Mixed & Asymmetrical Meter

Examples in Asymmetrical and Mixed Meters.

Asymmetrical Meters

Examples for Aural Meter ID

5/8 and 5/4 Meters

Other Meters with Unequal Beats

Changing Meter

Changing Meters with Asymmetrical Meters

Additional Resources

Asymmetrical Meters

Examples for Aural Meter ID

Directions: Shuffle the playlist and listen to the examples. Identify the asymmetrical meter (e.g. 5/4, 7/8) and the grouping (e.g. 2+3 or 2+2+3).

5/8 and 5/4 Meters

1) Harry Belafonte, “Turn the World Around,” from Turn the World Around (1977), written by Harry Belafonte and Robert Freeman [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

2) Andrew Lloyd Webber, "Everything's Alright," mm. 1–13, from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (1970). Words by Tim Rice. [Image File | MuseScore | PDF]

3) Dolores White, That Black Reef (2003), mm. 9–15, vocal part only [MuseScore | PDF | Image File]

4) Traditional folksong (Turkey), “Ali Pasa,” transcribed by LyubenDossev (from folkdancefootnotes.org) [Image | MuseScore | PDF | YouTube: 0:30–1:02]

5) Traditional folksong (Macedonia), “Daronee” (from folkdancefootnotes.org) [Image | MuseScore | PDF ]

Other Meters with Unequal Beats

1) Common Time Signatures and Divisions in Bulgarian Folk Music (from Vessela Stoyanova, “Against The Odds: an Exploration of Bulgarian Rhythms”) [Image File | PDF | Musescore]

2) Pat Metheny, “Have You Heard,” mm. 1–4 (1989) [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

Directions: Sing this is a rhythm duet with a partner or sing the top line while clapping the bottom.

3) Traditional folksong (Bulgaria), “Bjala Roza,” chorus, transcribed by Michael Gordon (folkdancefootnotes.org) [Image File | PDF | MuseScore ]

4) The Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Blue Rondo À La Turk,” mm. 1– 8, from Time Out (1959) [Image File | PDF | MuseScore ]

Directions: Sing this as a rhythm duet with a partner or sing the top line while clapping the bottom.

5) The Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Blue Rondo À La Turk,” mm. 56–70, from Time Out (1959) [Image File | PDF | MuseScore ]

Directions: Sing this as a rhythm duet with a partner or sing the top line while clapping the bottom.

6) The Dave Brubeck Quartet, "Unsquare Dance," mm. 13–18, from Further Out (1961) [Image File | PDF | MuseScore ]

Directions: Sing this as a rhythm trio with two partners or perform solo by stomping the bass line, clapping the hand clap part, singing the top part.

7) The Dave Brubeck Quartet, “Blue Rondo À La Turk,” mm. 40–47, from Time Out (1959) [Image File | PDF | MuseScore ]

Directions: Sing this as a rhythm duet with a partner or sing the top line while clapping the bottom.

Changing Meter

1) Traditional Song: The Yunnan Province, China, “Gently Flowing Stream” [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

2) “Maliseet Love Song,” Native American Wabanaki Song. Transcribed by Natalie Curtis. [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

3) Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, 6 Sorrow Songs, Op. 57, No. 6, “Too Late for Love,” mm. 39–47 (1906) [Image File] [MuseScore] [PDF]

4) Dionne Warwick, "I Say a Little Prayer," chorus. From The Windows of the World (1967), written by Burt Bacharach. [Image] [PDF] [MuseScore] [YouTube: 0:37-0:56]

5) Dorothy Rudd Moore, “The Glory of the Day Was in Her Face,” Movt. 5 from Flowers of Darkness. Song Cycle for Tenor and Piano (1990), mm. 14–25, vocal part only [ MuseScore | PDF | Image File ]

6) Miriam Gideon, “The Hound of Heaven” (1945), mm. 106–115, vocal part only [MuseScore | PDF | Image File]

7) Joan Tower, String Force for solo violin (2010), mm. 22–27. Modified: written down an octave; harmonic voices removed. [MuseScore | PDF | Image ]

8) Avett Brothers, “I and Love and You,” verse 1, from I and Love and You (2009), written by Seth Avett & Scott Avett [PDF | Image | MuseScore | Braille | YouTube 0:07–0:54]

9) Avett Brothers, “I and Love and You,” chorus, from I and Love and You (2009), written by Seth Avett & Scott Avett [PDF | Image | MuseScore | Braille | YouTube 0:53–1:18]

Changing Meters with Asymmetrical Meters

1) Klaus, Badelt, "Will and Elizabeth," from the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), mm. 1–8 [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

Directions: Sing the rhythm of the melody while tapping the rhythm in the bass.

