Odd Time Signatures in Video Game Music Part 2

Introduction

You know, I used to think they were called odd time signatures because they have an odd number of beats in a measure, like 5/4 or 13/8. But then, I realized if you had a bar of, say, 26/16, it would still be considered an odd time signature, right? It’s just because they feel odd—they’re unusual. Sure, they’re a little strange, but odd time signatures don’t have to feel weird or bad. You can make an odd time signature groove, and if you do it right, your average listener may not even notice that they’re not in your regular old 4/4 time.

I think it's about time for a part two of odd time signatures in video game music. So let’s move through some progressively weirder and weirder examples while we try to answer the question: How do you make an odd time signature feel ordinary?

Example 1: Wild Woods from Mario Kart 8

When it comes to odd time signatures, the higher the number on the top of the fraction, the weirder the music sounds. Let’s start easy with an example in 5/4 time—Wild Woods from Mario Kart 8. Wild Woods is interesting for being the only Mario Kart track with music in an odd time signature. Being Mario Kart music, its job is to maintain the drive necessary to accompany a hectic race to the finish line, usually achieved through fast, funky 4/4 grooves. To get the right level of energy without the benefit of an even number of beats in a bar, the track pushes up the tempo and features a busy rhythm section of bass, drums, and acoustic guitar laying out a classic 5/4 clave rhythm throughout the track.

This 5/4 clave is good at generating forward momentum at quick tempos, as seen most famously in the Mission Impossible soundtrack. But nowadays, it can feel a little square. Breaking the bar so cleanly up into a 3-beat half and a 2-beat half makes it easier to feel the 5-beat pulse, but if we want our groove to feel more natural, this pulse has to be obscured a bit. Lucky for us, the subtler aspects of Wild Woods’ arrangement showcase two different concepts that can make odd time signatures feel a lot more hip: having the bar and implying cross rhythms.

Concept 1: Having the Bar

The first concept, having the bar, involves using rhythms that chop up the bar into two equal halves. Let’s look at the very first bar of the piece. This one bar of full band unison hits that seems like a simple embellishment of the 5/4 clave rhythm at first. But notice something interesting: if we divide this bar into two groups of 5/8 notes, the rhythm is the exact same in both groups. The rhythm of this bar is symmetrical, but because it’s an odd meter, we feel one half as being on the beat and the other half as being off the beat. Splitting an odd bar in half like this gives us a middle point in each measure, and in 5/4, this would be the end of beat 3. Any amount of accent in this middle point will make your odd time signature sound more even and less lopsided than breaking the bar into chunks of two and three beats.

Concept 2: Implying Cross Rhythms

The second concept is implying cross rhythms. Let’s jump over to this transitionary figure that shows up throughout Wild Woods. If we look at the notes that are accented in this figure, we’ll see that we have groups of three accented notes a beat and a half apart. This implies a cross rhythm of dotted quarter notes going over the bar line. Grouping accents in dotted quarter notes like this is common in normal time signatures; it’s a way of writing rhythms that spill out of the measure that feel more organic than rhythms constantly reiterating the basic pulse of the music.

Example 2: Batro Theme - 7/4 Time

The music of the recent indie hit Batro is another beautiful example of fluid odd-time writing. The game's music is in 7/4 time, with the chords and bass repeating the same one-bar rhythmic pattern for the entirety of the loop. Lucky for us, Batro’s theme smartly crafts this rhythmic pattern to feel meditative rather than overbearing. The rhythm of the chords perfectly follows the principle of cutting the bar in half. This just-about-symmetrical rhythm placed on top of a steady quarter-note pulse flip-flops between landing on the beat and off the beat, giving a satisfying push and pull that keeps the music interesting even after dozens of repetitions.

Example 3: Winning Results from Mario Kart 64 - 11/8 Time

An example that stands out is the Winning Results theme from Mario Kart 64 in 11/8 time. The main rhythmic thrust is provided by the bassline, which breaks up each bar into two quarter notes, a 3/8 grouping jumping up an octave, and then coming back down, ending with two more quarter notes. This is probably as steady a beat as you could get out of a bar of 11/8. The drums are emphasizing a totally different rhythm with high hats playing a steady stream of 16th notes. This consistency is a crucial element of music that feels good, and the way it bounces off the bassline blurs the line of where each bar starts and ends.

Example 4: Zangief’s Theme from Street Fighter II - 11/8

Zangief’s Theme from Street Fighter 2 is another 11/8 banger that layers different cross rhythms to create a busy syncopated groove. The main rhythmic thrust is provided by the bassline, laying down driving root notes interrupted by groovy syncopated jumps up to an A and down to an E. The kick drum accents this rhythm outlined by the bass, but the snare and high hats give us a steady backbeat over top, providing the rhythm a foundation to bounce off of.

Advanced Techniques in Odd Time Signatures

Exploring different cross rhythms can significantly change the feel of a piece of music. A beautiful example is in the second repetition of Zangief’s theme where the drums switch to a double-time feel. This switch drastically changes the energy and drive of the music, even though only the drum part has changed. Similarly, this concept of different groupings and accents is well demonstrated in The Fairy Flying Theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, using 13/8 and 5/8 time to create unique rhythmic feels.

Most Extreme Example

A prime example of the extreme is the Mad Luca Boss theme from Suikoden 2, made up entirely of unison streams of 16th notes accompanied only with bass hits signaling beat one of each measure. The constant and bizarre time signature changes create a frantic and unbalanced musical experience.

Conclusion

Crafting your melodies and grooves rhythmically makes a huge difference in the feel of the music. Whether trying to make odd time signatures feel even or aiming for music that’s inscrutable, we hope this article had something interesting for you.

Keywords

Odd Time Signatures
Video Game Music
Rhythm
Cross Rhythms
Symmetry
Accents
Batro Theme
Mario Kart 64
Street Fighter II
Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Suikoden 2

FAQ

Q: What is an odd time signature?

A: An odd time signature is one that doesn't fit the standard even beats per measure, such as 4/4. Typically, these have an unusual number of beats like 5/4, 7/4, or 11/8.

Q: Can odd time signatures be made to feel like regular time signatures?

A: Yes, using techniques such as having the bar and implying cross rhythms can make odd time signatures feel more natural and less jarring.

Q: Why do some pieces with odd time signatures feel comfortable while others feel chaotic?

A: It often depends on how the rhythms and accents are structured. Symmetrical groupings and steady backbeats can make odd time signatures feel more balanced, while erratic changes and unstructured patterns can feel chaotic.

Q: What are cross rhythms?

A: Cross rhythms are when rhythms are played across the typical beat divisions of a measure, creating a sense of tension and release that can make odd time signatures feel more fluid and interesting.

Q: Is it possible for listeners to not notice odd time signatures in a piece?

A: Absolutely. When done well, odd time signatures can be embedded into music in a way that feels so natural, the listener may not even notice the unusual rhythm.