Peter Gabriel · 1977 · 7/4 · ≈104 BPM
The 7/4 odd meter in Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel
Press play to count the meter or try the original drum exercise. Slow the pulse down or speed it up to feel how the pattern works.
Original practice groove. Keep seven quarter-note counts moving at the same pace. This original exercise adds kick and snare around that pulse; it does not recreate the recording’s percussion.
● Hit · empty cell = rest. Switch a part off and play it yourself.
Repeating phrase
Count 7. Repeat after 7 quarter-note pulses.
Published reference: ≈104 BPM (quarter-note beat)
One click per quarter note. Accented cells sound stronger. 104 quarter-note pulses/min. Choose half speed for easier counting.
Note: This original seven-beat exercise teaches the meter, not the recorded drum or percussion parts. It does not follow the entire arrangement or synchronise with Spotify.
Tempo: Musicnotes marks a quarter-note reference tempo of 104 BPM in its published arrangement, which splits the meter into smaller bars. This exercise uses a seven-beat bar.
Simplified educational demo, not a transcription of the recording.
Hear the real thing
Playing the track pauses the demo automatically (and vice versa) so they don't fight each other.
What's happening rhythmically
Solsbury Hill is known for its seven-beat feel. In an interview about the recording, guitarist Steve Hunter describes learning to play the song in 7/4. Counting one through seven gives you a practical way to follow that recurring phrase.
The exercise keeps the quarter-note pulse steady and repeats after seven. It is a different original practice groove from the Money lesson: compare where the kick and snare land while the bar length stays the same. A seven-beat meter does not by itself make either song a polyrhythm.
What to listen for
- On the record: the acoustic phrase moving through seven counts before restarting
- How the flow stays natural even though the phrase has an odd number of beats
- In the exercise: count seven flowing into one without inserting an eighth beat
Practise this rhythm
- Use Count clicks at half speed. Count seven evenly and avoid pausing before one.
- Choose Drum exercise. Follow the kick row with your foot while counting aloud.
- Mute Snare and tap its marked hits. Compare this pattern with the different seven-beat exercise on Money.
