Carry On Wayward Son

Description

Time is the big factor in the feel of this riff. The riff we learn here immediately follows the opening guitar riff. The big contrast between these riffs is the switch from 4/4 time in the beginning to 12/8 time in this riff. It gives the song a bit of a "lilt" or "swing" by putting a triplet feel into the song. The main beat of the song remains constant, but the feel of each beat goes from duple meter (2 notes per beat) to triple meter(3 notes per beat). This is how the song transitions perfectly into the harmony guitar interlude in triplets that follows.

Prog Rock groups changed time signatures often. It is a challenging technique that few players master. Learn to count these meter changes by counting with the recording before attempting to play them. It will be far more rewarding in the long run.