List of musical works in unusual time signatures
Encyclopedia
Listed here are musical composition
s or piece
s in Western music that have unusual time signatures. "Unusual" is here defined to be
The conventions of musical notation typically allow for more than one written representation of a particular piece. The chosen time signature largely depends upon musical context, personal taste of the composer or transcriber, and the graphic layout on the written page. Frequently, published editions were written in a specific time signature to signify visually tempo for slow movements in symphonies, sonatas, and concerti. The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata, is an example of this: although the first movement is relatively slow, the predominant rhythm is that of triplet eighth notes (quavers), whereas in the second movement the basic tempo is faster but Beethoven notates the music in quarter notes (crotchets) and half notes (minims), giving a visual clue to the nature of the phrasing. A reworking of the first movement could place the meter as 12/8 and still convey the same rhythm, phrasing, and tempo. Similarly, a reworking of the 2nd movement could place it in 3/8 instead of 3/4 without destroying the phrasing. More to the point of the present article, a perfectly consistent unusual metrical pattern may be notated in a more familiar time signature that does not correspond to it. For example, the Passacaglia from Britten's
opera Peter Grimes
consists of variations over a recurring bass line eleven beats in length, but is notated in ordinary 4/4 time, with each variation lasting 2¾ bars, and therefore commencing each time one crotchet earlier than the preceding one.
These examples are grouped by time signature, and listed alphabetically by title.
(which see).
:
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
s or piece
Piece
Piece or pieces may refer to:* A single unit of something* An informative or creative work, such as a work of art, journalism, academic research, etc.** Musical piece, a work of music, sometimes called an opus* Chess piece* Jigsaw puzzle piece...
s in Western music that have unusual time signatures. "Unusual" is here defined to be
any time signature other than simple time signatures with top numerals of 2, 3, or 4 and bottom numerals of 2, 4, or 8, and compound time signatures with top numerals of 6, 9, or 12 and bottom numerals 4, 8, or 16.
The conventions of musical notation typically allow for more than one written representation of a particular piece. The chosen time signature largely depends upon musical context, personal taste of the composer or transcriber, and the graphic layout on the written page. Frequently, published editions were written in a specific time signature to signify visually tempo for slow movements in symphonies, sonatas, and concerti. The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, by Ludwig van Beethoven, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata, is an example of this: although the first movement is relatively slow, the predominant rhythm is that of triplet eighth notes (quavers), whereas in the second movement the basic tempo is faster but Beethoven notates the music in quarter notes (crotchets) and half notes (minims), giving a visual clue to the nature of the phrasing. A reworking of the first movement could place the meter as 12/8 and still convey the same rhythm, phrasing, and tempo. Similarly, a reworking of the 2nd movement could place it in 3/8 instead of 3/4 without destroying the phrasing. More to the point of the present article, a perfectly consistent unusual metrical pattern may be notated in a more familiar time signature that does not correspond to it. For example, the Passacaglia from Britten's
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
opera Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes
Peter Grimes is an opera by Benjamin Britten, with a libretto adapted by Montagu Slater from the Peter Grimes section of George Crabbe's poem The Borough...
consists of variations over a recurring bass line eleven beats in length, but is notated in ordinary 4/4 time, with each variation lasting 2¾ bars, and therefore commencing each time one crotchet earlier than the preceding one.
These examples are grouped by time signature, and listed alphabetically by title.
Partially in ⅔/2 or ⅔/4
- "L'Artisanat furieux", third movement of Le Marteau sans maîtreLe marteau sans maîtreLe marteau sans maître is a composition by the French composer Pierre Boulez. It is a setting of the surrealist poetry of René Char for alto and six instrumentalists. It was first performed in 1955.-Movements:...
, by Pierre BoulezPierre BoulezPierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
. Bars 24, 35, and 43 are in ⅔/4 time. - Mädchentotenlieder, by Bo NilssonBo NilssonBo Nilsson , is a Swedish composer and lyricist.Bo Nilsson first drew notice as a composer at the age of 18 when his "Zwei Stücke" were performed in a 1956 West German Radio “Musik der Zeit” concert in Cologne...
. Bar 102 is in ⅔/2; bar 123 is in ⅔/4 time.
Partially in 4/3/2 or 4/3/4
- "L'Artisanat furieux", third movement of Le Marteau sans maîtreLe marteau sans maîtreLe marteau sans maître is a composition by the French composer Pierre Boulez. It is a setting of the surrealist poetry of René Char for alto and six instrumentalists. It was first performed in 1955.-Movements:...
, by Pierre BoulezPierre BoulezPierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
. Bar 3 is in 4/3/2 time. - Mädchentotenlieder, by Bo NilssonBo NilssonBo Nilsson , is a Swedish composer and lyricist.Bo Nilsson first drew notice as a composer at the age of 18 when his "Zwei Stücke" were performed in a 1956 West German Radio “Musik der Zeit” concert in Cologne...
. Bar 83 is in 4/3/4 time.
