4/4 is the most prevalent time signature used in pop music, but songs with three beats per measure (i.e. 3/4 time signatures) can also be quite popular – making counting easier as each measure contains just four beats!
Seal’s lovely ballroom waltz is another superb example of music written in 3/4. Additionally, its simple open chord progression is beginner friendly.
Piano Man
Piano Man by Billy Joel has become an iconic classic anthem that everyone knows and adores. Released as the second single from his 1973 album and established him as an award-winning songwriter, Piano Man tells the tale of a professional pianist working at a New York City bar who remembers and remembers people’s stories as they come and go; inspired by Joel himself who worked in a piano bar daily and knew many regular customers personally.
Piano music in 3/4 tempos offers a distinctive experience from 4/4, being more bouncy and often employing seventh chords. Therefore, learning these songs may help increase your comfort in playing faster tempos.
Counting beats in 3/4 is also easier than counting beats in 2/4 which may be difficult to perceive. If you have difficulty hearing changes in time signatures, listen to some songs written with 3/4 or 6/8 tempos and count the drums; these examples will help you better identify which time signatures you hear and when they change.
We Are The Champions
Modern pop and rock music typically utilizes 4/4 timing – three beats in a bar – which feels natural; yet, many notable songs also utilize 3/4 timing; this time signature, known as waltz time signature, may have been heard before in classical music or elsewhere; there are plenty of examples beyond classical pieces as well.
Billy Joel’s Piano Man is one of the best-known songs written and recorded using this time signature. First released for sale in 1973, it reached number 25 on the US chart the year following its debut and remains popular to this day.
Its powerful ballad has been covered by many artists, such as Glee’s cast members, Pink, and Liza Minnelli at Freddie Mercury tribute concerts since 1992 – it even made appearances in several motion pictures!
Mr. Bojangles is an exquisite jazz tune featured in the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame that has been covered by many artists – Sammy Davis Jr and Jerry Jeff Walker being two notable examples. It spent nine weeks at number one on UK charts as well as reaching this same spot across Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland South Africa and New Zealand charts.
The Last Waltz
Martin Scorsese shot The Last Waltz as an epic live concert that later got turned into a film in 1978. It featured 22 full performances by some of the biggest names in music at that time – Bob Dylan, The Band, Paul Butterfield, etc – though unfortunately many of their best songs had to be cut for film’s soundtrack; that being said there are still great tracks like Garth Hudson’s intro for Chest Fever or Richard Manuel playing dobro slide guitar on “Mannish Boy.”
Waltzes are popularly found in classical music, although rock and pop artists may also employ its rhythms. Piano Man is perhaps best-known as an example of rock music’s use of this three-beat pattern in 3/4 time signature; its 3/4 rhythm made it one of the most beloved American pop songs ever written, making its melody timeless enough that many other artists covered its melody like Billie Eilish’s Idon’twannabeyouanymore that featured four easy chords strung across its first and third beats for added effect.
Fallin’
Most modern pop, rock, RnB and hip-hop music is written using 4/4 timing, with the strongest beat being counted first and weaker ones following (known as “waltz rhythm”). Yet many popular songs also employ 3/4 timing as their time signature.
Fallin’ was the inaugural release from Alicia Keys’ album Songs in A Minor back in 2001, and became an international success, reaching number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 as well as reaching top ten status in many other countries including Flanders, Holland and New Zealand.
This song contains eight easy open chords which you can strum along to with an easy strumming pattern of down on the first beat, then three downstrokes on each beat of 3/4 rhythm. It is ideal for practicing the waltz feel of this time signature while simultaneously practicing arpeggio patterns with its chords – inspired by Keys’ real-life first love, this tune became her signature tune.
Somebody To Love
Mull of Kintyre was an infectious Christmas number one hit composed by Scottish folky artist Paul Henry with a 3/4 time signature and first released as a single in 1964 by Engelbert Humperdinck – later covered by Engelbert Humperdinck himself and staying in the UK charts for 9 weeks – Grace Slick took it with her when joining Jefferson Airplane in 1968, adapting its rhythms for use with rock and roll influences in their more rock n roll-influenced sound.
John Lennon wrote the Beatles classic You’ve Gotta Hide Your Love Away in 3/4 time for their 1965 album Rubber Soul. Paul McCartney carried on this tradition when releasing songs under Wings with similar time signatures.
Billie Eilish’s folky number in 3/4 time is another excellent example of its beauty for beginners. You only need a few chords to learn it quickly and strumming can also be practiced easily with this song’s beautiful progressions. Although its faster tempo may confuse some learners at first, its drum accent on beat four (of 6) helps distinguish it from four-four time signatures.
With A Little Help From My Friends
Although most pop music is written in 4/4 time signature, there is also an unexpectedly large body of songs written in 3/4 time – often known as “waltz time.” It’s easy to understand why musicians opt for this particular rhythm pattern as it creates three quarter notes in every measure and makes for a dynamic rhythmic pattern.
America, written in 3/4 time and made famous by Simon & Garfunkel’s rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, stands as an excellent example of 3/4 time composition. Over time it has been covered by various artists – Nirvana covered it on their MTV Unplugged in New York album! Paul Simon carried this writing style over into his solo career; more examples can be found on Mull of Kintyre and Still Crazy After All These Years albums.
One of the latest hits recorded and released by Billie Eilish in 2017 with this time signature is Idon’twannabeyouanymore, an uptempo R&B track with jazz and neo-soul influences and featuring 8 easy open chords that make for easy learning to waltz.
My Favorite Things
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were celebrated musical writing duo who collaborated to produce their final Broadway show just nine months before Hammerstein died. Their songs such as My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music expressed their joy for life and optimism for society at large; one song even used 3/4 time with three beats per bar, commonly known as a waltz!
Although not technically a waltz, Silent Night’s beautiful Christmas carol stands as an exemplary demonstration of how 3/4 time can be applied across different genres and styles.
Pop songs in 3/4 are easy to come by if you know where to look! Most rock and modern music uses four strong beats per bar for 4/4 music, but some bands use an alternate rhythm known as 6/8 which features one strong beat in every bar and has one two rhythm pattern instead. 6/8 tends to be easier for beginners to grasp as its sounds more like two four with some accented beats such as snare drum and hi-hat drum.
America
Original recorded in 1919 and widely popular since, Carol of the Bells is an iconic Christmas tune composed in 3/4 time that should be included in any musician’s repertoire.
Simon & Garfunkel’s 1968 hit America is another iconic track featuring the 3/4 beat. This song explores and searches for what defines America today through music.
High Time by The Grateful Dead is an outstanding example of 3/4 rock music’s power to provoke strong emotional responses, featuring both minor and major chords that capture its signature combination of country, folk, and psychedelic elements.
Singer-songwriter Seal’s Kiss From A Rose stands out with its 3/4 beat. This tune moves along at an ambiguous triple meter that often seems compounded time due to an ambiguous beat one. Ed Sheeran’s Divide from his third album also stands out for its 3/4 time signature rhythm; its track was inspired by Livet i Finnskogarna waltz from Sweden.