Line #9 PlayingWith/UncommonTime


1	'''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).
2	* '''Straight''': A song has a time signature of 7/8.
3	* '''Exaggerated''':
4	** The song constantly switches between different odd time signatures, featuring 11/8, 5/4, 7/8, and 7/4 all in quick succession.
5	** 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.
6	** The song has a time signature of 7/12, requiring the subdivision of beats into tuplets in order to be played correctly.
7	** The song has a time signature of [[{{VideoGame/Mother3}} 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.
8	** 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.
9	** 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.
10	* '''Downplayed''':
11	** Percussion is used slowly or quietly, so that you can't really tell.
12	** The song has a time signature of 10/4, divided as five measures of 2/4.
13	** The song periodically uses "half-measures" of 2/4 (or, alternatively, 6/4) in an otherwise 4/4 section.
14	** Each phrase in the song consists of two bars of 4/4 and two of 3/4, or 14 beats in total.
15	** The song contains a brief passage, or even just a single measure, of 7/8.
16	** The song uses a polymeter where the drums are playing in 4/4, while the other instruments are playing in 3/4.
17	** 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.
18	* '''Justified''':
19	** 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.
20	** The polyrhythm encodes [[Awesome/MissionImpossible "Implausible Missions Force" in morse]].
21	* '''Inverted''': Not only is the song in CommonTime, but each phrase is exactly four measures long and each section consists of four phrases.
22	* '''Subverted''': The song sounds like it's on an odd meter, but it's [[Music/{{Meshuggah}} actually a complicated polyrhythm over 4/4]].
23	* '''Double Subverted''': Same as above... but then the song legitimately switches to a weird signature.
24	* '''Parodied''': √31/e, 0.2/512, 71/-5, 206/i. [[{{MindScrew}} The audience is baffled by this]].
25	* '''Zig Zagged''': The song switches back and forth from normal signatures like 4/4 and complex ones like 7/4.
26	* '''Averted''': CommonTime
27	* '''Enforced''': The record label is going for a ProgressiveRock audience, and [[ExecutiveMeddling asks the band]] to incorporate more exotic time signatures in their songs to appeal to them.
28	* '''Lampshaded''': The song's time signature is directly called out in its title or lyrics. ("Uncommon Headache" or simply "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin 7/8]]")
29	* '''Invoked''':
30	** A student has to write a piece in Uncommon Time in order to pass their music degree.
31	** The composer just feels like experimenting with something different, or is providing a technical challenge for the performer.
32	** Artists deliberately use odd time signatures to make their music seem more sophisticated or attract a new fanbase in the prog world.
33	** "We want our song to be as unique as possible. Let's use a time signature that's never been used before."
34	** "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..."
35	** Someone is turning a poem into a song, but the poem has an unusual rhythm. It has to use Uncommon Time to avert AccentUponTheWrongSyllable.
36	* '''Exploited''': ???
37	* '''Defied''': ???
38	* '''Discussed''': "Unlike some of the music you may hear nowadays, all our songs have CommonTime."
39	* '''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."
40	* '''Deconstructed''':
41	** It's painfully obvious the song was originally written in CommonTime and then changed to suit UncommonTime, making what could have been a great song anywhere from decent to nearly unlistenable.
42	** The performer(s) find it too difficult to play a song with a time signature of 37/32.
43	* '''Reconstructed''':
44	** An old church hymn, after many years of interpreting the free time structure as CommonTime -- 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 UncommonTime in mind to better suit the rhythm of the original song as well as make it less mind-bogglingly confusing.
45	** 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.
46	* '''Played For Laughs''': A song with a 19/16 time signature is played at a [[HighSchoolDance school dance]]. HilarityEnsues as the students try to figure out how to dance to it.
47	* '''Played For Drama''': A song with a 19/16 time signature is played at a [[DanceOff dance competition]].
48	----
49	Back to UncommonTime
50	----
51	%% Optional items, added after Conversed, at your discretion:
52	%%
53	%%* '''Implied''': ???

Context PlayingWith / UncommonTime