Basic Trope: A song uses a time signature that's, well, uncommon. It's typically agreed on that 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, 3/8, 4/4, 6/4, and 6/8 are common time signatures. Of somewhat less approval are versions of these with divergent denominators, like 6/2 and 3/16, as well as slightly less common ones like 8/8 (3+3+2 or 4+4), 9/8 (3+3+3), and 12/8 (3+3+3+3 or 4+4+4). Generally agreed to be uncommon are time signatures like 5/4, 7/4, 13/8, and 9/8 (2+2+2+3).
- Straight: A song has a time signature of 7/8.
- Exaggerated:
- The song constantly switches between different odd time signatures, featuring 11/8, 5/4, 7/8, and 7/4 all in quick succession.
- The song has a time signature of 46/4, and the composer insists that performers count all the way to 46 rather than subdividing each measure.
- The song has a time signature of 7/12, requiring the subdivision of beats into tuplets in order to be played correctly.
- The song has a time signature of 71907/40120, so complex than it can only be performed by a computer. It's very difficult to come up with something coherent and listenable, much less danceable, with signatures like these.
- The song has a time signature of π/4. Because this is a truly "irrational" (in the mathematical sense) time signature, the best bet for both the transcriber and the performer is to approximate it as 22/28.
- The song features a polymeter, with different instruments playing 5/4, 7/4, and 11/4 all at the same time until they finally sync back up 385 beats later.
- Downplayed:
- Percussion is used slowly or quietly, so that you can't really tell.
- The song has a time signature of 10/4, divided as five measures of 2/4.
- The song periodically uses "half-measures" of 2/4 (or, alternatively, 6/4) in an otherwise 4/4 section.
- Each phrase in the song consists of two bars of 4/4 and two of 3/4, or 14 beats in total.
- The song contains a brief passage, or even just a single measure, of 7/8.
- The song uses a polymeter where the drums are playing in 4/4, while the other instruments are playing in 3/4.
- The song has a time signature of 9/8, but subdivides it as 2+2+2+3 rather than the more common 3+3+3.
- Justified:
- The song lyrics are about confusion and/or something feeling "off", but you're not sure what. This theme is reflected in the music itself, which is designed to confuse its listeners.
- The polyrhythm encodes "Implausible Missions Force" in morse.
- Inverted: Not only is the song in Common Time, but each phrase is exactly four measures long and each section consists of four phrases.
- Subverted: The song sounds like it's on an odd meter, but it's actually a complicated polyrhythm over 4/4.
- Double Subverted: Same as above... but then the song legitimately switches to a weird signature.
- Parodied: √31/e, 0.2/512, 71/-5, 206/i. The audience is baffled by this.
- Zig Zagged: The song switches back and forth from normal signatures like 4/4 and complex ones like 7/4.
- Averted: Common Time
- Enforced: The record label is going for a Progressive Rock audience, and asks the band to incorporate more exotic time signatures in their songs to appeal to them.
- Lampshaded: The song's time signature is directly called out in its title or lyrics. ("Uncommon Headache" or simply "7/8")
- Invoked:
- A student has to write a piece in Uncommon Time in order to pass their music degree.
- The composer just feels like experimenting with something different, or is providing a technical challenge for the performer.
- Artists deliberately use odd time signatures to make their music seem more sophisticated or attract a new fanbase in the prog world.
- "We want our song to be as unique as possible. Let's use a time signature that's never been used before."
- "I like this song of mine a lot, but I don't want it to be blasted out on pop radio all the time... I know! I'll put it in 5/4! That should do it..."
- Someone is turning a poem into a song, but the poem has an unusual rhythm. It has to use Uncommon Time to avert Accent Upon The Wrong Syllable.
- Exploited: ???
- Defied: ???
- Discussed: "Unlike some of the music you may hear nowadays, all our songs have Common Time."
- Conversed: "I... can't find the rhythm in this." "You'll get used to it. This stuff shows up all the time in Southeastern European music, I hear."
- Deconstructed:
- It's painfully obvious the song was originally written in Common Time and then changed to suit Uncommon Time, making what could have been a great song anywhere from decent to nearly unlistenable.
- The performer(s) find it too difficult to play a song with a time signature of 37/32.
- Reconstructed:
- An old church hymn, after many years of interpreting the free time structure as Common Time — much to the chagrin of many a choir, who had to sing the hymn with a very disjointed, irregular, and confusing rhythm — is rewritten with Uncommon Time in mind to better suit the rhythm of the original song as well as make it less mind-bogglingly confusing.
- The performer(s) decide to play the song at a much slower tempo, making the time signature more like 37/16 in practice. Still highly unusual, but significantly more playable.
- Played For Laughs: A song with a 19/16 time signature is played at a school dance. Hilarity Ensues as the students try to figure out how to dance to it.
- Played For Drama: A song with a 19/16 time signature is played at a dance competition.
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