Popular songs that are waltzes

[appleciders]

So in the semi-weekly dance group that I attend, we often wind up wanting to waltz for the last few songs. Now, we've discovered a few popular (I use the term loosely) songs that fit the criteria, like "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World and "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal, but it would be nice to have more variety than that. Can anyone think of any other songs that might fit the bill?

(I know this is a strange question, but I can't think of any place I'm more likely to get an answer than here.)

[Kid_A]

Elliott Smith has Waltz #1 and Waltz #2 off of his XO album. The latter is one of my favourite songs.

[Happy Lendervedder]

I think your could waltz to "Open Arms" by Journey.

[astorian]

"Take It to the Limit" by the Eagles.

Actually, if you want to freak people out, Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat" also has a waltz rhythm (But I dare anyone to try and waltz to it).

[twickster]

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...."

[Marley23]

"Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix.

[Chez Guevara]

Malcolm McLaren's album Waltz Darling (1989) opens with a House Waltz treatment of House of the Blue Danube.

It's an instrumental preceded by what I can only describe as the sound of a woman having a particularly satisfactory orgasm. I can't find an audio clip that will do it justice. Unfortunately the title track (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=N6oTVgW2sN4) (4 mins 30 secs) isn't a waltz (it's more funk) but people do waltz badly to it in the video.

If they can do it, you can.

[LilShieste]

I don't know why, but this was the first thing that came to my mind:

That Chocolate Moose (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAsYwW7pt7o) song.


LilShieste

[vetbridge]

Tom Waits' Waltzing Mathilda? (http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/tom_waits/tom_trauberts_blues.html)

[OneCentStamp]

Well, if you're thinking that anything in 3/4 time is basically waltzable, try "Asleep" by The Smiths.

[h.sapiens]

Pretty much everything from "A Little Night Music" by Stephen Sondheim, including "Send in the Clowns".

[Crotalus]

"Manic Depression" by Jimi Hendrix.
Excellent call!!

How about "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" by the Beatles?

[Annie-Xmas]

The Doors "Wintertime Love." (http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Wintertime-Love-lyrics-The-Doors/736AA96CDF69B104482568970034F732)

[amarinth]

From recent "Dancing with the Stars" seasons:

I Have Nothing
Three Times a Lady
Come Away With Me
I Got You Babe
Natural Woman
I Never Loved a Man
What The World Needs Now
You Light Up My Life
Take It To The Limit

[appleciders]

I love this place. Where else could I get twenty-odd answers to that question in under two hours?

"Manic Depression" seems suspect. I mean, it's the right time, but that's a fast waltz.

[Equipoise]

So in the semi-weekly dance group that I attend, we often wind up wanting to waltz for the last few songs. Now, we've discovered a few popular (I use the term loosely) songs that fit the criteria, like "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World and "Kiss From a Rose" by Seal, but it would be nice to have more variety than that. Can anyone think of any other songs that might fit the bill?

(I know this is a strange question, but I can't think of any place I'm more likely to get an answer than here.)There's always the wonderful "Army Dreamers" by Kate "no relation" Bush. It's kinda political, but most people won't be able to understand the lyrics anyway. It's on her album Never For Ever.

Here's four from (very) early Happy Rhodes, written and recorded when she was very young (these are authorized to be downloadable mp3s):

Come Here (http://www.wretchawry.com/happy/samples/HappyRhodes_RhodesII01_ComeHere.mp3) (from Rhodes II, 1986)
If Love Is A Game, I Win (http://www.wretchawry.com/happy/samples/HappyRhodes_Ecto02_IfLoveIsAGameIWin.mp3) (from Ecto, 1987)

These are slow waltzes:

Rhodes Waltz (http://www.wretchawry.com/happy/samples/HappyRhodes_Rearmament13_RhodesWaltz.mp3) (from Rearmament, 1986)
Not For Me (http://www.wretchawry.com/happy/samples/HappyRhodes_RhodesII07_NotForMe.mp3) (from Rhodes II, 1986)

(you kinda have to give her a break on her lyrics at this point in her recording career. She wrote them somewhere between 14-17, but they're still pretty good, IMverybiasedO)

These are all, um, popular, depending on who you talk to (ask some Kate and Happy fans).

[Wee Bairn]

Golden Brown, by the Stranglers (used is Snatch'd when Brad Pitt knocks out the guy when boxing I think).

[DfrntBreign]

"Dreams" by the Allman Brothers Band

[JKellyMap]

I guess more 6/8 stuff like Billy Joel's "Piano Man" wouldn't count, huh?

[mobo85]

Take Me Out to the Ball Game is a waltz, according to the sheet music for the song that can be seen in A Night at the Opera.

[flight]

I love this place. Where else could I get twenty-odd answers to that question in under two hours?

"Manic Depression" seems suspect. I mean, it's the right time, but that's a fast waltz.
Just go Viennese.

