History Main / UncommonTime

* WebAnimation/{{ONE}}: Several of the songs composed for the show fall under this category; the most extreme case of this is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ich9qZOkU6c Whiskey Lounge]], which uses a time signature of 13/16.
* WebAnimation/BattleForDreamIsland: The song [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcmbIB-6GRs Minutes]] follows a 16/4 mixed meter, split into 5+7+4/4.

* From ''[[WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse Steven Universe]]'', Malachite's {{Leitmotif}} is a [[ScareChord minimal classical sting]] with pulses in 7/8.

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7tkWy7rEvQ 7 Minutes]]" from the ''Anime/CowboyBebop'' movie is not only just under 7 minutes long[[labelnote:†]] (it clocks in at 6 minutes, 49 seconds)[[/labelnote]], it spends a lot of time EpicRocking in 7/4 (with interludes in 4/4).
* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPBNbtn-uU8&t=101s Medley from Spell of the Unown]]" from ''[[Anime/{{Pokemon3}} Pokemon 3: Spell of the Unown]]'' has a section in 7/8.
* A couple of character songs from ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' have sections written in Uncommon Time, namely, Takano Miyo's "Bon ~Karma~" and Fuurude Rika's "Mugen Kairou". "Mugen Kairou" is in 5/4 except for its bridge and chorus, which is in 3/4; while the verse of "Bon ~Karma~" alternates between 3/4 and 4/4 measures -significant in that Miyo's name is written with the kanji for 3 and 4.

* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVDS4JI9fQw Cry These]]" from ''Anime/AlienNine'' switches between 5/4 and 4/4.
* "Cause Disarray" from ''Anime/{{Mnemosyne}}'' has a section in 5/4.
* "[[https://downloads.khinsider.com/game-soundtracks/album/midori-no-hibi-original-soundtrack/09%2520-%2520kinpaku%2520no%2520niramiai.mp3 Kinpaku no Niramiai]]" from the fourth episode of ''Anime/MidoriDays'' is in 7/4
* "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv1B1ot5tSU A Parallel Universe]]" from the ''Ito Junji Collection'' is a math rock song, so it switches meters a good chunk of the time.
* The same goes for the opening theme to ''Tokyo Ghoul Root A''.
* In the extremely obscure OVA series, ''High School Agent'', there is a track in 6/4 that begins at 19:12 in the second episode.

* A short tune from ''Manga/TheKindaichiCaseFiles'' is mostly in 5/4, but switches to 8/4 for a couple bars.
* The opening theme of ''Manga/AzumangaDaioh'', "Soramimi Cake", is mostly in common time, but spends most of its chorus in 7/4.

** However, these time shenanigans pale in comparison to the work done by Music/KingCrimson in their '80s reincarnation. In particular, the song "Discipline" involves the band's two guitarists playing patterns in slightly different time signatures, changing every few seconds, for 5 minutes. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO2BIf12xnQ It must be heard to be believed.]]

* [[Music/SongsToWearPantsTo Andrew Huang]], rapper of Website/YouTube fame, has a song titled "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAgGBfLgKmY Andrew Huang Raps in 15/8]]" in... Well, you know. The same goes for his "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIFiFWaaNHc Andrew Huang Raps in 5/4]]", and "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3GhDWMb_3E Alphabetical 26-Genre Song]]" uses something at least as odd in its "math metal" section.

* Website/YouTube rapper None Like Joshua recorded [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-F22AUkp70 this]] over a 7/4 Music/VenetianSnares tune.
* Website/YouTube's Milton Coffee made [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs99oNHgp9w this]] in 7/8.

* Website/{{Twitch}} streamer Music/The8BitDrummer has covered MANY songs that fall under this. A relevant example that is played often is "[[VideoGame/{{Hades}} Scourge of the Furies]]", which has a section where the time signature switches between 5/4 and 6/4, making it 11/4 in total.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Irish folk music often plays around with Uncommon Time - for instance, "Rocky Road To Dublin" is in 9/8.
* Irish music has several "sub-genres", which are basically divided by time signature:

** If it's in 6/8, it's a jig. There are also slip jigs, in 9/8 (including "Rocky Road To Dublin"), and a few double jigs in 12/8.

* UsefulNotes/{{MOD}} Tracker formats don't really have time signatures for the composer to be concerned about. Composing in such programs is more about getting things to sound good when played by the computer. Some files even change the speed of the song every couple of lines, making it at the very least, very difficult for a time signature to be deduced.

** Many of Zimmer's film tracks are in uncommon time, such as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWyB447vNjg "Gotham's Reckoning"]] from ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' (5/4) and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S176AKQhcCk "Is She With You?"]], Franchise/WonderWoman's theme from ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' (7/4).

* Some of Music/PhilipGlass' score to ''Film/{{Koyaanisqatsi}}'' uses this trope. For example, there are segments of "Pruitt Igoe" in 7/4 and other strange metres.
** Its sequel, ''Powaqqatsi'', takes it further. Anthem Part 1 is in 5/4 time; Anthem Part 3 goes back in forth between 5/4 and ''13/8'' (3+3+3+2+2). And it's ''[[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic glorious.]]''

