Roger Waters’ Bass on 'Money' and the 7/4 Revolution

Most bass players in 1973 were content locking in with the kick drum and walking root notes. Roger Waters, instead, built the entire architecture of “Money” around a seven-note bass riff in 7/4 time. That riff isn’t just a rhythmic anchor—it’s the melody, the hook, the thing you hum. It forces the rest of the band to follow its lopsided groove, and it makes the 7/4 feel natural, even funky.

By treating the bass as the primary melodic driver in an odd time signature, Waters broke the old prog habit of using the bass only as a harmonic glue. Suddenly the bass could set the tempo, dictate the feel, and carry the song’s identity. That approach gave later prog bassists—Chris Squire, Geddy Lee, John Wetton—permission to step out front and challenge the guitar’s role as the main melodic voice.