Songs that don't use 4 bar phrases

Most songs naturally breakdown into sets of either 16, 8 or 4 bars. However music certainly doesn't have to do this and many songs instead feature phrases and sections of irregular numbers of bars.

And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Yu Kyung Chung, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇

[ESLSongs]

I especially like Bjork's Hyperballad... firstly the bass enters seemingly playing 3 bars, but when Bjork starts singing we realise the three notes of the bass are actually one 3/4 (3/2?) bar. But then if you count her lines... she sings 10 bars before she starts the chorus!

I love it!

[mr.fahrenheit]

Last Nite by The Strokes is another example of a 5-bar phrase
Babooshka by Kate Bush is another example for 6-bar phrase
Ban All The Music by Nothing But Thieves is a good example of mixing it up within the chorus section of the song

[leon]

Important note to add about Yesterday: The first word of the second verse is "Suddenly." It's more genius. Paul knows that that verse is starting a bar earlier than the normal convention of pop music would dictate and that it therefore begins suddenly. So the listener experiences a little jolt that parallels the narrator's sudden loss of his relationship.

[leetaylor]

The intro to Massive Attack's "Teardrop" uses a looping three-bar phrase before switching to four bars for the verse.

[Faerithpiggles]

The outro music you started doing in these videos is always a treat, but I especially loved today's. Could hear the principles you discussed in the video clearly, and the radiohead style perfectly compliments that kind of uneasy feeling that can come from the subversion of how you expect the piece to play out. Phenomenal!

[aidanphr]

I always liked how the chorus of “Here Today” by The Beach Boys lasts seven bars, with the premature ending coming right as the line “its here and gone so fast” is sung. I doubt it was an intentional composition choice by Brian, but it’s pretty brilliant.

[Oswlek]

The piano at the end is stunning. I would have listened for at least another four or five minutes. Probably more.

[Kylora]

The Four Horsemen/Mechanix by Metallica/Megadeth has a verse riff built on a 7-bar loop.
The middle section of Natural Science by Rush is also built on a 7-bar progression.

[Goldomatic]

The ending solo of Deerhunter's Desire Lines uses a 5 bar pattern, which really helps the ending section have a sense of constant motion

[adam_smigaj]

I love how you demonstrate the topic of your video even during the sponsorship part

[smitty]

Thank you for making this video. I never thought there would be a difference between irregular phrases and uncommon time signatures. I always put them hand in hand

[TheOddTimesMusic]

Making a song in 3 bar sections! :D Thank you david!

[antonblam]

- "Infinity 2008" is an electronic classic that plays 5 bar phrases through the entire track.
- "Opus" by Eric Prydz made of 6 bar phrases, and starts from the 3rd one

[jcortese]

Music has a lot more in common with poetry in its structure. Poems can have phrases of different metrical length, and ones like limericks where the phrases have very different lengths as well. It's a fun thing to investigate -- easier if you write the lyrics first then try to fit music to them.

[noviceproductions]

I've been waiting for someone to make a video covering this!!
The chorus from hey by pixies does this when cycling G, Em and Bm.
Alot of songs on the doolittle album use odd counts of prases.
Gouge away uses a 5 bar progression thoughout and wave of mutilation uses a 3 bar in the intro and chorus.
There are many other examples, but I digress.
Nice video man! :)

[BernardoMartins_]

You failed to mention Meshuggah on the Polyrhythm and Polymeter video, and now on this video…

Despite that, great video as always!

[MacGyverAF]

I think the topic of this video is more about "persuading". If I am persuaded that the song is complete and smooth, I don't need to ask myself, if there is 4/8/16 bars in a section.

I am glad that Queen made it into this video. I am (unfortunately) not a fan of Beatles, and a song of Queen always make my day.

[archive]

That Bowie cover sounds really cool! I'll have to look it up later

[althealligator]

10:09 It's actually more of a 6 bar phrase, because the first is Dm the second time around. You can hear a sort of soft high pitched synth switching from F# to F and back for each chord, but because there are three chords, it takes two rotations to come back around. It goes F# over the D chord, then F over the Gm chord, making it Gm7, and then F# over the Em7(b5), making it Em9(b5). Then it goes to F over the D chord, and being the only third, makes it a Dm chord.

[dollface]

Main thing that comes to mind for me is Björk's Hyperballad with its 3 bar looping bass line.