Partially in 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, or 1/16
- Appalachian Spring, by Aaron CoplandAaron CoplandAaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...
. Third bar of rehearsal 46 and third bar of rehearsal 48 are in 1/2. - "Improvisation sur Mallarmé 2", from Pli selon pli by Pierre BoulezPierre BoulezPierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
. - Mädchentotenlieder, by Bo NilssonBo NilssonBo Nilsson , is a Swedish composer and lyricist.Bo Nilsson first drew notice as a composer at the age of 18 when his "Zwei Stücke" were performed in a 1956 West German Radio “Musik der Zeit” concert in Cologne...
. Bar 11 is in 1/16 time, bar 53 is in 1/8 time, bars 20, 22–27, 33–36, 38–40, 43, 49, 51, 54, 57, 65, 76–77, 80–81, 86, 90–93, 95, 99, 103–7, 115–16, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 130, 134–42, 145, 153, and 158 are in 1/4 time. - "Scherzo" (2nd Movement) from Alexander BorodinAlexander BorodinAlexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
's Symphony No. 2Symphony No. 2 (Borodin)Symphony No. 2 in B minor by Alexander Borodin was composed intermittently between 1869 and 1876. It consists of four movements and is considered the most important large-scale work completed by the composer himself...
is in Prestissimo 1/1, except for the trioTernary formTernary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
section, which is in Allegretto 6/4.
2/1
- "Gique", last movement of 6th Partita in E minor, BWV 830, by Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
.
Partially in 2/1
- Five Pieces for Piano, op. 23, by Arnold SchoenbergArnold SchoenbergArnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
. - "Improvisation sur Mallarmé 2", from Pli selon pli by Pierre BoulezPierre BoulezPierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
.
Partially in 2½/4
- Study in Sonority by Wallingford RieggerWallingford RieggerWallingford Constantine Riegger was a prolific American music composer, well known for orchestral and modern dance music, and film scores...
contains several 2½/4 bars.
3/32
- "Lilliputsche Chaconne", from Intrada, nebst burlesquer Suite, for two violins (the so-called "Gulliver Suite") by Georg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually...
.
Partially in 3½/4
- Driftwood Suite, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 3½/4 time. - Touch Piece, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 3½/4 time.
32/2/4
- "Reverie der Laputier, nebst ihren Aufweckern", from Intrada, nebst burlesquer Suite, for two violins (the so-called "Gulliver Suite") by Georg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp TelemannGeorg Philipp Telemann was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. Almost completely self-taught in music, he became a composer against his family's wishes. After studying in Magdeburg, Zellerfeld, and Hildesheim, Telemann entered the University of Leipzig to study law, but eventually...
.
Partially in 4½/4
- Driftwood Suite, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 4½/4 time. - Touch Piece, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 4½/4 time.
Partially in 5½/4
- Driftwood Suite, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 5½/4 time. - Touch Piece, for piano, by Gardner ReadGardner ReadGardner Read was an American composer and musical scholar....
uses 5½/4 time.
Partially in 6/2
- "In the First Pentatonic Major Mode (En el 1er modo pentáfono mayor)", no. 12 from 12 American Preludes for piano (1944) by Alberto GinasteraAlberto GinasteraAlberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important Latin American classical composers.- Biography :...
(bar 23 in 6/2). - "Molto adagio" (Adagio for Strings), second movement of Samuel Barber’s String Quartet, op. 11, bars 15 and 26 are in 6/2.
8/8 (unevenly grouped)
- "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm" 4, from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (no. 151), is in 3 + 2 + 3.
- "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm" 6, from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (no. 153), is in 3 + 3 + 2.
Partially in 8/4
- "Allegro calmo senza rigore", first movement of String Quartet No. 2, op. 36 (1945), by Benjamin Britten. Bars 3 and 12 after rehearsal K are in 8/4.
- A Choral Fantasia, op. 51, by Gustav HolstGustav HolstGustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
. Bars 36–69, 142–48, 173–78, and 191–98 are in 8/4.
9/8 (not ordinary triple-compound)
- "Niska Banja," SATB choral arrangement by Nick Page of a Serbian Gypsy dance, is in 2+2+2+3
- "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm" 1, from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (no. 148), is in 4 + 2 + 3.
- "Six Dances in Bulgarian Rhythm" 5, from Béla Bartók's Mikrokosmos (no. 152), is in 2 + 2 + 2 + 3.
Partially in 9/8, 9/4, or 9/2
- "Apocalypse in 9/8" by GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. Penultimate movement of the "Supper's ReadySupper's Ready"Supper's Ready" is a song by the band Genesis. A recorded version appeared on their 1972 album Foxtrot, and the band performed the song regularly on stage for several years following this...
" suite, rhythm section plays a 9/8 riff as 3+2+4, organ solo plays polymetrically over this (sometimes 4/4, sometimes 7/4.) - "Blue Rondo à la TurkBlue Rondo à la Turk"Blue Rondo à la Turk" is a jazz standard composition by Dave Brubeck. It appeared on the album Time Out in 1959. It is written in 9/8 and swing 4/4.-History:Brubeck heard the unusual "1-2/1-2/1-2/1-2-3" rhythm performed by Turkish musicians on the street...
