Irregular Beats Per Measure

iceshaft07 · #1 05-05-2007, 04:35 PM

I am okay at holding a 4/4 time signature. I have only have only ever written one musical phrase that goes off standard time, but it isn't that big of an issue as it is only a single note, and returns to 4/4 afterwards.

But the other day, I wrote a really awesome riff, but I found out it is in 7/4, and keeping it with a metronome is confusing. Does anyone have any recommendations for keeping better time?

I mean, I keep thinking "one two there four, one two three fo-- damnit!"

Jeff Moote · #2 05-05-2007, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

I mean, I keep thinking "one two there four, one two three fo-- damnit!"

So try "one two three four five six seven"

lemur821 · #3 05-05-2007, 05:43 PM

1-2-3 1-2-3-4?
1-2 1-2- 1-2-3?

It depends on how you want to divide it up.

iceshaft07 · #4 05-05-2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

So try "one two three four five six seven"

I figured that out :-P :-), but is there something I can do so I don't 'hear' four beats?

deaf pea · #5 05-05-2007, 08:10 PM

OK, everybody. Together now

one
two
three
four

five
six
se-
ven

one
two
three
four

five
six
se-
ven

and repeat as needed . . .

OOPS!
Sounds like 4/4 . . .

But, seriously folks
ta-ki
ta-ki
ta-ki-ta
ta-ki
ta-ki
ta-ki-ta
ta-ki
ta-ki
ta-ki-ta
ta-ki
ta-ki
ta-ki-ta

(and so on . . . )

lemur821 · #6 05-05-2007, 08:27 PM

You pretty much have to divide the measure up into sets of beats. Like I said, 7 could become 2 2 3, 2 3 2, 3 2 2, 3 4, 4 3, or whatever. Other than that, practice will make it easier to remember what your time signature is supposed to sound like.

**Pacman** · #7 05-05-2007, 08:49 PM

I highly recommend looking into how Dave Weckl explains odd meter. I've written a fairly long post about it here, and I'm too lazy to find it.

Jeff Moote · #8 05-05-2007, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pacman

I highly recommend looking into how Dave Weckl explains odd meter. I've written a fairly long post about it here, and I'm too lazy to find it.

7/8 time on schism

Check out the parent thread for more odd meter discussion.

DocBop · #9 05-05-2007, 09:02 PM

The number in first column is number of beats per measure.

Konakkol:

1 Ta
2 Ta Ki (pronounced: Tuh Kee)
3 Ta Ki Ta
4 Ta Ka Di Mi (pronounced Tuh Kah Dee Mee)
5 Ta Ki Ta Ki Ta
6 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ka
7 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ki Ta
8 Ta Ki Ta Ta Ki Ta Ta Ki
9 Ta Ka Di Mi Ta Ki Ta Ki Ta

iceshaft07 · #10 05-05-2007, 09:53 PM

Thanks! I completely forgot about Konakkol. I'll have to review that.

And I'll check out that thread too!

deaf pea · #11 05-06-2007, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lemur821

You pretty much have to divide the measure up into sets of beats...7 could become 2 2 3, 2 3 2, 3 2 2...

yeah, you're so right . . .

so it COULD be

ta-ki ta-ki ta-ki-ta
OR
ta-ki ta-ki-ta ta-ki
OR
ta-ki-ta ta-ki ta-ki

Delberthot · #12 05-06-2007, 03:55 PM

I used to be a huge Pink Floyd fan so endless playing of "Money" means that I now find it easy to play anything in 7/4

PilbaraBass · #13 05-07-2007, 06:09 AM

i used to play drums...

the beginning of Yes' "Changes" has measures of 7/8 5/8 alternating to give a 12/8 feel...

it's counted 1-2 1-2 1-2-3, 1-2 1-2-3, 1-2 1-2 1-2-3 ,1-2 1-2-3

it's all about breaking it up to place the accents in the correct spots..

Joe P · #14 05-07-2007, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceshaft07

I figured that out :-P :-), but is there something I can do so I don't 'hear' four beats?

I guess what I'm thinking is that if YOU wrote the song, and you keep 'hearing 4/4', then maybe it's supposed to be some duple-meter (I think I said that right).

Else - like others have said - it might be more of an alternating 4-beat/3-beat thing.

I love playing the song Money! (but that one doesn't sound like 4-beat/3-beat; it feels like 7-7-7-7 to me..)

(I think there are some rock tunes written "4-beat/4-beat/3-beat - right? Is there a Tesla song, I think? No! - I think that is just 4-3-4-3. Like the song "getting better" l most forgot about that one.)

Joe

Swift713 · #15 05-11-2007, 10:43 AM

I've fiddled around with odd meters for years but it wasn't until I got a Boss loop station that I started to really get a feel for any of them. You have to start all over from scratch. I can vaguely remember when feeling 4/4 was a challenge, now I have a hard time shaking it. I played a phrase in 7 into the loop and then just tried to improvise over it. The more variations I came up with the more fluid I got, and the more I was able to keep track of the beat. I'm still working on it, it's a process.