What time signature is Never Meant by American Football?

CobbTV Studios presents a discussion and demonstration of the groove in the song "Never Meant" by math rock band American Football which can be interpreted with several different time signatures and subdivisions.
#MathRock
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[@mabeylane7163]

I play this song on guitar all the time. I tried to feel it in 6/4 and a bunch of other stuff but I found that it’s a lot easier to just play how it sounds.

[@nv_johan8711]

Yeah sometimes it all comes back to what feels right

[@TheWoodenZozimos]

I think the closest rhythmic grouping to “how it sounds” is the 4/4 + 3/4 + 3/4 + 2/4 but that’s just what feels right to me :)

[@joshforrester1307]

12/4 makes the most sense to me. Weirdly enough 3/4 felt the second most comfortable. I was not expecting that.

[@cobb_thedrummer]

Yes I agree. And written out the 3/4 breaks it into four measures where the rhythm looks the same in every grouping which makes sense on paper

[@jasoncockwell8077]

Well explained, I find your style of playing and your style of explaining things really easy to understand. Keep on keeping on. love the videos.. Jas The Bass. On The Emerald Isle..

[@oclictis1]

I actually own the tablature/notation book that the band released that explains how to play all of LP 1 as well as their EP. Never Meant is notated as 6/4. However, I never could quite understand the groove, but thinking of it as 4+3+3+2 made the most sense to me. Great video, keep it up! Can you consider covering something off King Crimson's 1981 album Discipline? They do a ton of weird time signatures, especially in the title track Discipline

[@cobb_thedrummer]

Hell yeah I love both Discipline and Indiscipline. Probably my two favorite King Crimson songs.

[@tylergasperproductions]

I love this!! ❤ 🤘❤🤘❤🤘

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

If you listen to the bass and the kick, it’s better thought of in eighth notes, 7+6+6+5.

[@geordiedog1749]

I mean, it IS Maths Rock after all!

[@briguyhenny6923]

Love it! One of my all time favorite albums, that was great! Keep rocking my bro!

[@mr.nazareth4501]

Notation wise, 6/4 feels the most right to me, however, in practice it ends up being 3/4. Just easier to chunk up the beats that way.

[@wetbeans7957]

12/4 for me

[@originalkulaid]

@66samus shirt!

[@straighttaric5996]

great video. thanks, drum wizard.

[@jacksregret1596]

Hey Cobb I don’t know if you have heard of a band called after the burial, they have a song based on PI. The name of the song is PI the mercury god of infinity. Check it out. Headphone warning for the beginning, and wear your seatbelt.

[@scaryterry1637]

Just listened to it and that is INSANE. I’d love to see Cobb break it down

[@tylergasperproductions]

It's crazy how many options this gives you, such a cool song! Lol, When you put the metronome next to it things Totally click! 🤣

[@fabiobomme9526]

Well done and very interesting, keep on doing this kind of video!

[@swingAE86]

I heard it in 12

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

If you listen to the bass and the kick downbeats together, it’s much better thought of in eighth notes, 7+6+6+5.

[@taushabarbaree5812]

Hello There! Thanks for sharing. What is the time signature of the song I Feel For You as performed by Charley Crockett? Are all the instruments in the same signature?

[@cobb_thedrummer]

It’s in 4/4. The guitar is definitely super syncopated. The trickiest part is the beginning with the hits which land on Beat 1, the & of 2 and & of 3. You could count that in 8/8 and the hits would be on 1, 4, 6. If that makes sense.

[@pandq5478]

Try 3/2

[@ilyo182]

I've always counted 1+2+3, 1+2+3, 1+2+3+4+5+6 and worked wonderful to me, even though i know it is 6/4

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

If you listen to the bass and the kick, it’s better thought of in eighth notes, 7+6+6+5.

[@humblenoob7631]

because the guitar phrasing is 3 groups of 4, i feel it that way

[@pedronascimento5907]

Most of the time I feel it like 12/4 or 4/4 + 2/4 , which is equivalent to 6/4, but I don't know, counting 4/4 + 2/4 sound a bit different.

[@SelfPropelledDestiny]

If you listen to the bass and the kick, it’s better thought of in eighth notes, 7+6+6+5.

[@JamesChristMcNabb]

You’re putting the third open hat on the wrong beat. It’s in that spot on the first play, but then the third open hat moves from the 4+ to the 3+. Also, it’s in 6/4, then becomes 4/4 after the “Never… meant” and then becomes 6/4 at the outro

[@shurgars]

Great explanation, but I think the third open hi hat is too early.
On the recordings I hear something different. Maybe the drummer played it like you played it in the video you played