From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
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Choosing a time signature for your song
From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
Choosing a time signature for your song
- The large majority of popular modern songs are in common time, the time signature of 4/4. For most people, it's the most fundamental and easiest to count kind of rhythm. A smaller percentage of songs are in some multiple of three, like 3/4, 6/8, and 12/8. The rarities are in odd time signatures. In my view, songs written based on fives and sevens are usually based on instrumental riffs that provide a challenge for the players, which then also provides a challenge to the listeners. What time signature, or meter, should you choose for your songs? Well, it all depends on the feel that you want to create, based on the rhythm of the music and the lyrics. When you come up with the first bit of your song, a guitar riff, a vocal melody, a lyric, a beat, whatever, count it out; how does it flow? Does it feel comfortable to count in fours, threes, fives? If you try counting and it doesn't feel comfortable, then you're likely not counting in the right time signature. Let's try a few musical…
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