Whereas most rock music uses a 4/4 ᶘ ᵒᴥᵒᶅ meter (however accented or syncopated), math rock frequently uses non-standard time signatures such as 7/8, 11/8, or 13/8, โ๏∀๏ใ or features constantly changing meters based on various groupings of 2 and 3. This rhythmic complexity, seen as mathematical in character by many listeners and critics, is what gives the genre its name.
ƪ(ƪ꒪ৱ৹)
The sound is usually dominated by guitars and drums as in traditional rock, and because of the complex rhythms, the drums section of math rock groups tend to be more salient than in other genres. It is commonplace to find guitarists in math rock groups using the tapping technique of guitar playing, and loop pedals are occasionally incorporated, as by the band Battles. Guitars are also often played in clean tones more than in other upbeat rock songs, but some groups also use distortion.

Lyrics are generally not the focus of math rock; the voice is treated as just another sound in the mix. Often, vocals are not overdubbed, and are positioned low in the mix, as in the recording style of Steve Albini, or Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller. Many of math rock's most famous groups are entirely instrumental such as Don Caballero or Hella, though both have experimented with singing to varying degrees.

The term math rock has often been passed off as a joke that has developed into what some believe is a musical style. An advocate of this is Matt Sweeney, singer with Chavez, who themselves were often linked to the math rock scene.[4]

A significant intersect exists between math rock and emo, exemplified by bands such as Tiny Moving Parts[5] or American Football, whose sound was described as "twinkly, mathy rock, a sound that became one of the defining traits of the emo scene throughout the 2000s".[6]