" (1958) by the Dave Brubeck QuartetDave BrubeckDavid Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
, from the album Time OutTime Out (album)Time Out is a jazz album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, released in 1959 on Columbia Records, catalogue CL 1397. Recorded at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, it is based upon the use of time signatures that were unusual for jazz such as 9/8 and 5/4. The album is a subtle blend of cool...
- Played as 2+2+2+3 and 3+3+3, with some alternating sections of 4/4 - "Broken Toy" (2006) by Keane, from the album Under the Iron SeaUnder the Iron SeaUnder the Iron Sea is the second studio album by English rock band Keane, released in 2006. During its first week on sale in the UK, the album went to #1, selling 222,297 copies according to figures from the Official Chart Company...
. First and second verses are marked 9/8 (although choruses use 6/8 or either 3/4). - "Happiness Is A Warm GunHappiness Is a Warm Gun"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is a song by The Beatles, featured on the eponymous double-disc album The Beatles, also known as The White Album...
" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as transcribed by Fujita et al. - "Los peones de hacienda", from the ballet Estancia by Alberto GinasteraAlberto GinasteraAlberto Evaristo Ginastera was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered one of the most important Latin American classical composers.- Biography :...
. The refrain, at rehearsal numbers 62, 65, 67, 68, 69+3, and 70 is marked "9/8 (3/4 - 3/8)"; the remainder is variously in 6/8, 3/4, 5/8, and 7/8. - "Voices" by Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. Opening riff in 9/8 broken down as 4/4 + 1/8.
10/4, 10/8 or 10/16
- "Alpha Beta Gaga" by Air. (10/4)
- Etude, op. 35, no. 12, for piano, by Charles Valentin Alkan. (10/16)
- "Everything in Its Right PlaceEverything in Its Right Place"Everything in Its Right Place" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, written by lead singer Thom Yorke in 1999. It was recorded with producer Nigel Godrich in Batsford later the same year...
" by RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
. (10/4) - "Go to SleepGo to Sleep"Go to Sleep" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song has an initial time signature of 4/4, which alternates with 6/8 time throughout the duration of the song. The alternate title for the song as listed...
" by RadioheadRadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
. (10/4) - "Just Like You ImaginedJust Like You Imagined"Just Like You Imagined" is an instrumental by Nine Inch Nails from their 1999 album The Fragile.It features Mike Garson on piano, who is known for his work with David Bowie and The Smashing Pumpkins...
" by Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. (10/4) - "Looks Good (But You Looked Away)", by the Helio Sequence. (10/4)
- "Nostalgia" by YanniYanniYanni , born Yiannis Hrysomallis is a Greek self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer who has spent most of his life in the United States.He earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time...
. (10/8) - "Playing in the BandPlaying in the Band"Playing in the Band" is a Grateful Dead song. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and rhythm guitarist Bob Weir composed it. The song first emerged in embryonic form on the self-titled 1971 live album Grateful Dead...
" by the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
(notated as 4/4 + 4/4 + 2/4). (10/4) - "Wanderlove" by Mason WilliamsMason WilliamsMason Williams is an American guitarist and composer, best known for his guitar instrumental "Classical Gas". He is also a comedy writer, known for his writing on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, and Saturday Night Live...
. (10/4)
Partially in 10/4, 10/8 or 10/16
- "Allegro calmo senza rigore", first movement of String Quartet No. 2, op. 35 (1945), by Benjamin BrittenBenjamin BrittenEdward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to...
. Fourth bar after rehearsal K ("tranquillo, lusingando") is in 10/4. - "Solacium", part 3 of "De Elegia Tertia" from Threni, id est Lamentationes Jeremiae ProphetaeThreni (Stravinsky)Threni: id est Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae, usually referred to simply as Threni, is a setting by Igor Stravinsky of verses from the Book of Lamentations in the Latin of the Vulgate, for solo singers, chorus and orchestra. It is important in Stravinsky's output as his first and longest...
, by Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
. - "Thick As A BrickThick as a Brick-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
" by Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
. The second section of the first part of the song is in 10/4 - "Memory" from CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
by Andrew Lloyd Webber is in 12/8 except for bar 7 of every verse, which is 10/8.
11/4 or 11/8
- "Cigne je suis", from Airs a III. IIII. V. et VI. parties (première livre, 1608) by Claude Le JeuneClaude Le JeuneClaude Le Jeune was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance. He was the primary representative of the musical movement known as musique mesurée, and a significant composer of the "Parisian" chanson, the predominant secular form in France in the latter half of the 16th century...
(barred as 11/4). - "The Eleven", by the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. (11/8) - Eleven Four, by Paul DesmondPaul DesmondPaul Desmond , born Paul Emil Breitenfeld, was a jazz alto saxophonist and composer born in San Francisco, best known for the work he did in the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for penning that group's greatest hit, "Take Five"...
and recorded by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. - "Fugue", second movement of Bachianas brasileiras no. 9, by Heitor Villa-LobosHeitor Villa-LobosHeitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works...