[Ludovic]

I guess more 6/8 stuff like Billy Joel's "Piano Man" wouldn't count, huh?Well, you could waltz to it, right? (I've never waltzed but I can imagine it happening.) I don't think you could say that about all 6/8 songs?

[rowrrbazzle]

The Rainbow Connection

Does the original Popeye The Sailor Man as used in the old b/w cartoons qualify as "popular"? The theme was modified to 4/4 for the intro of the color cartoons, but when the can of spinach was opened, the music was played by brass in a fast 3/4 in a kind of fanfare.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Is any music in 3/4 time a waltz by definition, or does the term imply other specifics of style, arrangement, tempo, and so on?

[OneCentStamp]

The Rainbow Connection
Good call. That's a beautiful song.

[Kalhoun]

Love Has No Pride (Bonnie Raitt).

[Crotalus]

House of the Rising Sun is 6/8, but it might work.

[dwc1970]

"I Put A Spell On You" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.


Without seeing it in printed sheet music, how do you differentiate 3/4 from 6/8 time signatures? Is it the tempo?

[vetbridge]

"I Put A Spell On You" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
I have no problem with CCR, but for this song I would put covers by Nina Simone, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Bonnie Tyler, and maybe Marilyn Manson ahead. ;)

[JKellyMap]

Without seeing it in printed sheet music, how do you differentiate 3/4 from 6/8 time signatures? Is it the tempo?
[/QUOTE]

In 6/8, you definitely feel two groups of three. It swings back and forth, which is why it works so well for sea shanties.

[appleciders]

Is any music in 3/4 time a waltz by definition, or does the term imply other specifics of style, arrangement, tempo, and so on?

I think (though my knowledge of music is meager) that all 3/4 time songs are technically waltzes, though some are more difficult than others.

[Zabali_Clawbane]

Enya's China Roses, Flora's Secret, Caribbean Blue, and Marble Halls are all waltzes.

[Windwalker]

Elliott Smith has Waltz #1 and Waltz #2 off of his XO album. The latter is one of my favourite songs.

Also Miss Misery (from the Good Will Hunting soundtrack) and Between the Bars (from Either/Or). They'd be fairly sad music to waltz to, but hey, some days you might swing that way.

[Hail Ants]

"Did you know its actually from the Polovetsian Dance number two, by Borodin?"


Sorry. Late 70s infomercial humor...

:D

[Helena]

"Morning Has Broken"?

[Bryan Ekers]

I Will Always Love You.





Oh, wait, that's schmaltz.

[Walloon]

Silent Night
The Christmas Waltz
Leonard Cohen, Sisters of Mercy
The Beatles, Good Night
Oliver, Jean
The Sandpipers, Come Saturday Morning
Leo Sayer, When I Need You

Show tunes:
Falling in Love With Love (Pal Joey)
Oh What a Beautiful Morning (Oklahoma!)
A Wonderful Guy (South Pacific)
I Feel Pretty (West Side Story)

[denquixote]

I have no problem with CCR, but for this song I would put covers by Nina Simone, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Bonnie Tyler, and maybe Marilyn Manson ahead. ;)


Screamin' Jay Hawkins wrote and first recorded this song in 1956, the cover was by CCR.

[Tool of the Conspiracy]

Filtering for "waltz" in iTunes...

"Tennessee Waltz" by Hem (popularized by Patti Page)
"Sad Songs and Waltzes" by Cake (originally by Willie Nelson)
"Waltz" by Fiona Apple (AKA "Better Than Fine")
"Waltzing Back" by The Cranberries
"Take This Waltz" by Leonard Cohen

[appleciders]

Oh, and "The Rainbow Connection" is about the clearest, easiest waltz I've ever tried to dance to- each guitar note is a single step. Good call!

[Walloon]

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Mr. Bojangles

[BobLibDem]

Like a Rolling Stone was originally a waltz. One of the Dylan anthologies has a recording of a demo in waltz time.

[twickster]

"Someday My Prince Will Come." For an additional challenge, use a Miles Davis version. ;)

[E-Sabbath]

Try the cover of Manic Depression off the Stone Free album. Seal and Jeff Beck. Little slower pacing.

[An Gadaí]

Innocent when You Dream by Tom Waits is a waltz if I recall correctly. Beautiful song too.

[Spoke]

2000 Miles by The Pretenders

Norwegian Wood, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away and She's Leaving Home - The Beatles

Cattle Call by Eddy Arnold has been used in a lot of movie soundtracks. You'd likely recognize it if you heard it. (It has a memorable yodeling introduction.)

Dreaming My Dreams With You by Waylon Jennings (later covered by the Cowboy Junkies)

Hollywood Waltz by The Eagles

The Pogues have several:
Navigator
A Pair of Brown Eyes
I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Philadelphia Lawyer - Woody Guthrie (Willie Nelson did a nice cover a while back.)

There is a long tradition of waltzes in country music. Dwight Yoakam has produced many fine waltzes, such as:
You're the One
One More Name
Traveler's Lantern
Lucky That Way (but this one is...very...slow...)

