FAWM : "Odd time signatures!" (by @erikleppen)

@erikleppen 6w

By now, I consider it FAWM tradition to have a topic on songs with odd time signatures, so I was a bit surprise when not finding any topic on them.

"Odd" in the mathematical sense as 5, 7, 9 beats to the measure, but anything goes that's out of your standard 4/4 or 6/8! Or even if it is 4/4 or 6/8, but mixed, or used in an unusual way. So, let's count to 5 and get those odd beats going, and post your songs here! I have noticed the tag #odd_time_signature is already going round, so let's use that!

I'm adding https://write.fawm.org/songs/15117 Life at the pond in the mix, which is mostly 7/8 but also has occasional measures at 8/8, 6/8 or 4/8, and somehow a 9/8 ending.

I have this hunch that these time signatures start sounding more and more natural when I use them more. Especially 5-based measures are some that I use more often nowadays. These odd time signatures are very interesting because there's so many ways to split them up: 5 can be 3+2 or 2+2+1, etc. Lots of rhythmic variety possible!

So, post your #odd_time_signature songs here and discuss :)

@midwayfair 5w

I’m doing a bunch of trad sounding material this year, and Irish slip jigs are in 9/8 so I might do one of those, but I don’t really think it counts as “odd” if it’s a traditional form … especially because 9/8 is just three triplets per bar.

Maybe I should figure out how to do a reel in 5/4 or something. That sounds super hard … but I’ve done 6/4, 6/8, 9/8, 10/4, and 7/4 at various times in FAWMs past even with relatively folky material so hey let’s try to fill in the 5 gap.

@chldomn5 3w

Also, this may be a stupid question, but is there a way of accidentally falling into a time signature by swapping and exchanging notes to an excessive amount ?

I am intrigued by polyrhythms , are these also odd time signatures or something else ?

When I started to learn music I was convinced both by someone and by my own excitement to make music in 7/8 by throwing in a bar or two here or there that fits that rhythm. However now I don’t fully know when a 4/4 bar starts and ends when I naturally flip into this weird thing

@midwayfair 3w

@chldomn5 Polyrhythms are multiple rhythms played simultaneously. In some cases, it's just a matter of being able to count something multiple ways. 12/8 (and 6/8) are extremely common polyrhythms where the rhythms can be counted as 4 triplets (for 12/8, or two triplets for 6/8) or as 12 eighth notes. Sometimes multiple instruments literally play in different time signatures in each bar.

An odd time signature is just what people call having a number of beats other than what is typical. Usually a song is only described as being in an odd time signature if the whole thing is in an odd time signature. Temporarily switching time signatures to accommodate an extra note or two of the melody at the end of, say, the last line of a chorus for a song that's otherwise a steady four quarter notes to the bar is pretty common but it's not what people usually mean. Some songs switch their time signature all time time so that they're actually playing in an odd time signature but it's easier to count to three or four than to five or seven or 19. Like if you are constantly in one song playing a bar of 4/4 followed by a bar of 3/4, you're playing in 7/4.

Odd time signatures!

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