For me it’s time signatures in music. I grew up playing instruments, played in several orchestras, etc. But no matter how many times someone tries to explain time signatures to me, it makes no sense. I don’t understand why people place such importance on it. To me, notes have a pitch and a duration, maybe some dynamics. That’s it. I don’t understand why people try to needlessly complicate it. It doesn’t give you anything.
My wife will hear a song and go “Oh neat, it’s in 5/8.” And I’m like “How tf do you know that, and why does it matter?”
Adding my personal favorite, 7/8 time. (My wife and I bonded on our second date because we share the same favorite time signature…we’re dorks.) I love it because our brains are expecting an even number of beats, and since it’s missing just a single eighth note when the next measure begins it almost feels like the song is falling forward or rushing.
You CAN count it sequentially, but it’s much easier to count like this:
1 2 1 2 1 2 3
or
1 2 3 1 2 1 2
Or if the composer was feeling spicy, both alternating back and forth.
Example 1: I Am The Doctor Song begins in 7/8 time, it begins quarter quarter quarter eighth if you want help counting it.
Example 2: Subdivisions by Rush I count this one as beginning in 7/8 time, quarter quarter dotted quarter, and I especially love it because it seamlessly transitions into 4/4 time at about 19 seconds in.
Does money by Pink Floyd in 7-4 time feel significantly different to you than the other ones?
The difference between 7/4 and 7/8, in my mind, is one of pacing. Similar to how 4/2 and 4/4 are counted the same, but with different notation because the composer or engraver wanted to make the tempo intrinsic.
Money is a much slower song than the examples I gave, more of a laid-back pace, which shouts 7/4 in my mind. I still love it, but it feels more…I dunno, like walking with a jazzy gate rather than tripping forward, if that makes sense. And when Money does get faster it’s in 4/4.
Thanks that’s a great explanation