Another Quick Question About Tempo Mapping
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I’d like to create a chart for Jeff Buckley’s song Grace, which uses a bpm of 64 and a time signature of 12/8. Setting reaper to this seem to have made the default tempo map line up perfectly to the song, so my question is, is it still necessary to add manual tempo markers throughout the song?
Also, with these settings, I had to set the song to start in-between 1.7 and 1.10, with the count-in set up before that point, to avoid having a huge awkward silence at the start. I hope I’m doing this right, since all the tutorials I’ve seen have the song typically start at 3.1 or 4.1.
Edit: The drums do kick in right at 3.1, if that makes it any more acceptable.
For your first question, if it all lines up, there’s no need to mess with it. If a ways down into the song, it starts to get off, you’ll need to fix it each time it does so.
For the second part, think of 12/4 as 4/4, but with three 8th notes per beat instead of 2. So the beats really fall on 1, 4, 7, and 10 (and your beat track should do the same). Listening to the song, it definitely starts on beat 1, so there’s no reason not to have the audio of your song start on beat 1. I’d advise making your count-in hits go 1…4…7-8-9-10-11-12
Hopefully that clears things up.
For your first question, if it all lines up, there’s no need to mess with it. If a ways down into the song, it starts to get off, you’ll need to fix it each time it does so.
For the second part, think of 12/4 as 4/4, but with three 8th notes per beat instead of 2. So the beats really fall on 1, 4, 7, and 10 (and your beat track should do the same). Listening to the song, it definitely starts on beat 1, so there’s no reason not to have the audio of your song start on beat 1. I’d advise making your count-in hits go 1…4…7-8-9-10-11-12
Hopefully that clears things up.
Yeah, that’s exactly how I ended up making the count-in go. Was kind of happy I managed to get that when I understand literally nothing about time signatures or music theory in general.
Sounds like 3/4 to me.
Maybe so. I tried messing with the tempo map anyway since I wasn’t liking how the ride cymbal was lining up when charting it, and reaper seems to think it’s also around 95-96 bpm on average, which makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong or that every post I’ve found on google about Grace’s time sig and BPM are wrong.
Edit: Found an interview with Mick Grondahl where he mentions it’s in 3/4 time, but everywhere else seems to say 12/8. I even found a guy saying 6/8.
Yeah, that’s exactly how I ended up making the count-in go. Was kind of happy I managed to get that when I understand literally nothing about time signatures or music theory in general.
Maybe so. I tried messing with the tempo map anyway since I wasn’t liking how the ride cymbal was lining up when charting it, and reaper seems to think it’s also around 95-96 bpm on average, which makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong or that every post I’ve found on google about Grace’s time sig and BPM are wrong.
Edit: Found an interview with Mick Grondahl where he mentions it’s in 3/4 time, but everywhere else seems to say 12/8. I even found a guy saying 6/8.
I’d say 3/4 would be easier since you’re not too experienced, but the final result won’t be that different. The real difference in-game would be how long overdrive phrases are, and how long it takes them to drain.
3/4 and 12/8 are identical in game in terms of music theory so Nyx made the perfect point: it’s all about gameplay and 3/4 is easier to handle.
3/4 and 12/8 are most definitely not the same theoretically. 12/8 is the equivalent of 4/4 with a triplet feel.
Source: literally a lifetime of being a musician and a degree in music performance.
As for looking up the tempo for a song: unless the band played to a click, the tempo is gonna vary. You’ll likely have to make subtle adjustments as the song goes on.
3/4 and 12/8 are most definitely not the same theoretically. 12/8 is the equivalent of 4/4 with a triplet feel.
Source: literally a lifetime of being a musician and a degree in music performance.
Had I not said “in game” this would have been a very good reply.
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_wink.gif”>Had I not said “in game” this would have been a very good reply.
” src=”/wp-content/uploads/invision_emoticons/default_SA_wink.gif” />I still think it matters. The game keeps track of where prominent beats are. The crowd claps on them, OD is affected by it. The fretboard grid reflects it.
I still think it matters. The game keeps track of where prominent beats are. The crowd claps on them, OD is affected by it. The fretboard grid reflects it.
You can change the beat track as you please, regardless of the tempo, thus *in game* there is basically no difference. The point Nyx was making is that you can more easily fudge things working in 12/8 than in 3/4, so work in 3/4 if the tempo is so debatable that a conclusion apparently can’t be reached, because it’s easier. Obviously you always want to author to the correct time signatures but if it’s such a borderline case (based on what you guys said, I haven’t listened to the song) I think Nyx had the best point.
Thanks for the replies. I’ll start charting guitar and drums and work around my manually placed tempo map for now and see how it goes, but it’s good to know that 12/8 can be toned down to 3/4 for the sake of simplicity. And hey, if anybody feels up to charting some absurdly difficult vocals, give me a shout. I’d love to have this song be fully completed.
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