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

"Tennessee Waltz" by Hem (popularized by Patti Page)
I first knew this song as done by Manfred Mann on Pretty Flamingo (one of the first albums I ever owned). Their version is in 4/4 time.

[Spoke]

I first knew this song as done by Manfred Mann on Pretty Flamingo (one of the first albums I ever owned). Their version is in 4/4 time.

I read this post and went :confused:

How is it even possible to do the song in 4/4 time? But then I listened to a snippet at Amazon, and sure enough, you're right.

I guess Manfred Mann didn't quite grasp the concept.

[Lute Skywatcher]

"Christmas Don't Be Late" aka "The Chipmunk Song", Billboard #1 Single in 1958.

[Zebra]

We're all in the Dance by Feist from the soundtrack Paris Je Tiem

[Lute Skywatcher]

"Tubular Bells" is 3/4, IIRC. The Exorcist soundtrack version should be perfect for Halloween.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

"Tubular Bells" is 3/4, IIRC.
Assuming you mean the opening theme (the "Exorcist" music), it's actually in a compound meter that adds up to 30/8 (7+7+7+9/8). I think you may be hearing those 7s as a "limping" 3/4 (one-and-two-and-three-and-a).

[Doug Bowe]

Hmm. Nobody's mentioned [b]The Star Spangled Banner[/i] .

By "popular" do you mean well-known?

[appleciders]

I sort of meant songs from within pop culture, but what I was really getting at was songs that I was likely to already have. It's also fun to be able to pull songs from odd groups that no one would assume would ever do a waltz. Jimmy Eat World that I mentioned earlier is a sort of punkish, maybe slightly emo band that's still around, with lots of loud guitars and lead singer that's not very melodic, so it's a lot of fun to bring out a waltz from them. Likewise, I've just discovered that Sad Songs and Waltzes by Cake is also a waltz.

But I'm quite willing to try almost anything that anyone in here suggests. I'm quite entertained that The Star Spangled Banner is a waltz, and I'll try that as soon as I can find a recording.

[Walloon]

"Christmas Don't Be Late" aka "The Chipmunk Song", Billboard #1 Single in 1958.A cherish the vision of a rehearsal hall of dance students waltzing to this.

[amarinth]

Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" is in some multiple of three over something. (I'm pretty sure it starts in 6/8; it may change in the middle, but it is still waltzable) if you have that lying around.

[appleciders]

Pretty Maids All In A Row by The Eagles, too.

[OneCentStamp]

Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" is in some multiple of three over something. (I'm pretty sure it starts in 6/8; it may change in the middle, but it is still waltzable) if you have that lying around.Even the heavier part with the distorted gutiar solo is in 6/8.

[jsc1953]

The Beatles, Baby's in Black

[ouryL]

Like a Rolling Stone was originally a waltz. One of the Dylan anthologies has a recording of a demo in waltz time.

Waltzes are sometimes hard to sing. On the Beatles Anthology album, John tries to sing "I'll Be Back" in 3/4 time but gives up in the sing and the final version is in 4/4 time. :p

[WarmNPrickly]

Hmm. Nobody's mentioned The Star Spangled Banner .

Holy Crap! Your right!

[Spoke]

Speaking of Christmas, there's that theme from A Charlie Brown Christmas, Christmas Time Is Here (http://yule_rejoice.tripod.com/c-lyrics/christmas_time_is_here.html).

[VernWinterbottom]

The Rainbow Connection



That was the first dance of at our wedding reception.



Yes, we're geeks. Our wedding ceremony ended with the music from the final scene of Star Wars.

I'll add Manilow's Weekend in New England

[Cat Whisperer]

"Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. Seems to me like Avril Lavigne or Christine Aguilera had one too, but it's not coming to mind.

[Mudshark]

I Me Mine - The Beatles
A Taste of Honey - The Beatles
Are You Lonesome Tonight - Elvis
Happy Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Carol of the Bells
Sofa - Frank Zappa


I suppose you could waltz to Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin.

[missred]

A lot of traditional southern gospel is in 3/4 time...which is kind of odd, considering many of the churches back in the day forbade dancing.

[slortar]

"Sathington Waltz" by Primus. You could try using it, if you want the experience of an entire room full of people hating you. ;)

[Lute Skywatcher]

Assuming you mean the opening theme (the "Exorcist" music), it's actually in a compound meter that adds up to 30/8 (7+7+7+9/8). I think you may be hearing those 7s as a "limping" 3/4 (one-and-two-and-three-and-a).Not exactly. I've seen it arranged as 3/4 in sheet music but couldn't remember the meter Oldfield used.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

Not exactly. I've seen it arranged as 3/4 in sheet music but couldn't remember the meter Oldfield used.
Various sheet music transcribers seem to have made a pretty thorough mess of this tune. You and I have discussed this before. (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7478307&postcount=80).

