Time signature

fnpt

So I came up with a riff which I like but cannot figure out the timing. How do I do that?

Lestratcaster

Find out where the 1 is in the bar then how many times it'll come round til the next one starts.

fnpt

So I count the notes? And if there is say 6 notes in a bar then it's 6-4?

digitalkettle

fnpt said:

So I count the notes? And if there is say 6 notes in a bar then it's 6-4?

Only if the notes are all quarter notes.

ewal

It depends. It makes more sense when you see the music written down and depends on note sub-divisions and where beat/pulse/accents lie.

Take 3/4 vs 6/8.

3/4 (waltz like) has three crotches in a bar so is counted 1 and 2 and 3 and, 1 and 2 and 3.
6/8 has two groups of three quavers so is counted 1 and a 2 and a, 1 and a 2 and a. It actually feels more like a march because there's 2 main beats per bar.

This is turning out to be quite a rubbish explanation!

There's probably very good YouTube videos with actual examples which will help. Didn't have time to look at this, but it appears to cover the subject.

https://www.sessiontown.com/en/courses/easy-music-theory/time-signatures-meters-measures

ewal

If it's a complicated riff, it could be that there's more than one bar with different time signatures...

fnpt

It's not a complicated riff, but there is a chromatic passage which is faster than the rest of the notes played. These will have a different value I assume.

digitalkettle

Can you record a bit for us? (preferably against a click)

Lestratcaster

fnpt said:

It's not a complicated riff, but there is a chromatic passage which is faster than the rest of the notes played. These will have a different value I assume.

Yeah if a passage is quicker it will either be a different subdivision or a time sig.

fnpt

Here it is. I hope you didn't expect anything great :-)

digitalkettle

Tricky without a clicky!

Lestratcaster

First I counted 9/8 for the first part of the riff but then I didn't account that the first bit could be a pickup bar

Clarky

it's in 4/4 with a 2 beat pickup..
count in will be1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2 pickup starts on 3

fnpt

Thanks @Clarky ;

fnpt

Thanks all