Smudgee

So I wrote a riff and I was excited to record it, but when I loaded up cubase I just could not find a tempo that worked.
So I got to thinking maybe it's something to do with the time signature, but the problem is I don't know anything about that stuff.
Can anybody help?
Here's the riff: https://soundcloud.com/bearpunch/please-help

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rockingamer2

All of it is in 4/4 time. The first part is approx. 200 bpm. Second part is approx. 100bpm. Your transitions sound a bit out of time though.

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supersac

after listening to it this is the best decription of it

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darb0114

Yeah, they basically summed it up for you. You may just not think it is because you riff comes in on the off beat of 4 and is held across the bar and continued on the off beat of 1 and then resolves on the down beat of 2. But it is a standard 4/4 time. Clean up the transitions and it will fall into place

MaggaraMarine

Yeah, the riff doesn't start on the first beat, it starts on a 8th before the first beat of the bar. And you notice that the second riff is much slower? But it's all in 4/4. (I knew this before I even listened to the song really. )

But really, just tap your foot to the song to find the tempo and you can count one-two-three-four all the time in your head at the same time as you tap your foot. And it's really easy to notice if the song is not in 4/4. It will sound a bit strange. And if it doesn't sound any strange, it's very well done. Time signatures like 5/4 and 7/4 will sound odd because they have uneven number of beats in one bar. 3/4 will sound OK, though and it's used a lot. But maybe 5/4 is strange because you usually count in 2 + 3 or 3 + 2. It's kind of the same as 2/4 + 3/4 and the time signature changes all the time. Same with 7/4, it's usually 4 + 3 or 3 + 4. Another part of the bar is not "full" and feels like it lacks one beat.

Two most common time signatures are 4/4 and 3/4 and your song is most likely in either of them. 3/4 has that kind of swinging feeling. 4/4 is the basic popular music time signature.

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