Time Signatures – Odd Time

Odd time signatures are those that aren’t found very often in music. Most of the exercises you see here will be in 4/4. You can learn about 4/4 or “Common” Time Signatures here.

The most common “odd” time is 3/4 found often in waltzes, minuets or anything building upon the rhythm created by this pattern. It is also used in some of today’s modern popular rock songs.

5/4 time is one example of complex signatures. These signatures will usually have a prime numerator like 5,7,9,11 and so on. They are often mixed into a song that is in common 4/4 or 3/4 to create a unique change in the feel or tempo of the song. While unusual in the West, these signatures are more common in Folk Dance Music of European descent.

6/8 and 2/4 is usually found in jigs, polkas, marching band cadences or waltzes. It has also found it’s way into some modern rock music, but is seldom heard in “Popular” music genres.

12/8 signatures are most often found in the blues genre. It is also referred to as the “Shuffle” feel and can be found in doo-wop tunes. Recently, it has found it’s way into the “mathcore” or “noisecore” genre that uses many odd times and varying signatures throughout each song.

For help with counting time, see this free drum lesson on Reading Drum Music.



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