"Strange Meadow Lark" begins with a piano solo that exhibits no clear time signature, but then settles into a fairly ordinary swing once the rest of the group joins. "Take Five" is in throughout. According to Desmond, "It was never supposed to be a hit. It was supposed to be a Joe Morello drum solo." "Three to Get Ready" begins in waltz-time, after which it begins to alternate between two measures of and two of . "Kathy's Waltz", named after Brubeck's daughter Cathy but misspelled, starts in , and only later switches to double-waltz time before merging the two. "Everybody's Jumpin'" is mainly in a very flexible , while "Pick Up Sticks" firms that up into a clear and steady .