. (11/8) - In Nomine IX, for harpsichord, by John BullJohn Bull (composer)John Bull was an English composer, musician, and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium.-Life:...
. (11/4) - "Man-Erg" (1971), Van der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
. - "Presto", second movement of Alexei StanchinskyAlexei StanchinskyAlexei Vladimirovich Stanchinsky 1888, Obolsunovo, Ivanovo - 25 September/6 October 1914, near Logachevo, Kaluga), was a Russian composer....
's Piano Sonata No.2 in G major (11/8) - "Pantagruel's Nativity" (1971), Gentle GiantGentle GiantGentle Giant were a British progressive rock band active between 1970 and 1980. The band was known for the complexity and sophistication of its music and for the varied musical skills of its members. All of the band members, except the first two drummers, were multi-instrumentalists...
. - "Where but for Caravan Would I Be" (1969), by CaravanCaravan (band)Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
. - "Feargoo" (2009), by Dutch UnclesDutch UnclesDutch Uncles are an indie band from Manchester. They are known for their use of atypical time signatures within a pop context. Their influences includes several bands such as The Smiths, King Crimson, Steve Reich, XTC and Talking Heads.-Biography:...
. (11/8)
Partially in 11/4 or 11/8
- Blockhead, by DevoDevoDevo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
. Verses are in 11/8 time, choruses in 4/4. - Eleven, by PrimusPrimus (band)Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
. Song is mainly in 11/8, the chorus has one bar in 9/8, and after two bars of 11/8 a bar in 12/8. - Mädchentotenlieder, by Bo NilssonBo NilssonBo Nilsson , is a Swedish composer and lyricist.Bo Nilsson first drew notice as a composer at the age of 18 when his "Zwei Stücke" were performed in a 1956 West German Radio “Musik der Zeit” concert in Cologne...
. Bar 74 is in 11/4 time. - "Serenade" by Derek BourgeoisDerek BourgeoisDerek Bourgeois is an English composer. Educated at Cambridge University , he spent two years at the Royal College of Music studying composition with Herbert Howells and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult.From 1970 to 1984 he was a lecturer in music at Bristol University, and then Director of the...
. The beginning and ending sections are in 11/8. - "Whipping PostWhipping Post (song)"Whipping Post" is a song by The Allman Brothers Band. Written by Gregg Allman, the five-minute studio version first appeared on their 1969 debut album The Allman Brothers Band. But the song's full power only manifested itself in concert, when it was the basis for much longer and more intense...
", by The Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
. Intro is in 11/8 time, and repeats several times within the song; most of the song is in 6/8 time.
13/4 or 13/8
- "The Great Divide" by Don EllisDon EllisDon Ellis was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of unusual time signatures...
(13/4). - "13th August" by FromUzFromUzFROM.UZ is an Uzbek progressive rock band formed in 2004 in Tashkent by Vitaly Popeloff and Andrew Mara-Novik. Band’s name FROM.UZ was takenfrom one of the first songs’ title and means from Uzbekistan....
(13/8).
Partially in 13/4 or 13/8
- "Golden BrownGolden Brown"Golden Brown" is a song by the English rock band The Stranglers. It was released as a 7" single in December 1981 in the US and in January 1982 in the UK, on Liberty...
" by The StranglersThe StranglersThe Stranglers are an English punk/rock music group.Scoring some 23 UK top 40 singles and 17 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are the longest-surviving and most "continuously successful" band to have originated in the UK punk scene of the mid to late 1970s...
. The song's characteristic opening phrase, repeated later in the song, is in 13/4 (3+3+3+4) - "I Will Be Absorbed", by EggEgg (band)Egg were an English progressive rock band formed in January 1969.-Career:The founding members of the group were Dave Stewart who played organ , Mont Campbell on bass and vocals and drummer Clive Brooks...
. - "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" by Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. Beginning of instrumental section in 13/8, broken down as 6/8 + 7/8, and later as 4/4 + 5/8. - "Serenade" by Derek BourgeoisDerek BourgeoisDerek Bourgeois is an English composer. Educated at Cambridge University , he spent two years at the Royal College of Music studying composition with Herbert Howells and conducting with Sir Adrian Boult.From 1970 to 1984 he was a lecturer in music at Bristol University, and then Director of the...
. The middle section is in 13/8. - "Skimbleshanks" from Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
's musical CatsCats (musical)Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
. Introduction and chorus are in 13/8 (3+3+3+4). Verses in 4/4. - "StarlessStarless"Starless" is a piece by British progressive rock band King Crimson. It was featured on the Red album in 1974.The lyrics and melody for "Starless" were written by John Wetton. He originally intended the song to be the title track of the group's previous album Starless and Bible Black...
