Fives and sevens

Meters that do not divide evenly

% A seven cannot be halved or thirded, so a bar of it is heard as a sum
% of small groups rather than a flat count. Four bars of bare units to
% hear how shapeless that is, then four with the weight on units 1, 3
% and 5 (two, two, three) and an open hat lifting off the seventh.
 
bpm 75
instrument pluck
meter 7
unit 1/16
key d4 harm
 
| hat hat hat hat hat hat hat |*4
| kick hat kick hat kick hat ohat |*4
 
 
% Which sum you pick is the character of the music. TwoTwoThree is the
% Balkan seven: quick, quick, slow; ThreeTwoTwo puts the long group
% first. Tune turns around the tonic through the raised seventh both
% times, so only the bass changes.
 
Tune        ::= 3 2 1 .7 1 2 3
TwoTwoThree ::= .1 _2 .5 _2 .1 _3
ThreeTwoTwo ::= .1 _3 .5 _2 .1 _2
 
{Tune, TwoTwoThree}*3
{Tune, ThreeTwoTwo}*3
 
 
% Dance stacks three fields, each two measures long: Theme over a bass
% that answers a fourth higher in its second measure, over Kit7, the
% accent heard at the top, now named. Theme cadences on the raised
% seventh, and the assert proves each of its halves fills one seven.
 
Kit7      ::= kick hat kick hat kick hat ohat
ThemeHead ::= 5 _2 5 _2 4 3 2
ThemeTail ::= 3 _2 2 _2 .7 1 _2
Theme     ::= ThemeHead ThemeTail
 
assert Theme == | ThemeHead | ThemeTail |
 
Dance ::= {Theme, TwoTwoThree TwoTwoThree@~3, Kit7*2}
 
Dance*4
 
 
% Five has two sums and no more. Run and the hats both count flat, so
% the grouping lives entirely in the bass: TwoThree is the short group
% first, the paidushko; ThreeTwo is the long group first.
 
meter 5
key g4 min
 
Run      ::= 5 4 3 2 1
TwoThree ::= .1 _2 .5 _3
ThreeTwo ::= .1 _3 .5 _2
 
{Run, TwoThree, hat*5}*4
{Run, ThreeTwo, hat*5}*4
 
 
% This one drives because every measure is 3+2: three quick notes and
% a landing, snare on the landing. Riff steps down the scale twice with
% '@~' and Close answers it on the tonic; ThreeTwo holds the bass under
% all four measures.
 
Riff  ::= 5 4 3 1 _2
Close ::= 2 1 .7 1 _2
Kit5  ::= kick hat hat snare hat
 
assert Riff*2 == | Riff | Riff |
 
Drive ::= {Riff Riff@~-1 Riff@~-2 Close, ThreeTwo*4, Kit5*4}
 
Drive*3
 
 
% Both dances end to end. Degrees resolve against whatever key is in
% force, so each takes its key back before it plays: the seven in d
% harmonic minor, the five in g minor. The meters follow for the
% reader: both bodies are bar-less and carry their own lengths.
 
meter 7
key d4 harm
Dance*4
 
meter 5
key g4 min
Drive*3

% A seven cannot be halved or thirded, so a bar of it is heard as a sum
% of small groups rather than a flat count. Four bars of bare units to
% hear how shapeless that is, then four with the weight on units 1, 3
% and 5 (two, two, three) and an open hat lifting off the seventh.

bpm 75
instrument pluck
meter 7
unit 1/16
key d4 harm

| hat hat hat hat hat hat hat |*4
| kick hat kick hat kick hat ohat |*4

% Which sum you pick is the character of the music. TwoTwoThree is the
% Balkan seven: quick, quick, slow; ThreeTwoTwo puts the long group
% first. Tune turns around the tonic through the raised seventh both
% times, so only the bass changes.

Tune        ::= 3 2 1 .7 1 2 3
TwoTwoThree ::= .1 _2 .5 _2 .1 _3
ThreeTwoTwo ::= .1 _3 .5 _2 .1 _2

{Tune, TwoTwoThree}*3
{Tune, ThreeTwoTwo}*3

% Dance stacks three fields, each two measures long: Theme over a bass
% that answers a fourth higher in its second measure, over Kit7, the
% accent heard at the top, now named. Theme cadences on the raised
% seventh, and the assert proves each of its halves fills one seven.

Kit7      ::= kick hat kick hat kick hat ohat
ThemeHead ::= 5 _2 5 _2 4 3 2
ThemeTail ::= 3 _2 2 _2 .7 1 _2
Theme     ::= ThemeHead ThemeTail

assert Theme == | ThemeHead | ThemeTail |

Dance ::= {Theme, TwoTwoThree TwoTwoThree@~3, Kit7*2}

Dance*4

% Five has two sums and no more. Run and the hats both count flat, so
% the grouping lives entirely in the bass: TwoThree is the short group
% first, the paidushko; ThreeTwo is the long group first.

meter 5
key g4 min

Run      ::= 5 4 3 2 1
TwoThree ::= .1 _2 .5 _3
ThreeTwo ::= .1 _3 .5 _2

{Run, TwoThree, hat*5}*4
{Run, ThreeTwo, hat*5}*4

% This one drives because every measure is 3+2: three quick notes and
% a landing, snare on the landing. Riff steps down the scale twice with
% '@~' and Close answers it on the tonic; ThreeTwo holds the bass under
% all four measures.

Riff  ::= 5 4 3 1 _2
Close ::= 2 1 .7 1 _2
Kit5  ::= kick hat hat snare hat

assert Riff*2 == | Riff | Riff |

Drive ::= {Riff Riff@~-1 Riff@~-2 Close, ThreeTwo*4, Kit5*4}

Drive*3

% Both dances end to end. Degrees resolve against whatever key is in
% force, so each takes its key back before it plays: the seven in d
% harmonic minor, the five in g minor. The meters follow for the
% reader: both bodies are bar-less and carry their own lengths.

meter 7
key d4 harm
Dance*4

meter 5
key g4 min
Drive*3

running…edit it and it re-runs as you type

Fives and sevens · Rhythm