The Sweet Madness of Big Meters

In this episode of "How Music Does That," Dale McGowan explores the concept of meter in music, explaining how beats are organized in time and how composers manipulate these patterns to create different effects. He begins with an anecdote about Sting giving a music theory lesson at a concert, then delves into examples of unusual meters in popular music, including Sting's "Seven Days," Dave Brubeck's "Take Five," and the score from the movie "Stardust." McGowan also discusses how unusual treatments of meter, such as in Sting's "I Hung My Head" and Don Ellis's "Bulgarian Bulge," can create unique and compelling musical experiences, contrasting Sting's original with Johnny Cash's cover. He concludes by referencing a Bulgarian folk dance with a complex and indecipherable meter.