" (1974), by King CrimsonKing CrimsonKing Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
. - "Thick as a BrickThick as a Brick-Differences between various CD releases:By 2011 the album received three major releases on CD: the first release , the MFSL-release , and the 25th Anniversary Edition . Whereas the first release and the MFSL-release run with identical speed, the 25th Anniversary edition runs 0.5% slower...
" (1972), by Jethro TullJethro Tull (band)Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
. - "Turn It on AgainTurn It On Again"Turn It On Again" is a single from the British progressive rock band Genesis, from their 1980 album Duke.The lyrics deal with a man who does nothing more than watch his television, so much that he becomes obsessed with the people he watches on it, believing them to be his friends.The song is also...
" by GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
. The verses and choruses are in 13/8. Other parts are in 8/8, and 5/8.
15/8 or 15/16
Other than compound Quintuple meterQuintuple meter
Quintuple meter or quintuple time is a musical meter characterized by 5 beats in a measure. Like the more common duple, triple, and quadruple meters, it may be simple, with each beat divided in half, or compound, with each beat divided into thirds...
(which see).
- "Chionoblepharou pater Aous" [Father of the bright-eyed Dawn], Hymn to the Sun, by Mesomedes of CreteMesomedesMesomedes of Crete was a Greek lyric poet and composer of the early 2nd century.He was a freedman of the Emperor Hadrian, on whose favorite Antinous he is said to have written a panegyric, specifically called a Citharoedic Hymn . Two epigrams by him in the Greek Anthology Mesomedes of Crete was a...
(15/8, grouped 2+2+2+2+2+3+2) - Karn Evil 9 1st Impression part 1 (1973), by ELPEmerson, Lake & PalmerEmerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...
- "Malibu Shuffle" for jazz band, by Wayne L. Perkins (15/8).
- "Perpetuum Mobile" by the Penguin Cafe OrchestraPenguin Cafe OrchestraThe Penguin Cafe Orchestra was a collective of performing musicians created by classically trained British guitarist, composer and arranger Simon Jeffes...
(15/8) - "Warlock" from Can't Be Long Now suite (1970), by CaravanCaravan (band)Caravan are an English band from the Canterbury area, founded by former Wilde Flowers members David Sinclair, Richard Sinclair, Pye Hastings and Richard Coughlan. Caravan rose to success over a period of several years from 1968 onwards into the 1970s as part of the Canterbury scene, blending...
Partially in 15/4, 15/8, or 15/16
Apart from examples in compound quintuple meterQuintuple meter
Quintuple meter or quintuple time is a musical meter characterized by 5 beats in a measure. Like the more common duple, triple, and quadruple meters, it may be simple, with each beat divided in half, or compound, with each beat divided into thirds...
:
- "A Change of Seasons" by Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. First verse in 15/8 broken down as 3/4 + 9/8, second verse in 15/8 broken down as 6/8 + 6/8 + 3/8. - Robert Browning Overture, by Charles IvesCharles IvesCharles Edward Ives was an American modernist composer. He is one of the first American composers of international renown, though Ives' music was largely ignored during his life, and many of his works went unperformed for many years. Over time, Ives came to be regarded as an "American Original"...
includes measures in 15/16 time. - String Quartet No. 1 (1950–51), by Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
includes measures in 15/16 time. - String Quartet No. 1 (1949), by Leon KirchnerLeon KirchnerLeon Kirchner was an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his String Quartet No. 3.Kirchner was born in Brooklyn, New York...
includes measures in 15/16 time. - String Quartet No. 2 (1959), by Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
includes measures in 15/16 time. - "Tubular BellsTubular BellsTubular Bells is the debut record album of English musician Mike Oldfield, released in 1973. It was the first album released by Virgin Records and an early cornerstone of the company's success...
" by Mike OldfieldMike OldfieldMichael Gordon Oldfield is an English multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends progressive rock, folk, ethnic or world music, classical music, electronic music, New Age, and more recently, dance. His music is often elaborate and complex in nature...
. The first riff in 15/8 is made of two bars. The first bar is in 7/8, the second bar is in 8/8.
17/4 or 17/8
- "(Theme from) Valley of the Dolls(Theme From) Valley of the Dolls" Valley of the Dolls" is a 1967 song by André and Dory Previn, composed for the film version of the Jacqueline Susann novel Valley of the Dolls, and recorded by Dionne Warwick....
" by Andre PrevinAndré PrevinAndré George Previn, KBE is an American pianist, conductor, and composer. He is considered one of the most versatile musicians in the world, and is the winner of four Academy Awards for his film work and ten Grammy Awards for his recordings. -Early Life:Previn was born in...
and Dory PrevinDory PrevinDory Previn, née Dorothy Veronica Langan , is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter and poet.During the late 1950s and 1960s she was a lyricist for motion picture songs, and with her first husband André Previn received several Academy Award nominations...
. Verse changes every measure 4/4 + 3/4 + 2/4 + 4/4 + 4/4
Partially in 17/4 or 17/8
- "CrystallineCrystalline (song)"Crystalline" is a song by Icelandic artist Björk, released as the lead single from her seventh album Biophilia. The song was released as a single on June 28, 2011 accompanied by an iPad app developed exclusively for the song...
