14 Tunes in oddball time signatures

[Botch]

Interesting if you're into this kind've stuff:

http://www.cmuse.org/14-musical-works-in-the-most-unusual-time-signatures/#.U5Ci_5SSwqR

They left out King Crimson's Indiscipline. That tune uses two not-really-odd time signatures of 15/8 and 17/8, but half the band plays the first, and the other two play the second time signature, simultaneously throughout the tune. They all hit the downbeat together exactly three times (think: least-common multiple!) :ugeek:

 

[Botch]

Gah, my mistake. It was the song Discipline, not Indiscipline. Same album though:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-dZNzXylVE[/youtube]

 

[Babs]

^ This was very catchy! As I listened further into it, Rush came to mind. No, not Tom Sawyer, just the their musical ability overall.

 

[Yesfan70]

^ This was very catchy! As I listened further into it, Rush came to mind. No, not Tom Sawyer, just the their musical ability overall.

Though I love Rush, I think Crimson (especially that album) takes it to another level. I have that album along with Red, and In The Court of the Crimson King. Crimson King is probably my favorite that I've heard by them. I remember the first time I heard this song.........

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU_JC0NCGkc[/youtube]



......That was exact the facial expression I had too as I was higher than a kite the first time I heard it. :shock: .





God I was so freaking high that day.....................



So much for the YouTube link. I never had a problem before. :think:

 

[Flint]

Why not show them playing it live?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkXZzBh9D8U[/youtube]

 

[Yesfan70]

^^ Cool.


I see Mr Bruford on the drums. Is that Tony Levin on bass?

 

[Botch]

Thanks Flint, I don't think I've seen that clip before! :music-rockout:

I'm also not thinking that the magazine article I'd originally got the "15/8-17/8" info from (think it was long-defunct Musician magazine) was entirely correct. There's one section in the song where the whole band IS playing together, in 10/8 time.
I think....

 

[Botch]

Is that Tony Levin on bass?

Yup!

 

[Yesfan70]

Thanks Flint, I don't think I've seen that clip before! :music-rockout:

I'm also not thinking that the magazine article I'd originally got the "15/8-17/8" info from (think it was long-defunct Musician magazine) was entirely correct. There's one section in the song where the whole band IS playing together, in 10/8 time.
I think....

I'm nowhere near the level of musician as some of you guys are, but how do you know it's a single measure of 17/8 instead of 3 different measures at something like 5/8, 5/8, then 7/8? I understand a little on time signatures (ex: 10/8 is 10 beats per measure, the 8th note equals one beat), but I see on some sheet music where something like one measure of 6/4 is sometimes seen as two measures, one at 4/4 and another at 2/4 (or the reverse).

 

[PaulyT]

how do you know it's a single measure of 17/8 instead of 3 different measures at something like 5/8, 5/8, then 7/8?

You don't. At least not without looking at how they notated it if they wrote the song down. But even then it's effectively the same as what you say, where a complex beat is often broken down into smaller subsets - like 7/8 being 3/8 + 4/8, 5/8 being 2/8 + 3/8, etc., in various permutations. Not always, but often it's like that.

 

[Flint]

7/8 could be 3/8 + 4/8 or 4/8 + 3/8 or 6/8 + 1/8, etc.

So, if the counting is a consistent 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, etc. it is more likely to be notated 7/8. However, if the counting is consistently 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, etc. then they may notate it 4/8 followed by 3/8.

Also, on printed page it is very difficult to read a score where every measure has a different time signature. In college I played pieces where the composer chose to just put 29/4 on the page to make it easier on the eyes, but hard for the conductor.

 

[Botch]

What they said.

 

[Yesfan70]

7/8 could be 3/8 + 4/8 or 4/8 + 3/8 or 6/8 + 1/8, etc.

So, if the counting is a consistent 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7, etc. it is more likely to be notated 7/8. However, if the counting is consistently 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3, etc. then they may notate it 4/8 followed by 3/8.

Also, on printed page it is very difficult to read a score where every measure has a different time signature. In college I played pieces where the composer chose to just put 29/4 on the page to make it easier on the eyes, but hard for the conductor.

:shock: Holy shit! I bet the conductor's arms just fell off after that performance! 29/4 is just crazy.


Thanks for the info guys. Makes total sense now.