Still confused? Let's relate it to UsefulNotes/PoetryForms. Poetry typically has "meter," described as the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the verse's "feet" -- for instance, the "iambic" in GratuitousIambicPentameter is a "foot" of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllables: "I '''want''' to '''be''' the '''one''' who '''licks''' those '''frogs'''. I've '''learned''' I '''hate''' the '''taste''' of '''cats''' and '''dogs'''." Uncommon Meter is when the number of syllables-per-feet ''changes'' over the course of the line: "'''Will''' you '''be''' my '''run'''ning mate? '''It''' would '''help''' me '''con'''centrate." In poetic terms, this would be two trochees followed by a dactyl. In musical terms, this would be 7/4 or 7/8, depending on how precisely the composer decided to engrave the work. (This is why 9/8 only sometimes counts: it can be three dactyls ("'''I''' do not '''un'''derstand '''mu'''sic stuff") or three trochees and a dactyl ("'''It''' is '''going''' to '''drive''' me '''up''' the wall, '''then''' I'll '''lose''' my '''ba'''lance '''and''' then fall").)

** "Take Five" by ''Dave Brubeck'' is both the UrExample of this trope in pop music (coming a decade or more before ProgressiveRock and even the Beatles' temporal experiments) and the TropeMaker for a new genre of jazz: despite the Uncommon Time, its rhythm is simple enough that a ''lot'' of jazz songs have copied it since. [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny In the '50s, this was groundbreaking.]]

* Music/{{Blondie}}, believe it or not, has an example here, and in one of their best known songs to boot. One part of the instrumental section of "Heart of Glass" skips a beat in three out of eight measures, meaning that there is a popular {{disco}} song with a few measures of UncommonTime in it. (The exact pattern, if you're wondering, is 4+3+4+3+4+3+4+4/4, meaning that there's a 29-beat pattern instead of the standard 32. This no doubt tripped up quite a few people on the dance floor without them knowing exactly why).

* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktKe4iG6okA Cross Examination]] theme from ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorney: Justice for All'' is written in alternating measures of 7/8 and 13/16, and then 13/16 and 12/16 (3/4).

* Electronic music giants Autechre sometimes delve into unusual time signatures - "Drane" from ''Peel Session'' and "Cichli" from ''Chiastic Slide'' are in 10/4, while "777" from ''[=LP5=]'' is 7/8. The melody from "Slip" on ''Amber'' also seems to follow an odd signature. They also use a certain polyrhythm, in which the song assumes a straight 4/4 rhythm and expected four measures throughout the track, except for the bass drum pattern which only follows ''three'' measures, leading to interesting combinations. Listen to "Rotar" from ''Tri Repetae'' and "Cichli" from ''Chiastic Slide'' for examples.

** Music/{{Autechre}} also like to abuse tempos. With "Teartear" (from ''Amber''), it merely means a simple slowdown at the end of the song, but "Cap.IV" from Gantz Graf, which is in constant acceleration, nearly becomes a huge smear by the end of the track, and the rhythm in "Fold[=4=], Wrap[=5=]" from ''[=LP=]5'' somehow manages to constantly shift its tempo down only to return to its origin again (all while the melody seemingly keeps a steady rhythm).

* {{Subverted}} with ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VIeV_LZXHM Unison]]'' by [[WebAnimation/{{Hololive}} Houshou Marine]]. While the the unorthodox manner in which the song is laid out, especially in regards to its constantly-changing vocal rhythm, might lead one to believe it has an odd time signature, it uses the industry-standard 4/4, but with a whole lot of syncopation and even more polyrhythms.

* One of the more iconic moments of an awkward time signature is definitely the aptly named " [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHAJHdvBhdM Apocalypse in 9/8]]" part of "Music/SuppersReady" by Music/{{Genesis|Band}}. Mind you, 9/8 in classical music is mostly a compound waltz meter consisting of 3+3+3; in this piece, however, the time signature is an additive one consisting of 3+2+4 with the organ solo often venturing to other time signatures, creating a polymeter.

Still confused? Let's relate it to UsefulNotes/PoetryForms. Poetry typically has "meter," described as the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in the verse's "feet" -- for instance, the "iambic" in GratuitousIambicPentameter is a "foot" of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllables: "I '''want''' to '''be''' the '''one''' who '''licks''' those '''frogs'''. I've '''learned''' I '''hate''' the '''taste''' of '''cats''' and '''dogs'''." Uncommon Meter is when the number of syllables-per-feet ''changes'' over the course of the line: "'''Will''' you '''be''' my '''run'''ning mate? '''It''' would '''help''' me '''con'''centrate." In poetic terms, this would be two trochees followed by a dactyl. In musical terms, this would be 7/4 or 7/8, depending on how precisely the composer decided to engrave the work. (This is why 9/8 only sometimes counts: it can be three dactyls ("'''I''' do not '''un'''derstand '''mu'''sic stuff") or three trochees and a dactyl ("'''It''' is '''going''' to '''drive''' me '''up''' the wall, '''then''' I'll '''lose''' my '''ba'''lance and then '''fall'''").)

* Talking Heads came up with "Animals" from their album ''Fear of Music'', which boasts verses in 5/4 and choruses with three measures of 7/4, followed by one measure of 6/4 just to screw with you. Don't worry, though, the intro and strange ritualistic chant outro are in 4/4.