Time Signature on RHCP's "Ready Made"

Cafe Society
1

This song really threw me the first time I heard it. Upon subsequent listens, what it sounds like to me is that the song is in 4/4 during the verses, but that the drummer is changing where he plays the snare.

(I’m not a musician, so pardon me if I muck this up, but I’ll do the best I can.)

If we assume eight measures, what I hear is that the drummer plays the snare on the 3rd beat of the first three measures, switches to playing the snare on the 4th beat of measures 4-7, and then goes back to the snare on the 3rd beat in measure 8.

Can someone please tell me what I’m actually hearing?

2

I’m not familiar with the song, but why are you assuming there’s a consistent time signature?

3

Questions about the Arts are best started in Cafe Society. Let me move this for you.

samclem

4

Based solely on the 30-second snippet on iTunes, it sure sounds like a consistent 4/4 to me. Listen to the electric guitar rather than the drums. It plays the same riff over and over during the chorus, which you wouldn’t be able to do if there was a change in time signature.

5

Definitely 4/4, however the drum pattern changes every two bars, playing on the beat for two bars then off the beat for two bars.

6

It wasn’t an assumption – I was doing my best to count it out myself as I listened to it. I just wanted to seek the opinion of those with more musical expertise than me to be sure.

Thanks for the responses so far!