Why I'm thankful God convicted about Rock'nRoll

[Eric B]

If rock and roll is no longer considered a sign of rebellion, then perhaps that is because the rebellion has been won (atleast temporarily).

Amen.

"Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them." - Jeremiah 10:2​

Rebellion has been here on earth ever since Adam. You had the "heathen" that verse referred to, and even the Israelites suffered from it themselves. And no, Anglo-American society had not reversed this, with it resurfacing again only in the 1960's or whatever. So no, rebellion did not "win out" then; it has been the prevailing reality in the earth until Christ returns.

 

[Eric B]

5/4...FIVE beats per measure instead of four.

So, if you're tapping your toe...instead of

1, 2, 3, 4 it's
1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Feels weird to us rhythmically challenged.

The most popular example of that beat is the Mission Impossible theme.
As for Christian music, there is the ancient hymn "Of the Father's Love Begotten" (some hymnals may not even bother to sign it as such, but I saw one that did have the 5/4 signature).
I can't really read music that much, but learned about the notation, and tried to figure what it would sound like (the church I was in never used it); and from what I gathered, the melody of each measure is like "Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce", with the two syllables of "lettuce" stretched so that they each are one quarter note, instead of eighth notes like the other words. (i.e the first syllable is the entire fourth beat, while the second syllable is the fifth beat. Larry mentioned 7/4; the most common example of that is Pink Floyd's "Money". These are called "asymmetric beats", and I read that they were common in midestern cultures. (they even have 13/8 and stuff like that. Wikipedia has a list of all the different time signatures and tuness that use them.

 

[rbell]

As for Christian music, there is the ancient hymn "Of the Father's Love Begotten" (some hymnals may not even bother to sign it as such, but I saw one that did have the 5/4 signature).

"Of the Father's Love Begotten" <--we've done that song several times. (2 different arrangements...one we put together ourselves; the other was in a youth musical called "Lift Your Name on High." It was a fabulous arrangement!)

Technically, since it's a 4th-century plainsong, it doesn't even have a time sig.

But modern arrangements, of course, add one.

Now THAT song is "old school!"