I read The guide a long time ago and been through a lot of brain cells since then, now what was the question ? ?
Makes perfect sense to me! ROFL!That nothing - Fire engines are red because.....
There are 12 men on a fire engine - There are 12 inches in a ruler
Queen Victoria was a ruler - Queen Victoria ruled England
England ruled the waves - Russia waived the rules
Russians are red - therefore Fire engines are red
Omigosh!!! I am so ashamed. What a faux pas :-[Norio wrote: 42! Sies man!
Norio, you may ban me for a period of your choosing ...
I'll forgive you if you post an entry to the competition before tomorrow ? I'll even accept a "ry perd" type version of happy birthday ?Riaan C wrote:Norio, you may ban me for a period of your choosing ...