[Tool of the Conspiracy]

The Pogues have several:
Navigator
A Pair of Brown Eyes
I'm a Man You Don't Meet Every Day
The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Also "Fairytale of New York", another song that could evoke interesting reactions.

[Colophon]

Well, if you want a really brief waltz, "Shiny Happy People" by R.E.M. goes into waltz-time for a few bars.

[vetbridge]

Not "popular" I guess, but there are many Cajun songs that are great waltzes.

[Leaffan]

Ok, like, how does one know the "time" of a song: 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 (ain't that 3/4?), 5 and 3/8, 7 and 11/16? Huh?

Maybe someone could explain this to a lay person like me?

Is "Whiter Shade of Pale" a waltz? 'Cause it sounds kinda waltzy to me.

[Tabula Rasa]

Dylan's "Wallflower". Also, I think, "Winterlude".

[appleciders]

Holy crap! I've got an electric guitar-laden version of Carol of the Bells, and that will make the most epic waltz ever!

[Tabula Rasa]

Also, "Norwegian Wood". Dylan's "Fourth Time Around" (6/8), "Hickory Wind" by Gram Parsons or the Byrds (depending on how you want to look at it), and about half of everything the Cowboy Junkies ever did.

And this is snipped from the Popular Waltzes section of the Waltz entry on Wikipedia:

From the 1950s: The Tennessee Waltz, If, I Went To Your Wedding, (How Much Is) The Doggie in the Window, Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart), True Love, Allegheny Moon, Rock and Roll Waltz, Hot Diggity (Dog Ziggity Boom), Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), Tammy, Around the World, The Chipmunk Song, El Paso, Edelweiss, My Favorite Things.

From the 1960s: Moon River, Charade, Dear Heart, Somewhere, My Love (Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago), The Sweetheart Tree, What the World Needs Now Is Love, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, The Last Waltz, Jean.

From the 1970s: Time in a Bottle, Annie's Song, When I Need You, You Light Up My Life, If You Don't Know Me By Now, Three Times a Lady.

[MrFloppy]

Ok, like, how does one know the "time" of a song: 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 (ain't that 3/4?), 5 and 3/8, 7 and 11/16? Huh?

Maybe someone could explain this to a lay person like me?

Is "Whiter Shade of Pale" a waltz? 'Cause it sounds kinda waltzy to me.

No. I would say that Whiter Shade of Pale is 4/4. Play it and try counting one..two..three..one..two..three to it.

It won't 'fit'.

Basically the 'time signature' tells you how many beats to the bar and the value of those beats.

So 3/4 indicates 3 beats to the bar (a waltz - 1-2-3, 1-2-3) and the 4 indicates quarter notes.

6/8 indicates 6 beats to the bar and eighth notes. To the layman, 6/8 is 3/4.

If you are a fan of Pink Floyd, hum or listen to 'Money' from DSOTM. It is in 7/4 time. You can count to 7 and it 'fits'. 'Take 5' by Brubeck is named because it is in 5/4.

'Mars' from Holst's Planets (very famous) is also in 5/4.

[Quercus]

I must say, if ‘waltz’ as a description of music is to mean anything, then quite a few - perhaps most- of these aren’t waltzes. I mean calling a piece of music a waltz should imply that one could indeed waltz to it. I find it difficult to imagine anyone performing anything that could be called a waltz step to “You Light Up My Life” or “Manic Depression”.

Good Lord people, a waltz is more than just any old song in 3/4 or, God forbid, 6/8. At a minimum it should be in a slow-medium (waltzable) tempo, with minimal tempo variation and very few pauses or other suspensions of the beat (in a word, danceable); have a fairly steady three beat, with only a minor to medium accent on the first beat; and have a reasonably smooth and flowing sound. Of course, there are going to be judgement calls at the boundaries, but since the OP refers to actual, you know, dancing, I say we should be concentrating on real waltzes, not just any music with a vague three-beat. (And aren’t “Taste of Honey” and “I Me Me Mine” in 4/4 anyway?)
[\grumpy elderly Englishman]

[amarinth]

Ok, like, how does one know the "time" of a song: 3/4, 4/4, 6/8 (ain't that 3/4?), 5 and 3/8, 7 and 11/16? Huh?

Maybe someone could explain this to a lay person like me?

Is "Whiter Shade of Pale" a waltz? 'Cause it sounds kinda waltzy to me.From another lay person -

More or less, the top number says "the ryhthm in this music is in sets of __ beats." So, when you listen to the rhythm of WSoP, you can hear "chord, drum, drum, drum, chord, drum, drum, drum, chord, drum, drum, drum" or a bunch of groups of 4.

If you listen to "House of the Rising Sun," you can hear groups of 6 in the guitar.

When waltz dancing, the steps come in groups of three - so it needs to be done to music where the beats come in groups of three (or a multiple of three). If you try to do it to a music where there are four beats, there's this extra beat hanging around where you have nothing to do.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

(And aren’t “Taste of Honey” and “I Me Me Mine” in 4/4 anyway?)
(Assuming we're talking about the Beatles' arrangement of the former; I don't know how it was originally written...) Both songs have 3/4 verses and but go to 4/4 for the bridge. In the Let It Be movie you actually see John & Yoko waltzing to "I Me Mine."

