{"id":55,"date":"2018-12-16T00:53:34","date_gmt":"2018-12-16T00:53:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshanin.com\/blog\/?p=55"},"modified":"2026-01-06T04:20:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T04:20:49","slug":"odd-meters-and-time-signatures-in-music-part-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshanin.com\/blog\/2018\/12\/16\/odd-meters-and-time-signatures-in-music-part-6\/","title":{"rendered":"ODD METERS AND TIME SIGNATURES IN MUSIC – Part 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

P<\/span>art<\/span> 6: B<\/span>eyond <\/span>The <\/span>Odd Meters:<\/span> T<\/span>he<\/span> M<\/span>ixed Meters<\/span>
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(Previous essay: \u201cPart 5: Examples of Odd Meters in Modern Music<\/a><\/u>\u201d)<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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Combinations of different meters used in a single music piece are called Mixed <\/b><\/i>M<\/b><\/i>eter<\/b><\/i>s<\/b><\/i>. They could be used to create a variety of special effects in music or as a support for any given musical, lyrical, dramatic or thematic context. Since most of the music is obviously written in a single meter, with either the entire music works or at least their individual movements being built on a consistent metric pattern, mixed meters<\/i> would naturally serve as a perfect tool for breaking this uniformness, for adding another layer of rhythmic complexity or for metric exploration and experimentation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Based on their placement in musical works I would classify mixed meters<\/i> in three groups:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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– Continuous mixed meters<\/b><\/i> are successive identical patterns consisting of the same combinations of meters which are repeated consistently throughout the entire music piece<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

– Periodic mixed meters<\/b><\/i> appear regularly within a music piece or have a specific placement in the arrangement. For example: music pieces with different meters or meter combinations used in different sections, specific (uniform or non-uniform) meter sequences reflecting the melodic component etc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

– Sporadic <\/b><\/i>m<\/b><\/i>ixed <\/b><\/i>m<\/b><\/i>eters<\/b><\/i> which would be just a single inserted meter combination or a random occurrence of different meters within a single piece.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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EXAMPLES FOR MUSIC WITH MIXED METERS:<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Jazz Pianist <\/span>Duke Pearson<\/span><\/b><\/i>\u2019s <\/span>tune <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The Fakir<\/span><\/b><\/i>\u201d <\/span>was <\/span>released on his 19<\/span>66<\/span> album \u201c<\/span>Prairie Dog<\/span><\/b><\/i>\u201d <\/span>and at the first hearing of its introductory groove it immediately brings to mind <\/span>Dave Brubeck Quartet<\/span><\/i>\u2019s \u201c<\/span>Take Five<\/span><\/i>\u201d or <\/span>John Coltrane<\/span><\/i>\u2019s rendition of \u201c<\/span>My Favorite Things<\/span><\/i>\u201d. However, in contrast to these two other tunes\u2019 stable meter, this soul-jazz pearl brings into play an interesting mixed meter by combining a 3\/4 jazz-waltz feel with a 5\/4 meter. The rhythmic foundation for the theme rests on the following sequence:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Intro: ||: 3\/4 | 3\/4 | 3\/4 | 3\/4 :||<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Lead melody: ||: 3\/4 | 3\/4 | 3\/4 | 5\/4 | 5\/4 | 5\/4 | 5\/4 :|| 5\/4 | 5\/4 | 5\/4 | 5\/4 ||<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Fakir\u201d by Duke Pearson:<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/GcXLRv1iG2U<\/a>
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