2) Tui St. George Tucker, VIII. Libera Me from Requiem, mm. 54–59 [PDF | Image | MuseScore]

Directions: Sing the rhythm of the melody in the soprano line while tapping the rhythm in the bass.

3) Joyce Solomon, "A Summer Afternoon in South Carolina," movt. 3, mm. 1–9. [Image] [PDF] [MuseScore] [YouTube: 0:00-0:16]

Directions: Sing the rhythm of the melody in the soprano line while tapping the rhythm in the bass or sing the rhythm with a partner.

4) Stephen Sondheim, "Ladies In Their Sensitivities," opening verse. From Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), written by Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim. [Image] [PDF] [MuseScore] [YouTube: 0:19-0:43]

5) Adolphus Hailstork, “The Awakening,” from Five Dunbar Lyrics (1987), mm. 16–21, vocal part only [MuseScore | PDF | Image File]

6) Carlos Chávez, Symphony No. 2 (Sinfonía India) (2019)

Youtube: 0:10–0:36

Oboe Part: PDF, Image, MuseScore

Directions: Click on the score to the right to open an online copy for sight-reading. Select passages from mm. 1–27 for sight-reading rhythms in groups, or sing your rhythm part along with the Youtube recording.

7) David N. Baker, “The Alarm Clock,” No. 7 from The Black Experience (1973), mm. 21–27, vocal part only [ MuseScore | PDF | Image File ]

8) David N. Baker, “The Alarm Clock,” No. 7 from The Black Experience (1973), mm. 8–11, voice and piano bassline only [ MuseScore | PDF | Image File ]

9) Miriam Gideon, “The Hound of Heaven” (1945), mm. 51–56, vocal part only [MuseScore | PDF | Image File]

10) Miriam Gideon, “The Hound of Heaven” (1945), mm. 14–20, vocal part only [MuseScore | PDF | Image File]

Additional Resources

Toby Stewart, Foundational Sight-Singing

Mixed Meter: p. 118, 120
Mixed Meter in 2-Parts: p. 119, 121

Kent D. Cleland & Mary Dobrea-Grindahl, Developing Musicianship through Aural Skills - Available online through the NYU library

Simple Changing Meter: Explanation, prep exercises, and rhythms for practice, pp. 155–159 (direct link to section)
Complex Changing Meter: Explanation, prep exercises, rhythms, and 2 and 3-part rhythms for practice, pp. 450–458 (direct link to section)
Asymmetric Meters: Explanation, prep exercises, rhythms, and 2 and 3-part rhythms for practice, pp. 467–472 (direct link to section)

Erik Højsgaard, Rhythm: Advanced Studies - Available online through the NYU library

Handout: Conducting Patterns (PDF)
Mixed Meter
- - Part 1, pp. 22–26
  - Part 2: Mixing Simple and Compound: pp. 30–31
  - Part 3: Triplets and Smaller Subdivisions: pp. 34–35
  - Part 4: Irregular Meters: 47–48
  - Part 5: pp. 54–58, (see also 59-end)
  - 2-Part Examples: See mm. 136–end
Irregular Time Signatures (Part 1): pp. 36–38
- - Part 2 (with duplets, quadruplets): pp. 41–42
  - Part 3: p. 46
  - Part 4: p. 53 (see also 54–end)
  - 2-Part Examples: See mm. 137–end
Metric Modulation: p. 43, pp. 79–82, pp. 95–98

Yale Musical Examples Database (See the Rhythm/Meter tab)

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