" by BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. - "Hollow" by BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
. - "Moon" by BjörkBjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
.
18/8 or 18/16
- "Birds of Fire" by Mahavishnu Orchestra. Guitar plays 5+5+5+3 while drums play 6+6+6. Violin from time to time plays 3+3+2+3+3+2+2.
- "Moderato", no. 2 (1909) from Four Etudes, op. 2, by Sergei ProkofievSergei ProkofievSergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
(18/8 in one hand against 4/4 in the other). - "Variatio 26, a 2 Clav.", from the Clavierübung, Vierter Theil, Aria mit 30 Veränderungen ["Goldberg Variations"], by Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
. (18/16 in one hand against 3/4 in the other, exchanging hands at intervals until the last five bars where both hands are in 18/16).
19/4, 19/8, or 19/16
- "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" by Mahavishnu Orchestra.
- Consort for Piano and Strings by John VincentJohn Vincent (composer)John Vincent was an American composer, conductor, and music educator.He was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music under Frederick Converse and George Chadwick graduating with a diploma in 1927...
. - "19 Days" by Gavin HarrisonGavin HarrisonGavin Harrison is a British drummer and percussionist. He is best known for playing with the British progressive rock band Porcupine Tree which he joined in 2002. As of 2008, he also plays with the band King Crimson....
. - "She's Only 19" by Wayne L. Perkins (19/4).
- "33 222 1 222" by Don EllisDon EllisDon Ellis was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of unusual time signatures...
(19/4).
Partially in 20/4 or 20/8
- "Deux moulins", from Airs a III. IIII. V. et VI. parties (première livre, 1608) by Claude Le JeuneClaude Le JeuneClaude Le Jeune was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance. He was the primary representative of the musical movement known as musique mesurée, and a significant composer of the "Parisian" chanson, the predominant secular form in France in the latter half of the 16th century...
(third section, Chant à 3, is barred as 20/4; the rest of the piece is in 21/4). - "Sensus spei", part 2 of "De Elegia Tertia" from Threni, id est Lamentationes Jeremiae ProphetaeThreni (Stravinsky)Threni: id est Lamentationes Jeremiae Prophetae, usually referred to simply as Threni, is a setting by Igor Stravinsky of verses from the Book of Lamentations in the Latin of the Vulgate, for solo singers, chorus and orchestra. It is important in Stravinsky's output as his first and longest...
, by Igor StravinskyIgor StravinskyIgor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
(bar 4 is in 20/8 time).
Partially in 21/4, 21/16, or 21/32
- "Deux moulins", from Airs a III. IIII. V. et VI. parties (première livre, 1608) by Claude Le JeuneClaude Le JeuneClaude Le Jeune was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance. He was the primary representative of the musical movement known as musique mesurée, and a significant composer of the "Parisian" chanson, the predominant secular form in France in the latter half of the 16th century...
(first two sections, Rechant à 3 and Réprise à 5, are barred as 21/4; the last section of the piece is in 20/4). - In the Dead of the Night suite, instrumental refrain, by UKUK (band)U.K. were a short-lived British progressive rock supergroup active from 1977 until 1980.The band was composed of Singer/Bassist John Wetton, formerly of King Crimson, Bryan Ferry's band and Uriah Heep, Keyboardist/Electric Violinist Eddie Jobson, formerly of Curved Air, Roxy Music and Frank Zappa's...
- "Keep It Greasy" by Frank ZappaFrank ZappaFrank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
(On the studio album, first verse and guitar solo are counted in 19/16 and another part is in 21/16). - Klavierstück IX (1954–55/61) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
. Bars 6, 17, 120, and 149 are in 21/8 time. - Sonata for Cello and Piano (1948), by Elliott CarterElliott CarterElliott Cook Carter, Jr. is a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer born and living in New York City. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris in the 1930s, and then returned to the United States. After a neoclassical phase, he went on to write atonal, rhythmically complex music...
, includes 21/32 time.
22/8
- "The First Circle" from the album First CircleFirst Circle (album)First Circle is a Grammy Award winning album by Pat Metheny Group released in 1984. On the album Pat Metheny is joined by Lyle Mays on piano and keyboards, Steve Rodby on bass, drummer Paul Wertico and vocalist and percussionist Pedro Aznar...
by the Pat Metheny GroupPat Metheny GroupThe Pat Metheny Group is a jazz group founded in 1977. The core members of the group are guitarist and bandleader Pat Metheny, composer, keyboardist and pianist Lyle Mays , and bassist and producer Steve Rodby...
. Composed by Pat MethenyPat MethenyPatrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects...
and Lyle MaysLyle MaysLyle Mays is an American jazz pianist and composer from Wausaukee, Wisconsin. He is best known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny as a member of the Pat Metheny Group...
.
24/1 or 24/16
- "Brobdingnagische Gigue", from Intrada, nebst burlesquer Suite, for two violins (the so-called "Gulliver Suite") by Georg Philipp Telemann.
