is there a good site or book to learn

[Thor Von Clemson]

how to play well or write in odd time signatures? I hear bands like the alarum, quo vadis, death, necrophagist, extol, meshuggah and some other technical bands that have these killer riffs that have cool time signatures. Are there any good references, sites, or songs to discover that will help me understand odd time signatures?

Thanks,

GMS

[Inazone]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

Don't know of anything like that. I'd suggest trying to track down some tablature for the bands you mentioned, and playing with a metronome if possible.

[Endrik]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

Mike Mangini's Rhythm Knowledge.
Also check out Steve Vai's homepage, he has a lessone there about odd time signatures and polyrhythms.

And listen to Frank Zappa (70s-80s era), he and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta made together some of the most sick-ass rhythms ever.
Listening to jazz doesn't hurt either, all those strange rhythms are originally from jazz. But it is more difficult to understand, metal is easier, jazz is more advanced, some of the rhythms there are so hard that only a couple of drummers could play them [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

a metronome.... now why didn't I think about that? Ya I think that is the ticket. A good metronome that I can set to mulitiple beats.

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

Is there a video that could help? I am a very visual guy, and I feel a video would help a lot as well. Just to throw out an example, "A guide to jazz/metal guitar playing" would be perfect. I am wondering if learning some jazz elements, which is something I have wanted to do anyways, will help me become a metal guitar player? There has to be a good jazz video out there.

Also, I really like dudes like Steve Vai and John Petrucci, but I really do not want to learn how to play super harmonic poly fusion hybrids.. do they, or anyone else, have any good rythm vids I could buy?

[Thor Von Clemson]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

anyone? [img]/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img]

[Brick]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

meshuggah has crazy time signatures its crazy music.

[Chameleonfong]

Re: is there a good site or book to learn

hmmm.. for odd time, it's all about timing.. Don't reckon visual aid would help. IMO, all you need is just to get some progressive rock or metal band's tab and pratice them and you will get the feel of doing odd time. It's just like when you just started learning how to strum. It take a while, then it will just grow into you.

As for jazz videos, unless you want to play like a particule jazz player, your best bet is still getting a couple of theory books and work on them instead of videos. Unlike your regular rock/metal technics, jazz is more about voicing rather then playing a couple fo hundred notes per second.

My two cents
Fong