Speaking of Macy Gray - What exactly is the rhythm in "I Try"?

[sws1]

Everyone has heard the chorus of "I Try". Does anyone know exactly what the musical rhythm of that? It's alot of notes over 3 beats, but starts not quite on the down beat.

Is there any order to that, or is it just crammed in? I've never been able to map it out.

[Guitar55]

Man, I love that song. Just listened to it. The time sig is straight 4/4.

The melody of the chorus starts on the "two-and" of the previous measure (" I try to say.."). The second syllable of "goodbye" is on one.

I'm not sure what you're getting at because it doesn't seem complicate to me.

Were we speaking of Macy Gray?

[sws1]

I'm specifically referring to the phrase: "My world crumbles when you are not here".

That timing of that exact phrase stumps me.

[Steve73]

From memory, I haven't listened to it in awhile. 'My world' is two eighth notes, 'crumbles when you are not' is two eighth note triplets and 'here' is a quarter note.

[sws1]

Originally Posted by Steve73

From memory, I haven't listened to it in awhile. 'My world' is two eighth notes, 'crumbles when you are not' is two eighth note triplets and 'here' is a quarter note.

I think that's close, but not exact. "World" does not fall on an 8th note, seems like it might be the last 16th note of the measure.

It could be that she's just delivering the phrase VERY behind the beat, in a lazy way. But it is close to what you say.

[Guitar55]

Ahhh...the timing on the phrase is the best part of the song!

I'm not great at notation...so I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong

It starts on 4 (My World)
then it seems to be starting on 1, maybe 2 16th notes("Crum-bles) followed by an 8th note (when)

[Guitar55]

Of course it take a lot of soul to sing it like Macy

[lazyjames]

From memory: "crumbles" is two eights on the 1, "when you are" eighth note triplet on two, "not here" eighth notes on three.