- "Prelude no. 15" from the Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
is in 24/16
25/8 or 25/16
- "How's This for Openers?" by Don EllisDon EllisDon Ellis was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of unusual time signatures...
(25/8). - "Tenemos Roads", by National HealthNational HealthNational Health were a progressive rock band associated with the Canterbury scene. Founded in 1975, the band included members of keyboardist Dave Stewart's band Hatfield and the North and Alan Gowen's band Gilgamesh, the band also included guitarists Phil Miller and Phil Lee and bassist Mont...
Partially in 34/8
- Klavierstück IX (1954–55/61) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
. The last two bars are in 34/8 time.
Partially in 42/8
- Klavierstück IX (1954–55/61) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
. Bar 3 is in 42/8 time.
Partially in 59/48
- Evol by Damian LeGassickDamian LeGassickDamian LeGassick is a British musician and producer. LeGassick trained at York University and has worked professionally in many diverse areas of the music business as a pianist, composer, producer, and lecturer. As a pianist, he specializes in late 20th century solo repertoire and chamber music...
alternates a rhythm notated as five beats in the time of seven with another in 59/48 time.
Partially in 87/8
- Klavierstück IX (1954–55/61) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
. Bar 2 is in 87/8 time.
Partially in 142/8
- Klavierstück IX (1954–55/61) by Karlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz StockhausenKarlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. Another critic calls him "one of the great visionaries of 20th-century music"...
. Bar 1 is in 142/8 time.
Unusual time signature combinations
- "Autopsy," from Fairport ConventionFairport ConventionFairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
's album UnhalfbrickingUnhalfbrickingThe band's male vocalist Iain Matthews left during the recordings for Unhalfbricking to make his own album Matthews' Southern Comfort, after recording just one track, "Percy's Song". Sandy Denny sang lead vocals on all the other songs, including her own compositions, "Autopsy", and "Who Knows Where...
, switches between 5/4, 3/4 and 4/4. - "Bastard" by Ben FoldsBen FoldsBenjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
. A combination of the time signatures 3/2, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, and 7/4. - "The Dance of Eternity" by Dream TheaterDream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
. This instrumental contains mixtures of faster and slower beat groupings in 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4. It goes through over 128 time signature changes in just over six minutes. - "Diary of a Madman" by Ozzy OsbourneOzzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
. After an intro in 4/4, there's a theme in 9/8 and 8/8, ending in 6/8. The verse is in 7/4, the chorus is in 6/8. See also #Partially in 7.2F4 or 7.2F8. - "The Eynsham Poacher", a traditional song; in the arrangement by Dave PeggDave PeggDave Pegg is an English multi-instrumentalist and record producer, arguably most visible as a bass guitarist. He is the longest-serving member of the pre-eminent electric folk band Fairport Convention and has been bassist with a number of important folk and rock groups including The Ian Campbell...
, most of the tune is in 12/8, but there are five other time signatures: several single bars at 9/8 occur in the refrain and elsewhere; the bridge has a six-bar phrase of three bars at 2/4, one at 6/8, then two at 2/4; whilst the 9/8 finale includes a bar each of 1/4 and 4/4. - "Fish On" by PrimusPrimus (band)Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
. The intro has a free time feel, but is transcribed as: 4/4, 2/4, 4/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/4, 4/4, 2/4, 7/8, 12/8, 14/8, 4/4, 4/4, 12/8 (7 times) and 6/8. - "A Headache And A Sixty-Fourth", from Ron JarzombekRon JarzombekRon Jarzombek is an American guitarist best known for his work with Austin, Texas progressive metal trailblazers WatchTower, '90s madcap trio, Spastic Ink, technical extreme metal band Blotted Science, featuring Cannibal Corpse bassist Alex Webster and Obscura drummer Hannes Grossmann, and most...
's album Solitarily Speaking of Theoretical ConfinementSolitarily Speaking Of Theoretical ConfinementSolitarily Speaking Of Theoretical Confinement is the second solo album by progressive metal guitarist Ron Jarzombek, released in 2002. Every song follows a loose concept of basing each song's composition on certain songwriting systems created by Jarzombek himself Solitarily Speaking Of...
, has a constant time signature pattern of 4/4 and 1/64. - "Here Comes the SunHere Comes the Sun"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road. It is regarded as one of the most popular Beatles songs. The song was written while Harrison was away from all of these troubles...
", by The Beatles. The bridge can be transcribed as 11/8 + 4/4 + 7/8 - "Hey Ya!Hey Ya!"Hey Ya!" is a song written and produced by André 3000 for his 2003 album The Love Below, part of the hip hop duo OutKast's double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The song takes influence from funk and rock music...
" by OutKastOutKastOutkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
. Emulates 11/4 by using a cadential six-measureBar (music)In musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
phrasePhrase (music)In music and music theory, phrase and phrasing are concepts and practices related to grouping consecutive melodic notes, both in their composition and performance...
consisting of three 4/4 measures, a 2/4 measure, and two 4/4 measures. - "I Say a Little PrayerI Say a Little Prayer"I Say a Little Prayer" is a song written by songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick, originally peaking at number four on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in December 1967.-Background:...