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

If you are a fan of Pink Floyd, hum or listen to 'Money' from DSOTM. It is in 7/4 time. You can count to 7 and it 'fits'.
Just be sure you're counting beats and not notes. If you count the notes of the bass riff from "Money" you'll come up with eight, not seven. But if you tap out evenly spaced beats while listening to it, you'll find that the cycle does last seven beats before repeating, The second and third notes are part of the same beat; they're just shorter than the other notes.

[Mikemike2]

I must say, if ‘waltz’ as a description of music is to mean anything, then quite a few - perhaps most- of these aren’t waltzes. I mean calling a piece of music a waltz should imply that one could indeed waltz to it. I find it difficult to imagine anyone performing anything that could be called a waltz step to “You Light Up My Life” or “Manic Depression”.



What he said.

I have really enjoyed this thread. My wife and I have recently gone back to a dance studio that teaches ballroom very well, but hasn't seemed to update their music ever. I am getting sick of the Lawrence Welk music and thought I would bring them a new cd of waltzes to try as an example.

I have a large collection of mp3s and have been able to find more than half the songs listed in this thread. As Quercus said, many of these songs have the right beat, but have a ridiculous tempo. I was counting to myself 123, 123, 123 and not 1..2..3.. 1..2..3.. - afterall a waltz is graceful.

The cool thing about the last club we were at is they played a lot of new music, that had the right beat. I have heard about all the Frank Sinatra I need to.

[Leaffan]

No. I would say that Whiter Shade of Pale is 4/4. Play it and try counting one..two..three..one..two..three to it.

It won't 'fit'.

Basically the 'time signature' tells you how many beats to the bar and the value of those beats.

So 3/4 indicates 3 beats to the bar (a waltz - 1-2-3, 1-2-3) and the 4 indicates quarter notes.

6/8 indicates 6 beats to the bar and eighth notes. To the layman, 6/8 is 3/4.

If you are a fan of Pink Floyd, hum or listen to 'Money' from DSOTM. It is in 7/4 time. You can count to 7 and it 'fits'. 'Take 5' by Brubeck is named because it is in 5/4.

'Mars' from Holst's Planets (very famous) is also in 5/4.
With absolutely no musical training, I am completely lost as to how to count beats to a bar. You might as well be asking me to count trees in a forest. I know, I asked. I thought maybe I could learn something, but without some basic knowledge I'm lost.

[twickster]

With absolutely no musical training, I am completely lost as to how to count beats to a bar.
Can you hear that some notes are stressed more strongly than others? (Some people can't, and if you can't, well, this is never going to make sense to you.)

If you can hear that some beats are heavier, count a "one" on each heavy beat, then keep counting each beat till the next heavy beat. For lots and lots of music, the count will be, probably, ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three (a waltz rhythm), or ONE two three four ONE two three four ONE two three four.

Simple music sticks to these pretty straightforwardly; more complicated music might skip the occasional beat (so you hear ONE two three [silence] ONE two three [silence]), or divvy them up slightly differently (ONE two-and three four, ONE two-and three four), or slide the beat around (jazz, where it can get fairly complicated).

But generally, if you count along, and just keep counting evenly, you'll find the rhythm that underlies even the most complicated music.

If, of course, you can hear that some beats are stressed and some aren't. :D

[ShadowFacts]

Tom Waits' Waltzing Mathilda? (http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/tom_waits/tom_trauberts_blues.html)


I'm not a musical prodigy, but that is one of my top 10 favorite songs of all time and I am fairly certain that is not in 3/4 time. Also, the full title is "Tom Traubert's Blues (Four Sheets to the Wind in Copenhagen)"

Also, Tool of the Consipracy mentioned "Take this Waltz" by Leonard Cohen, which is a fantastic tune that would be great for waltzing. (I think - I'm not a waltzer).

[Leaffan]

Can you hear that some notes are stressed more strongly than others? (Some people can't, and if you can't, well, this is never going to make sense to you.)

If you can hear that some beats are heavier, count a "one" on each heavy beat, then keep counting each beat till the next heavy beat. For lots and lots of music, the count will be, probably, ONE two three ONE two three ONE two three (a waltz rhythm), or ONE two three four ONE two three four ONE two three four.

Simple music sticks to these pretty straightforwardly; more complicated music might skip the occasional beat (so you hear ONE two three [silence] ONE two three [silence]), or divvy them up slightly differently (ONE two-and three four, ONE two-and three four), or slide the beat around (jazz, where it can get fairly complicated).

But generally, if you count along, and just keep counting evenly, you'll find the rhythm that underlies even the most complicated music.

