From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
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Double time and half time
From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
Double time and half time
- There are a couple of rhythmic devices that songwriters can use to change the energy of a song, without actually changing the time signature, even though it may feel like a change. These are half-time and double time. Half-time means playing a rhythm half as fast as at what it was previously played. And double time means, yeah you guessed it, playing a rhythm twice as fast as the original rhythm. Let me show you what I mean. I'll play a simple rock beat with eighth notes on the hihat, kick on one and three, and snare on the backbeat. I'll then drop into half-time for a few bars, then I'll go back to common time. I'll count along the way. One, two, three, four. (counting and drum beat) Now let's hear double time. One, two, three, four. (counting and drum beat) Half-time and double time are useful songwriting tools for creating certain types of feels and energies. Going to half-time can really bring the mood of a song down, to make it more ethereal, to chill it out. On the other hand,…
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