Time signatures - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Astrodomine View Drop Down

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Topic: Time signatures
Posted: July 05 2007 at 15:51

Thanks everyone!

sircosick

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 17:44

I strongly reccomend some Radiohead's stuff (Kid A, Amnesiac) to explore the signatures beyond.

The best you can is good enough...

Dean

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 17:42

The "fractions" are not fractions - they "\" is only used text (such as this reply) but not in a music score.

The upper number refers to the number of beats in a bar while the lower number is the note value that each beat is made from. So 4/4 time is 4 beats in each bar, each beat being a quarter note (a crochet) and 2/4 says there are 2 beats in each bar (one two three four)

Next comes Compound Time Signatures. In these the top value is divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9 12 etc) and the bottom value is usually "8" meaning an eighth note or quaver, but the beat in this case is usually every third note, e.g. in 6/8 time: one two three four five six

so 9/8 is actually compound tripple time, and it is normally counted one two three four five six seven eight nine (3+3+3)

However, the 9/8 in Genesis's Apocalypse in 9/8 goes one two three four five six seven eight nine (or 3+2+4 as it is sometimes written)

The more wacky time signatures used in Prog can be achieved in many ways, for example just by adding an extra beat to a regular time signature (12/8 would become 13/8) or by combining two or more regular time sigs, (so 13/8 could also be 3/4 + 7/8 - or by just alternate bars in two signature 6/8 and 7/8)

or you could look in Wikipedia: List of musical works in unusual time signatures

/edit: sorry - I took so long writing that, several people got their answers in before me so it looks like I've repeated somethings that have been said already

Edited by darqdean - July 03 2007 at 17:47

What?

sircosick

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 17:23

I reccomend you to listen to variated music and songs with complex signatures and so you'll be discovering the different ones. Also, I reccomend an excellent PC program called GuitarPro, in which you're gonna know better the signatures and their function. Smile

The best you can is good enough...

Astrodomine View Drop Down

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 17:12

Nice reply, thanks alot it's clearer now

billbuckner View Drop Down

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 16:59

Astrodomine wrote:

Hi, I am a big fan of progressive rock of all sort, but I am not a musician. I would like to understand how time signatures works. What does the fraction means? I can figure out what does a 4/4 sound like, but I would like understant how 9/8 or other complicated time signature sounds like. Thanks, sorry for my bad english

Edit: I realize that my post may not be in the good section, sorry for that...

It's not a fraction. Wink

The bottom bit's probably the confusing part. It determines what note recieves one beat.

2 - Half note
4 - Quarter note
8 - Eighth note

The top bit determines how many of those notes make up a measure. So...

A measure in 4/8 would be worth 4 eighth notes, or equivilent. A measure in 15/8 (soundgarden!!!) would be worth 15 eighth notes, or equivilent.

Though it's not recommended, lower numbers that aren't divisible by 2 are possible, 3 (triplet) being the most common.

Anyway, you wanted to know what a 9/8 measure sounded like?

Measures, or bars, are divisions of musical pieces into small segments. These segments correspond to the timings of motives or phrases in pieces. So, if you had a repeating motif of 3 half notes, you'd probably use a 3/2 or 6/4 time signature. If you had a motif of 3 quarter notes, and two eighth notes, you'd probably use 4/4.

A 9/8 signature is used for a motif of 9 eighth notes, but it's generally used for a motif of 5 eighth notes followed by 4 eighth notes (or vise-versa), to make 9. Reason being that counting off 9 beats is rather difficult while playing, but counting off 5 beats, then 4 beats is not.

Edited by billbuckner - July 03 2007 at 17:08

Astrodomine View Drop Down

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Posted: July 03 2007 at 16:49

Hi, I am a big fan of progressive rock of all sort, but I am not a musician. I would like to understand how time signatures works. What does the fraction means? I can figure out what does a 4/4 sound like, but I would like understant how 9/8 or other complicated time signature sounds like. Thanks, sorry for my bad english

Edited by Astrodomine - July 03 2007 at 17:11