If, of course, you can hear that some beats are stressed and some aren't. :D
Yes, I suppose i can hear that some beats are heavier; I kinda get it. Perhaps I don't know when to start or stop counting though.

MrFloppy mentioned "Money" and that "You can count to 7 and it 'fits'. "
Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.

I hear a repeating "Dum da duh-duh-duh, Dum da duh-duh" in the bass line; that doesn't have 7 beats, more like 9? If I try clapping along to the lyrics I feel more like 4 or 5 claps per line of lyrics would be appropriate.

See, this is where I'm totally ignorant of what a beat in a line is. Hey I'm a huge fan of music, with a lot of likes and dislikes. I also have an innate ability to be able to tap out the melody to songs (one note at a time) on a piano, or most other musical instruments (guitar, recorder, etc.) but have no clue about this beat stuff. And it looks like I never will without any formal education, which I'm not about to embark on. But thanks for trying to fight my ignorance!

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Yes, I suppose i can hear that some beats are heavier; I kinda get it. Perhaps I don't know when to start or stop counting though.

MrFloppy mentioned "Money" and that "You can count to 7 and it 'fits'. "


I hear a repeating "Dum da duh-duh-duh, Dum da duh-duh" in the bass line; that doesn't have 7 beats, more like 9? If I try clapping along to the lyrics I feel more like 4 or 5 claps per line of lyrics would be appropriate.


A beat isn't necessarily a note, or vice versa. If the song is in 7/4, that means there are seven beats to the measure and that the basic counting unit will be the quarter note. I believe that in this case you have 8 notes in the bar, with the second, third, and forth notes that you hear being a triplet over beats 2 and 3. A triplet is basically a way of squeezing three notes in where you would normally put in only two. Everything else in the bass line is a quarter note.

Biffy maybe you can confirm? You know we didn't use to be able to go out at night, at UCSD, without hearing Dark Side Of The Moon from some dorm window.

[amarinth]

MrFloppy mentioned "Money" and that "You can count to 7 and it 'fits'. "That's a really hard song to count. Come back to it after you've tried something easier.

One thing - for most rock songs, the "beats" are exactly the same length and they never stop through the song. So ignore the lyrics (because some words stretch long or short or no one is singing anything at all at that moment) and the notes (same reason), and listen for something in the music that happens like a ticking clock (oftentimes the drums or bass) all the way through the song.

So, pick a song (not Money - run from Money), and start tapping along with that. Remember, all taps should be the same length, no two should be closer together or faster or slower. Absolutely even. Tune out everything else but the pulse of the music. You might even bore yourself.

Once you're tapping along successfully, then notice that at a regular interval, something happens, the drums are a little louder, another instrument plays on the beat, there's some kind of emphasis. That's "1." then count taps until that emphasis happens again. Keep doing it over and over. In most rock songs, you should always reach the same number before you get to "1" again.

[appleciders]

I find it difficult to imagine anyone performing anything that could be called a waltz step to “You Light Up My Life” or “Manic Depression”.


I managed "Manic Depression", though it took some work. It's good for a party trick and that's about it.

[Zabali_Clawbane]

Look up the Enya songs I listed on YouTube to see what you think of them, two of them are gentler than Manic Depression by a goodly deal IMO.

[Spoke]

A lot of traditional southern gospel is in 3/4 time...which is kind of odd, considering many of the churches back in the day forbade dancing.

Yes, I suppose waltzing to Amazing Grace would seem kind of odd.

Thought of another Dwight Yoakam waltz: South of Cincinnati

And from the world of bluegrass, there's Kentucky Waltz by Bill Monroe.

[twickster]

Leaffan -- Amarinth gives good advice.

Here's a really easy one:

Raindrops on
Roses and
Whiskers on
Kittens [pause],
Bright copper
Kettles and
Warm woolen
Mittens [pause]
Brown paper
Packages
Tied up in
Strings-sss [pause]
These are a
Few of my
Favorite
Things-sss [pause]

[Sophistry and Illusion]

"Lucille", by Kenny Rogers. (You know, "You picked a fine time to leave me Lucille/Four hungry children and a crop in the field" etc.)

[Spoke]

Here's a YouTube clip of South of Cincinnati (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZlBR7z59fo) (audio only).

And here's Bill Monroe performing a couple of waltzes: Blue Moon of Kentucky, and Kentucky Waltz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gPwyHTHx8I). Well, Blue Moon starts as a waltz, but then kicks it up a notch. (I believe his earliest recording of the tune was waltz all the way through.) Not Monroe's best performance. Track down the original recordings.

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Once you're tapping along successfully, then notice that at a regular interval, something happens, the drums are a little louder, another instrument plays on the beat, there's some kind of emphasis. That's "1." then count taps until that emphasis happens again. Keep doing it over and over. In most rock songs, you should always reach the same number before you get to "1" again.