" by Dionne WarwickDionne WarwickDionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
uses 10/4 for verses and 11/4 for its chorus. - "Limelight" by RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
. Intro is 4/4 and 3/4 alternating (can be transcribed as 7/4 therefore), verse is 3/4, 3/4, 4/4, 2/4, 4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 3/4, 4/4 (3 times). The chorus is 7 times 3/4, 3 times 4/4. - "On the Floor" by Maartin AllcockMaartin AllcockMaartin Allcock , also known as Martin Allcock, is a multi-instrumentalist musician and record producer.-Biography:...
. A tune where passages of mixed time signatures (5/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 6/4, 7/4 - with no more than two consecutive bars in the same time) alternate with longer passages in 4/4. - "Physical Cities" by The Bad PlusThe Bad PlusThe Bad Plus are a jazz trio from the United States, consisting of pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King, originating from Minneapolis, MN.-History:...
. Alternates between 5/16, 3/4 and 10/8. - "SchismSchism (song)"Schism" is a song by American rock band Tool. It was the first single and music video from their third full-length album, Lateralus. In 2002, Tool won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song....
" by ToolTool (band)Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
. The main riff is a bar in 5/8 followed by one in 7/8 (or a big bar in 6/4), but the band has referred to the whole song as being in 6.5/8 (Which is a valid fractional time signature). After that, according to the bassist Justin ChancellorJustin ChancellorJustin Gunnar Walter Chancellor is an English musician formerly in the band Peach but best known as the bass player for Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool. Chancellor is of Norwegian and English descent...
, it "goes into all kinds of other times." - "Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)Jesus Christ Superstar (album)Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album musical is a musical dramatisation of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion....
", from the musical Jesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ SuperstarJesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
by Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, includes 4/4, 3/4, 5/8, 2/4, 6/8, 6/4, 5/4, 7/4, 7/8, and 2/8, and the time signature in the piece varies a total of 41 times.
Unspecified time signatures
- "My Human Gets Me Blues" by Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band features a "complex time signature."
- "Prize" by WanderlustWanderlust (band)Wanderlust was an American power pop band of the mid-1990s based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Formation:Scot Sax, a native of Philadelphia, had been playing and writing songs since the age of 13, and had actually performed with fellow Philadelphian Rob Bonfiglio a number of times...
features a "distinctive, unconventional time signature." - "Strawberry Fields ForeverStrawberry Fields Forever"Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of a Salvation Army house named "Strawberry Field" near his childhood home."Strawberry Fields...
" (1966) by The Beatles uses "shifting meters". - "Wandering Child" by Gov't MuleGov't MuleGov't Mule is a Southern rock jam band formed in 1994 as an Allman Brothers Band side project by Warren Haynes and Allen Woody.The band released their debut album Gov't Mule in 1995...
features an "oddball time signature."
See also
- Bulgarian dancesBulgarian dancesBulgarian folk dances are intimately related to the music of Bulgaria. This distinctive feature of Balkan folk music is the asymmetrical meter, built up around various combinations of 'quick' and 'slow' beats...
- MathcoreMathcoreMathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
- Math rockMath rockMath rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
- Meter (music)Meter (music)Meter or metre is a term that music has inherited from the rhythmic element of poetry where it means the number of lines in a verse, the number of syllables in each line and the arrangement of those syllables as long or short, accented or unaccented...
- Progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
- Time signatureTime signatureThe time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
- Greek dancesGreek dancesGreek dance is a very old tradition, being referred to by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. There are different styles and interpretations from all of the islands and surrounding mainland areas. Each region formed its own choreography and style to fit in with their own ways...
- Ai GeorgisAi GeorgisAi Georgis is a dance from the village of Nestani in Arkadia, a region of Greece in the Peloponnesus which takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. The dance is performed and danced on the feast day of St George usually after Easter Sunday.-Dance:...
- KalamatianosKalamatianosThe Kalamatianós Dance is one of the best known dances of Greece. It is popular Greek folkdance throughout Greece, Cyprus and internationally and is often performed at many social gatherings worldwide. As is the case with most Greek folk dances, it is danced in circle with a counterclockwise...
- KarsilamasKarsilamaKarsilamas , is a Turkish folk dance spread all over Northwest Asia Minor and carried to Greece by Asia Minor refugees...
- TsakonikosTsakonikosThe Tsakonikos or Tsakonikos khoros is a dance performed in the Peloponnese in Greece. It comes from the region, chiefly in Arcadia, known as Tsakonia. It is danced in many towns villages there with little variation to the steps....
- ZeibekikoZeibekikoZeibekiko is a Greek folk dance with a rhythmic pattern of 9/4 or else 9/8 . The name of the dance derives from the Zeibek warriors of Anatolia. It is danced by one person only and is of free choreographic structure, which is often refers to ancient Greek tragedy...
- Ai Georgis