That's Odd!

Most song writers I know rarely venture away from common time. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the underlying pulse or beat of a song that is typically multiples of 4. Usually when you tap your foot to a song, the length of the various patterns in the song will be multiples of four. Just count as you tap your foot to a song "1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4..." and you'll notice that most changes in the song, like the repeated main riff of a song or the transition from the verse to the chorus, will happen in sync with these multiples of four. Occasionally, song writers will get adventurous and play around with rhythms in 3, the typical waltz or jig, or something that we think of as having a "swing" beat. But rarely do song writers venture beyond this.

There are several reasons. The first is the dance factor. Since humans have two legs, most dance steps are built around multiples of two. Therefore, if the underlying beat of the song is not an even number, anyone trying to dance to the tune might have difficulty. But not all songs are meant to inspire dancing! The second reason is that most of the songs we've experienced (on the radio, in church, etc) are based on common time. Therefore, it's what most folks are familiar with, what they feel comfortable with. A third reason has to do with instruction. Those of you who have taken lessons, no matter what the instrument, are immersed in the world of common time. It's the easiest, most straightforward approach for both student and instructor, so rarely does the instructor introduce students to the world of odd meter, that is, beat patterns based on odd numbers.

As a song writer or a musician, why would you want to venture into the world of odd meter? There are many characteristics of music that you can "play with" in order to communicate a feeling: the dynamics, the tempo, etc. And the basic rhythmic structure of your song, i.e. the "meter", is just another characteristic of your music that you have at your disposal to help you communicate the message of your song. So from this perspective, why would you NOT play around with odd meter? It can help you communicate better as a musician!

There's no need to be afraid of this territory. It's not as difficult as you might think. It may feel a bit awkward at first, but you'll get used to it very quickly. First of all consider this fact: any odd number multiplied by 2 is an even number. In other words, if you have a pattern than is based on an odd beat, simply play that pattern twice. If your basic riff has 7 beats and you play that riff twice, that'll be 14 beats, an even number. So, anytime you are playing a pattern based on an odd meter, try to focus your mind on two of those patterns, not one. Since two of the patterns will have an even number of beats, your mind will latch onto that feel more quickly. And this strategy will even allow you to dance to odd meter, too!

But there's another problem. Since common time is so prevalent, most people "think" in multiples of four when they are playing around, searching for new song ideas. So how do you break the mold of common time and get your mind to think in odd meter when you are being creative? Well, you don't really have to. If common time is how you think creatively when spawning new musical ideas, there's no need to mess with that. Instead, what you should do is take that idea in common time, say a riff that spans 8 beats, and either add another beat or subtract one. Simply find something to add (or delete) from your current phrase in common time. In this manner, working with odd meter doesn't change your current strategy for coming up with song ideas. Rather, it's a small step you tack on to your existing process: you simply add or delete a beat (and corresponding notes for that one beat) and you are off and running! To get your mind and body used to the feel of your new odd meter riff, simply play it over and over again. It won't take long for you to feel the groove of this new territory, this thing called "odd meter." And remember, playing an odd meter phrase twice gives you an even number of beats. So concentrate on these doubled phrases if you need to in order to get the feel of your new odd meter phrase.

How would you use odd meter in your songs? As you can tell by playing around with off meter riffs using the strategy laid out in the previous paragraph, odd meters give your music a different feel. And "feel" is what music is all about in the first place! So, odd meter is another tool available for your use as you compose music to achieve a certain feel. Most people find that odd meter has an uneasy feel. Therefore it makes an ideal tool to use if your song is dealing with an uneasy topic, like the break up of a relationship for instance.

But even if your song is not looking for an uneasy feeling, your use of odd meter can spice up any of your tunes. As you play around with odd meter and become more familiar with it, you will find some good sounding grooves! And because so many song writers stay within the common time framework, this territory of odd meter is a great area to find new and interesting riffs and grooves! There is so much unexplored territory here that you will have no trouble finding new and fresh ideas as a song writer!

So, don't be afraid of odd meter. Embrace it as another tool you should have in your song writing toolbox. But most of all, look upon odd meter in the same way that the old explorers like Magellan looked at the unexplored part of this earth: with awe and enthusiasm at the richness and splendor that one might find in that vast unexplored space. So have fun, and go explore!

Copyright ©2009 W. A. Blevins. All rights reserved.