This sounds really lame, but it works: As I listen to the song, or imagine hearing it in my mind, I count out the beats using the fingers of one hand--thumb, index, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie, then back to the thumb if necessary. With a bit of practice you get to a point where your fingers will just work automatically so you don't have to think "one..two..three...four". With "Money" I find that at the end of that bass riff I am on my index finger for the second time around, so that's 5+2=7.

A very cool blues/classic R&B trick is to anticipate the chord change on the the last half beat of the *previous* bar...check out "Green Onions" (and a lot of Booker T. and the MGs' stuff).

[Cat Whisperer]

I must say, if ‘waltz’ as a description of music is to mean anything, then quite a few - perhaps most- of these aren’t waltzes. I mean calling a piece of music a waltz should imply that one could indeed waltz to it. I find it difficult to imagine anyone performing anything that could be called a waltz step to “You Light Up My Life” or “Manic Depression”.

Good Lord people, a waltz is more than just any old song in 3/4 or, God forbid, 6/8. At a minimum it should be in a slow-medium (waltzable) tempo, with minimal tempo variation and very few pauses or other suspensions of the beat (in a word, danceable); have a fairly steady three beat, with only a minor to medium accent on the first beat; and have a reasonably smooth and flowing sound. Of course, there are going to be judgement calls at the boundaries, but since the OP refers to actual, you know, dancing, I say we should be concentrating on real waltzes, not just any music with a vague three-beat. (And aren’t “Taste of Honey” and “I Me Me Mine” in 4/4 anyway?)
[\grumpy elderly Englishman]
Hey, I checked mine by dancing to it before I posted it (I've had over four years of dance lessons - I even danced backwards, 'cause I'm a girl :D )!

(My cheat for finding beats is to ask my husband, the former percussionist. He *always* knows what the beat is.)

[Leaffan]

You know those people who never "get" trigonometry?

Well, I'm not one of them, but my brain isn't wired for the aforementioned musical beats.

Which brings me to a slightly different, although related, musical hijack:

How in the hell do musicians play two completely different musical melodies with each hand? There was an earlier thread with a youtube link to a young musician playing the Simpsons theme on two guitars, but that's not too exceptional. Prime example, Ray Manzarek played bass with his left hand, while he screamed away lead organ on most Doors music. How the hell can the brain do a recurring "bum-da-da-bum" on one hand and then total improvisation on the other. My brain is not wired accordingly.

[Mudshark]

Both songs have 3/4 verses and but go to 4/4 for the bridge. In the Let It Be movie you actually see John & Yoko waltzing to "I Me Mine."

I read somewhere (I think it was in From Abbey Road to Zapple Records by Judson Knight) that George Harrison told George Martin "I want it to sound like this" after watching something about the music of Vienna on tv.

[Cat Whisperer]

My husband has suggested "Iris" by the GooGoo dolls. He also mentioned the disclaimer that it turns into 4/4 during the bridge, though.

ETA: He was able to come up with the Avril Lavigne song that I couldn't remember - "I'm With You."

[flight]

What he said.

I have really enjoyed this thread. My wife and I have recently gone back to a dance studio that teaches ballroom very well, but hasn't seemed to update their music ever. I am getting sick of the Lawrence Welk music and thought I would bring them a new cd of waltzes to try as an example.

I have a large collection of mp3s and have been able to find more than half the songs listed in this thread. As Quercus said, many of these songs have the right beat, but have a ridiculous tempo. I was counting to myself 123, 123, 123 and not 1..2..3.. 1..2..3.. - afterall a waltz is graceful.

The cool thing about the last club we were at is they played a lot of new music, that had the right beat. I have heard about all the Frank Sinatra I need to.
Do you ever do the Viennese Waltz? Simply put, it is the waltz on meth. You just do relatively simple steps (lots of alternating half turns) but travel around the room at about the pace of a light jog.

It is incredibly fluid and graceful when done well... but still very fast.

[Zebra]

Leffen

Imagine a drummer playing the base drum and hitting the (closed) high-hat cymbals.
The bass drum goes 'boom'.
The high-hat goes 'chick'.

4/4 time is 'boom-chick, boom-chick', while 3/4 time is 'boom chick chick'.

[appleciders]

This is partly a thank-you for those who helped, and partly a shameless bump for more input. Thanks and keep them coming!

[just a guess]

I am a long time lurker- years in fact- and first time poster. This thread inspired me to post. I was actually thinking of this exact topic a few weeks ago, and trying to create a playlist on my Ipod when I saw this topic. I dont have a good addition to the list (there are a number of great suggestions, even if not all are in waltz time), but want to bump this thread for some more contributions. Keep 'em coming!

[Ms Macphisto]

A couple in my collection that are in 3/4 time are Love Will Come Through by Travis and Fade Together by Franz Ferdinand. Whether they're actually waltzable, I don't know, since I don't do ballroom.

[flight]

The Spanish version of "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?", "Has Amado Una Mujer De Veras?" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B000002G3I001005/ref=mu_sam_wma_001_005/002-5628703-1122468), from the Don Juan DeMarco soundtrack.

For that matter, "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?". but I like the Spanish version better.

