This week on Beginner’s Guide, host Errol Hayden explores the angular riffs, jarring rhythms, and mind-bending time signatures of Math Rock — a genre that throws the rulebook out the window. From the prog experimentation of King Crimson to the intricate emo stylings of American Football and the genre-bending chaos of The Fall of Troy, this episode is a crash course in one of rock’s most fascinating subgenres.

We start by explaining the basics of time signatures and how most pop music plays it safe in familiar 4/4 rhythms. Then, we dig into artists who broke the mould — like The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, and Pink Floyd — before diving headfirst into true math rock territory with bands like Slint, Black Flag, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

🎸 What you'll learn in this episode:
🧠 What time signatures are, and why math rock plays with them
🥁 How artists like Ringo Starr and Bill Bruford tackled complex rhythms
🎶 Why math rock remains a cult favourite despite its heady structure

Whether you're a musician, a music theory nerd, or just curious about rock's weirdest corner, this episode is for you.

Featuring tracks by: Battles, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Slint, Black Flag, American Football, The Fall of Troy, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard & more.

Follow @beginnersguideshow on Instagram for updates and episode requests.

This week on Beginner&rsquo;s Guide, host Errol Hayden explores the angular riffs, jarring rhythms, and mind-bending time signatures of Math Rock &mdash; a genre that throws the rulebook out the window. From the prog experimentation of King Crimson to the intricate emo stylings of American Football and the genre-bending chaos of The Fall of Troy, this episode is a crash course in one of rock&rsquo;s most fascinating subgenres.
We start by explaining the basics of time signatures and how most pop music plays it safe in familiar 4/4 rhythms. Then, we dig into artists who broke the mould &mdash; like The Beatles, Dionne Warwick, and Pink Floyd &mdash; before diving headfirst into true math rock territory with bands like Slint, Black Flag, and King Gizzard &amp; the Lizard Wizard.
🎸 What you'll learn in this episode: 🧠 What time signatures are, and why math rock plays with them 🥁 How artists like Ringo Starr and Bill Bruford tackled complex rhythms 🎶 Why math rock remains a cult favourite despite its heady structure
Whether you're a musician, a music theory nerd, or just curious about rock's weirdest corner, this episode is for you.
Featuring tracks by: Battles, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Slint, Black Flag, American Football, The Fall of Troy, King Gizzard &amp; the Lizard Wizard &amp; more.
Follow @beginnersguideshow on Instagram for updates and episode requests.

Errol Hayden is a 24-year-old music fan who loves to delve deep and learn about different topics. He does this in his work as a journalist and through his radio show, Beginner's Guide.

Errol Hayden is a 24-year-old music fan who loves to delve deep and learn about different topics. He does this in his work as a journalist and through his radio show, Beginner's Guide.

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