it's beautiful. anyway. how the hell do i figure out what the hell time signature to use if i know how to clap it, sing it or whatever? is there an easy way to figure it out. maybe i could've gotten the 9 out of the "short stop" part? it couldn't have been 4 1/2 so i would have to double it? what the hell? is it 9/8 or something? i looked at a website and 9/8 was the only one with the 9. i'm pathetic, i know. the music is in my head. it's just the fact that i'm not talented enough to pick up an instrument and just play it. when i play the keyboard it sucks too because it's only a little one with a few keys. and of course, i'm self taugt so i have a huge lack of proper technique. in short, how do you determine what the time signature of a tune is? i gotta get this song out of my head and into something more reliable? the brain comes and goes. that music theory crap didn't tell me much except that it's friggin hard. i'm not arguing about the usefulness of music theory, i just need to know how time signatures work in simplest terms.
time signature question-help appreciated
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- DC TC
- Topic Starter
- 2518 posts since 30 May, 2004
i guess it pays to know at least a few things... you know, the basics. i'm trying to compose this thing and i had no idea about time signatures. got it by trial and error. it has something to do with 9. 9 measures or whatever. it goes 1 2 3 4 short stop. 1 2 3 4 short stop. it's beautiful. anyway. how the hell do i figure out what the hell time signature to use if i know how to clap it, sing it or whatever? is there an easy way to figure it out. maybe i could've gotten the 9 out of the "short stop" part? it couldn't have been 4 1/2 so i would have to double it? what the hell? is it 9/8 or something? i looked at a website and 9/8 was the only one with the 9. i'm pathetic, i know. the music is in my head. it's just the fact that i'm not talented enough to pick up an instrument and just play it. when i play the keyboard it sucks too because it's only a little one with a few keys. and of course, i'm self taugt so i have a huge lack of proper technique. in short, how do you determine what the time signature of a tune is? i gotta get this song out of my head and into something more reliable? the brain comes and goes. that music theory crap didn't tell me much except that it's friggin hard. i'm not arguing about the usefulness of music theory, i just need to know how time signatures work in simplest terms.
it's beautiful. anyway. how the hell do i figure out what the hell time signature to use if i know how to clap it, sing it or whatever? is there an easy way to figure it out. maybe i could've gotten the 9 out of the "short stop" part? it couldn't have been 4 1/2 so i would have to double it? what the hell? is it 9/8 or something? i looked at a website and 9/8 was the only one with the 9. i'm pathetic, i know. the music is in my head. it's just the fact that i'm not talented enough to pick up an instrument and just play it. when i play the keyboard it sucks too because it's only a little one with a few keys. and of course, i'm self taugt so i have a huge lack of proper technique. in short, how do you determine what the time signature of a tune is? i gotta get this song out of my head and into something more reliable? the brain comes and goes. that music theory crap didn't tell me much except that it's friggin hard. i'm not arguing about the usefulness of music theory, i just need to know how time signatures work in simplest terms.
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- KVRist
- 92 posts since 6 Feb, 2005
You can write any song in any time signature. Though on a particular song, some make the transcription to paper/score/piano roll easier than others. The basic idea is to find the smallest regular duration in your song (the 'beat'). Thats the denominator of the time sig. Then, count how many of those are in a bar or measure of your rhythm. Thats the numerator. Its a little more complicated than that, but that should get you started.
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Voidoid Surrealist Voidoid Surrealist https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=41079
- KVRAF
- 4048 posts since 18 Sep, 2004 from Places far less tedious than this blue trainwreck...
I know you're a fan of gypsy/balkan/eastern-european stuff, so you might find this article interesting:
Mastering Odd, Complex Time Signatures And Rhythms
Mastering Odd, Complex Time Signatures And Rhythms
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- "The" Jazz
- 4562 posts since 18 Aug, 2004 from California, United States
What do you mean by "short stop?"
If it goes:
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 1 and 2 and 3 and 4... etc. that's 9/8
If it goes:
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 1 and 2 and 3 and 4... etc. that's 9/8
Greg Schlaepfer
Orange Tree Samples
Ultra-realistic sample libraries for Kontakt
Orange Tree Samples
Ultra-realistic sample libraries for Kontakt
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- DC TC
- Topic Starter
- 2518 posts since 30 May, 2004
thanks guys. gregjazz: short stop is my "sad" way of trying to explain the beat. sorry. the link voidoid posted has something that was very useful: i guess it was 9/16: it could be synchopated with the words "apple apple apple galloping". thanks again everybody. i think i got it in my own way. 
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- "The" Jazz
- 4562 posts since 18 Aug, 2004 from California, United States
"Apple apple apple galloping" sounds like 9/8 then to me... I'm assuming each "apple" is a beat, and then the "ga" and "ping" are each downbeats also.tuz wrote:thanks guys. gregjazz: short stop is my "sad" way of trying to explain the beat. sorry. the link voidoid posted has something that was very useful: i guess it was 9/16: it could be synchopated with the words "apple apple apple galloping". thanks again everybody. i think i got it in my own way.
EDIT: 9/16 is a compound meter, though, so that's why I think you're talking about 9/8.
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- KVRian
- 1244 posts since 21 Nov, 2003 from San Francisco
Yeah, that's a fairly common rhythm. You might have heard Brubeck's "Blue Rondo a la Turk"
Compound rhythm is a meter like 6/8 or 9/8, where the emphasis is not on each beat. for example, you normally count 6/8 like*:
1 2 3 4 5 6
it has six beats per measure but the emphasis is on 1 and 4 which gives it a 2 feel, with the beat subdevided into 3 parts. You conduct 6/8 with two beats also.
*and yes, I'm shure music exists and I'm shure you could write something where the emphasis is on all six beats and it doesn't have a 2 feel, I'm talking about most standard liturature. Also, I know all about poly rhythms too. 3 against 6, 6 against 4, etc...
Compound rhythm is a meter like 6/8 or 9/8, where the emphasis is not on each beat. for example, you normally count 6/8 like*:
1 2 3 4 5 6
it has six beats per measure but the emphasis is on 1 and 4 which gives it a 2 feel, with the beat subdevided into 3 parts. You conduct 6/8 with two beats also.
*and yes, I'm shure music exists and I'm shure you could write something where the emphasis is on all six beats and it doesn't have a 2 feel, I'm talking about most standard liturature. Also, I know all about poly rhythms too. 3 against 6, 6 against 4, etc...
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- KVRian
- 1244 posts since 21 Nov, 2003 from San Francisco
In fact, speaking of Dave Brubeck, The album "Time Out" is a fantastic example of compound meter. The liner notes explain the meters too. So go listen to it for a beter understanding of compound meter. 
And then if you want to just be confused, go and listen to Wynton Marsalis "Standard Time Vol. 1"
And then if you want to just be confused, go and listen to Wynton Marsalis "Standard Time Vol. 1"
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- "The" Jazz
- 4562 posts since 18 Aug, 2004 from California, United States
Yeah, Time Out is a great example of odd metered tunes. I'm not certain exactly how many compound metered tunes are in there though. Off the top of my head, Kathy's Waltz is a compound meter. (it starts out in 4/4 but then goes to a 6/8 feel -- while Dave Brubeck still solos in 4/4!)o'malley wrote:In fact, speaking of Dave Brubeck, The album "Time Out" is a fantastic example of compound meter. The liner notes explain the meters too. So go listen to it for a beter understanding of compound meter.
And then if you want to just be confused, go and listen to Wynton Marsalis "Standard Time Vol. 1"
