serchumfuggler submitted:

SGaP does indeed use quarter tones very extensively; you can hear them in basically every single one of his songs. two examples would be in the beginning of Dashy / Hearth’s Warming Eve, or halfway through Night Glider, at 1:20-ish. now that i’m listening closely for them, i find that they’re in, quite literally, nearly every single song of his at one point or another.

in general, SGaP just loves going ‘off the beat’, away from his 4:4 time signature (a 1-2-3-4 beat), to create his songs. if you listen very closely to nearly any of his songs, and count in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm, you’ll notice that, although almost nothing seems to match up to the beat, on every 4th beat, a chord ends and another begins, or the percussion plays, or something else changes.



even in places where his songs cut out briefly, or seem to change entirely, the beat usually holds true. for example, at the beginning E40, count a beat every single time the guitar is strummed. when the song drastically changes at around 0:40, you’ll find that the beat still holds true, and that notes are indeed played on them, and that when the song ‘resumes,’ it will do so after a 4th note in this 1-2-3-4 beat.



although, he isn’t necessarily held back by the 1-2-3-4 beat, either, as i’ve noticed. later in E40, where he sings ‘where has older sister gone?’ you’ll find that it no longer holds up. it’s still there, but it’s gone slightly faster, and it’s much harder to find, because of the lack of hints; the only clue is when one ‘burst’ of strumming ends, that’s the fourth note in the beat.



i could give more examples if needed, but that’s the gist of it, and it’s part of what makes his songs so wonderful and lively to listen to.