is there a way to use fractional time signatures?

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metalhead666

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Jul 16, 2011, 8:14:49 PM7/16/11
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i wrote a riff and the best time signature that's best is 6.4/8. is
there a way to make this possible?

Joel Hagroth

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Jul 19, 2011, 4:29:15 AM7/19/11
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Yes, but some knowledge in maths is required ;)   You have to multiply both to get an even number, this is how you would've done it in math:

6.4 * 5 = 32
8 * 5 = 40

But there is no such thing as "40ths" in music. I can only do this by multilplying with a constant factor 2. But I never end up on an even number in the top.

What you can do is to split the measure into smaller measures. I'll take 6/8 + x/x. But neither 0.4, 0.2 or 0.3 gets even when multiplying with 2^x. Not even 0.1! Basically, I don't think you can split any musical note into 0.4 or 0.3 etc. It has to be 0.5 or 2 etc. Unless I've done all this completely wrong. How did you end up with 0.4 anyway?

> Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:14:49 -0700
> Subject: is there a way to use fractional time signatures?
> From: josefa...@comcast.net
> To: powerta...@googlegroups.com

>
> i wrote a riff and the best time signature that's best is 6.4/8. is
> there a way to make this possible?
>
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metalhead666

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Jul 23, 2011, 2:40:26 AM7/23/11
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i actually can't remember how i got to 6.4/8. in fact, i'm pretty sure
it's wrong. but, could you help me figure out a time signature for a
riff consisting of 5 16th notes. i want the accent to fall after every
5 notes. would time signature would that be?

On Jul 19, 4:29 am, Joel Hagroth <joel_coo...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, but some knowledge in maths is required ;)   You have to multiply both to get an even number, this is how you would've done it in math:
> 6.4 * 5 = 328 * 5 = 40
>
> But there is no such thing as "40ths" in music. I can only do this by multilplying with a constant factor 2. But I never end up on an even number in the top.
> What you can do is to split the measure into smaller measures. I'll take 6/8 + x/x. But neither 0.4, 0.2 or 0.3 gets even when multiplying with 2^x. Not even 0.1! Basically, I don't think you can split any musical note into 0.4 or 0.3 etc. It has to be 0.5 or 2 etc. Unless I've done all this completely wrong. How did you end up with 0.4 anyway?
>
> > Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2011 17:14:49 -0700
> > Subject: is there a way to use fractional time signatures?
> > From: josefashah...@comcast.net

Kilgore

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Jul 23, 2011, 2:28:36 PM7/23/11
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The time signature would be 5/16.
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> - Show quoted text -

S W

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Jul 25, 2011, 1:12:10 AM7/25/11
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Sorry...
                                                                                                                                                                        
 
Riffs are generally not one BEAT so I'm assuming it repeats.
 
                                                                                                       5   5   5   5
EG: 4 groups of 16ths played as 5 notes per beat in 4/4 for one bar is: (lllll lllll lllll lllll)

It could also just be 4/4. Depending on how many beats in the bar there is. Often it's a lot simpler than it sounds.
If it's just 5 16th notes grouped together as 1 beat it's 5/16... But if there's 4 groups of them it's still plain old 4/4. 5 groups of them 5/4 and so on. Riffs are generally not one bar so I'm assuming it repeats.
There is no .4 in music.
The top number is beats per bar, the bottom is type of note.
Technically you can play .4 of a beat... But it's not in the time signature. It'd be added to another bar. (Playing a note for the duration of 2 notes in a beat of 5/16 is .4 of a beat but insanely odd to play)
Hope that helps.

> Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:28:36 -0700
> Subject: Re: is there a way to use fractional time signatures?
> From: kilgo...@yahoo.com
> To: powerta...@googlegroups.com

Joel Hagroth

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Jul 24, 2011, 8:03:05 AM7/24/11
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Oh, you basically said it yourself then :P  You could also do a 20/16 = 10/8 measure, and group the notes/beat five by five (you can set the grouping in the same window).

> Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:28:36 -0700
> Subject: Re: is there a way to use fractional time signatures?
> From: kilgo...@yahoo.com
> To: powerta...@googlegroups.com

metalhead666

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Jul 24, 2011, 12:05:15 AM7/24/11
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i see. boy, do i feel stupid. thanks, man. haha
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S W

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Jul 23, 2011, 11:58:08 PM7/23/11
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It could also just be 4/4. Depending on how many beats in the bar there is.
If it's just 5 16th notes grouped together as 1 beat it's 5/16... But if there's 4 groups of them it's still plain old 4/4. 5 groups of them 5/4 and so on. Riffs are generally not one bar so I'm assuming it repeats.
There is no .4 in music.
The top number is beats per bar, the bottom is type of note.
Technically you can play .4 of a beat... But it's not in the time signature. It'd be added to another bar.
Hope that helps.


> Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:28:36 -0700
> Subject: Re: is there a way to use fractional time signatures?
> From: kilgo...@yahoo.com
> To: powerta...@googlegroups.com
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