Geoff was a Tin Pan Alley old-timer - so he was accustomed to songs being just in 4/4 or 3/4. ![]() ![]() Known in British music publishing circles as "doing the dots" The original ones in 1963-1970 were all done by an in-house copyist at Dick James Music in London. Which tended to happen more in John's songs. I think the primary reason for those rapid time signature switches in the later era (1966 on) songs is their need to bend the music to match lyrics already written. George's Indian songs such as "Within You Without You" and "The Inner Light" all feature bars in 5/4, 4/4 and I think some bars in 3/4. "Martha My Dear" has the occasional bar in 3/2 time It goes 4/8, 5/8, 6/4 in the space of 3 bars - then mainly stays in 4/4. Paul gets his turn at quirky time sigs in his bridge to "Day In The Life". "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" has sections in 3/8, 6/8, 8/8 "Good Morning Good Morning" wanders in and out of 5/4 and 4/4 with occasional bars of 3/4. I recall a serious musicologist at the time commenting on the fact that "the Beatles seem to have independently invented 3/4 time" - meaning that they had incorporated triplets within a 4/4 section. Technically the bridge in "We Can Work It Out" is still in 4/4 (and is shown as such in the first edition of the sheet music) but of course is sung in triplets. Except for the penultimate one at the end of the song where the "ever" is 3/4. My original sheet music (from 1967) shows the words "Strawberry Fields For" as being in 6/8. ![]() The opening lines of "Yer Blues" up to "Girl you know the reason why" is all in 3/4
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