RADICAL RHYTHMS

From pepping up basic grooves to creating full-on 4/4-flouting madness, learn a multitude of timing tricks with our classic guide

As a musician of any experience and ability level, it surely won't have escaped your notice that the concept of time is intrinsic to all forms of music, as language is to literature and colour is to painting. However, ask yourself how much you really think about it, in a truly contemplative sense, as opposed to just figuring out where the taps of that eighth-note delayed lead synth are going to land in relation to your drum track.

With the vast majority of modern Western music being composed in 4/4 and adhering to a fairly standard set of unwritten rhythmic 'rules' in order to maximise its mass appeal, anything that breaks from the norm and finds its own groove can surely only be a good thing, and when it comes to bending musical time, there are many ways in which this simple goal can be achieved.

With all of this at the forefront of our mind, we invite you on a journey into the furthest reaches of the fourth dimension to explore a galaxy of techniques for bringing a touch (or an enthusiastic punch!) of temporal intrigue, spectacle and wonkiness to your tunes. We'll cover everything from gravity-defying odd time signatures and brain-melting polyrhythms to dancefloor igniting tempo changes and groove-shifting beat displacement, all with the aim of sparking your creativity.

We promise to keep things as 'unacademic' as possible - there'll be no heavy theory or stave-based notation to negotiate, just practical DAW-based walkthroughs and tips, complete with audio examples, all designed to get you thinking more deeply about rhythm and metre, and producing more interesting tracks as a result, no matter what genre you're working in. And remember, these timing tricks aren't just for drum beats - they apply equally to any musical part, from basslines and synth riffs to vocals and lead guitars! Now, time waits for no man, and the clock is already ticking, so let's get to it!

Tempo and time signature