[flight]

A few more.

Alison Krauss, Baby Mine (http://youtube.com/watch?v=jzoZnivlLhw) (I think this is 6/8, so even though it is a slow song it would be a fast waltz.)

Indigo Girls, Mystery (http://youtube.com/watch?v=exDJlByfR8U)

Kansas, Hold On (http://youtube.com/watch?v=HS3zLUTw7CQ)

Lou Reed, Perfect Day (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q4pppHD7HNQ&mode=related&search=)

REM, Everybody Hurts (http://youtube.com/watch?v=91euxMQ0Zyg)

Rufus Wainwright, Complainte de la Butte (http://youtube.com/watch?v=B3Y0F_OGzF0), Hallelujah (http://youtube.com/watch?v=uMrZ7lChK-g)

Simon & Garfunkel, America (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vCbOEZ8c8dM), Song for the Asking (http://youtube.com/watch?v=7H2XaLRpcgE)


Oh, and here is the whole song, Has Amado una Mujer de Veras (http://youtube.com/watch?v=kxgUAibKUF8).

[appleciders]

Love Will Come Through is a good one. Are you sure about Hallelujah? I can't seem to count that out to waltz time, but then, I can't count that out to any recognizable time- could it be some weird time signature that I'm missing? America definitely works. I think Everybody Hurts may be 6/8- it'd be a very fast waltz. Hold On is definitely a waltz.

Listening to my library at random and further research has brought these to my attention: Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof, Goodnight, Irene by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (and numerous others, it's an old classic), Scarborough Fair by Simon and Garfunkel, and Satellite by Dave Matthews Band.

[amarinth]

Amazing Grace is in 3/4 time. But that would be weird and wrong.

[appleciders]

Listening to Amazing Grace, I think it's too slow to waltz anyway. And I've decided that I think Hallelujah is 6/8.

[flight]

Listening to Amazing Grace, I think it's too slow to waltz anyway. And I've decided that I think Hallelujah is 6/8.
I believe that is the correct timing.

[JKellyMap]

You know those people who never "get" trigonometry?

Well, I'm not one of them, but my brain isn't wired for the aforementioned musical beats.

Which brings me to a slightly different, although related, musical hijack:

How in the hell do musicians play two completely different musical melodies with each hand? There was an earlier thread with a youtube link to a young musician playing the Simpsons theme on two guitars, but that's not too exceptional. Prime example, Ray Manzarek played bass with his left hand, while he screamed away lead organ on most Doors music. How the hell can the brain do a recurring "bum-da-da-bum" on one hand and then total improvisation on the other. My brain is not wired accordingly.

I believe that Ray actually played the bass lines with his feet (organ pedals). Not sure if that makes it a more or less amazing feat of coordination.

[Liberal]

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.

[Marley23]

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
Waltz time in the verses, 4/4 in the chorus, I think. I'm told there are a few other time signatures that show up briefly.

[dwc1970]

I thought of a couple more:


Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair"
Whitesnake's "Crying in the Rain" (though this is probably 6/8 with its fast tempo).

[JKellyMap]

Has anyone mentioned the "Nokia Tune"?

Very waltzable, and very popular.

[Biffy the Elephant Shrew]

I believe that Ray actually played the bass lines with his feet (organ pedals). Not sure if that makes it a more or less amazing feat of coordination.
The types of organ Ray Manzarek used onstage with the Doors--Vox Continental, Gibson Kalamazoo--do not have bass pedals. He played bass parts on a separate Fender keyboard bass (known to the band as "the fart machine").

[The Scrivener]

"The Wrong Road (Round)" -- The Go-Betweens
"1000 Umbrellas" -- XTC

[ENugent]

The Harry Potter theme music is a very nice Viennese Waltz.

Casa Musica sells a number of dance-specific CDs - here's their Best of Slow Waltz (http://www.casa-musica.de/asp2/katalog.asp?typ=detail&Position=3&seite=3&tanz=S&Herkunft=suche&ArtNr=1205&sprache=e&modus=GesamtUebersicht&code=1&Vertrieb=) and Best of Viennese Waltz (http://www.casa-musica.de/asp2/katalog.asp?typ=detail&Position=5&seite=3&tanz=S&Herkunft=suche&ArtNr=1247&sprache=e&modus=GesamtUebersicht&code=1&Vertrieb=).

[Lute Skywatcher]

For something different: "The Tennessee Waltz" as performed by Spike Jones & His City Slickers.

[rowrrbazzle]

As long as we're including Christmas carols:

The First Noel
Away in a Manger
O Tannenbaum

[Millit the Frail]

I think "Kissing You" by Desree is a waltz. At least, I attempted waltzing to this at my wedding, so you can all point and laugh if you think we looked stupid. :p

(We looked stupid anyway. Can't dance at all!)

[appleciders]

Combination shameless bump and addition of single song: Blue Eyes by Cary Brothers, which can be found on the Garden State soundtrack.