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Count And Play Odd Time Signatures Easily - 7/8 5/4 15/16

Cole Paramore

3,140 views

By the end of this video you should have no fear of odd time signatures. You should be able to not only properly count any odd meter, but also get started playing and improvising in any odd meter as well.

This subject often gets explained poorly, and ends up being intimidating for musicians, especially the self-taught. The goal here is to make odd time signatures dead simple, and also to remind ourselves that music theory should make music easier to understand, not harder.

Feel free to jump around, but there are tips and tricks scattered all throughout the video, so try to watch the whole thing.

00:00 - Intro
1:12 - The basic explanation
2:09 - Confidently incorrect
2:59 - How to play in 7/8
3:38 - Demo 7/8 groove
5:08 - Improvise in odd times
5:55 - Demo 7/8 improv
6:33 - How to play 5/4
6:51 - Demo 5/4 groove
7:43 - Demo 5/4 variations
8:56 - Scary example
9:20 - How to count 15/16
10:33 - Demo 15/16 groove
12:08 - Demo 15/16 improv
12:52 - Conclusion

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Check out my book and sample packs:
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Ultimate Black Beauty Sample Packs
https://payhip.com/b/F6paV

Cole's Vintage/Dry Drums Sample Pack
https://payhip.com/b/IPo1c

Ultimate Indie Rock Sample Pack
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Brady Marri 16" Sample Pack
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My book:
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10 Comments

@stevenwilson9865 1 year ago (edited)

Right on! Thank you for explaining it to us. For years I called them hiccups, not knowing the numbers. I can play the beats... Adding great fills is my challenge. Thanks for the help 😎

@MarinedrummerSGT 1 year ago

Musicians have big egos so they lord it over a novice. Good explanation

@CarlosDantana 10 months ago

This is perhaps the most demystifying explanation of odd time signature playing for drummers, I've ever come across. Great work and instruction.

@TexasGuitarist 1 year ago

Perfect explanation about time signatures. This is the most simple, cohesive, and easy to understand explanation I've heard ever. And I understand odd time signatures. I'm a guitar teacher and I explaine very similar. I came to your video to brush up on how to explain it because I'm introducing my Advanced students to all time signatures this week. Thanks for the refresher.