Comments on: Irregular meter in video games http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/ Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:13:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shakespeare http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-217 Shakespeare Mon, 07 Nov 2011 00:00:01 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-217 I feel as though I should point this one out. I think it's a measure of 3/4 then 5/4 and repeating, or maybe it's just 8/4; I'm not as knowledgeable in irregular meter as I'd like to be. Popular game, so I thought it was notable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyFcSHHdIQE I feel as though I should point this one out. I think it’s a measure of 3/4 then 5/4 and repeating, or maybe it’s just 8/4; I’m not as knowledgeable in irregular meter as I’d like to be. Popular game, so I thought it was notable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyFcSHHdIQE

]]> By: Reina Abolofia http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-216 Reina Abolofia Tue, 03 May 2011 04:44:28 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-216 Let us not forget some of the earlier origins of these changing meters. It was Igor Stravinsky who first brought them into the popular light with his ballets, particularly The Rite of Spring, back in the 19-teens. The Rite took a lot of source music from Russian folk song, which too had some irregular meters. Other composers of the early 20th century like Bartok and Kodaly began to gather folk songs, many of which have these irregular meters and scales. We can find cases of interesting rhythms throughout classical music of the 20th century, when many avant guard composers turned to rhythm instead of harmony for their creativity. Examples are the minimalist music of Reich and Glass; John Cage's Music of Changes; Luciano Berio; etc. I would not be surprised to see some similarities between particularly the folk song elements of early 20th century classical music and the irregular rhythms you describe here. Thanks for compiling this list. It's a lot of fun! Let us not forget some of the earlier origins of these changing meters. It was Igor Stravinsky who first brought them into the popular light with his ballets, particularly The Rite of Spring, back in the 19-teens. The Rite took a lot of source music from Russian folk song, which too had some irregular meters.

Other composers of the early 20th century like Bartok and Kodaly began to gather folk songs, many of which have these irregular meters and scales.

We can find cases of interesting rhythms throughout classical music of the 20th century, when many avant guard composers turned to rhythm instead of harmony for their creativity. Examples are the minimalist music of Reich and Glass; John Cage’s Music of Changes; Luciano Berio; etc.

I would not be surprised to see some similarities between particularly the folk song elements of early 20th century classical music and the irregular rhythms you describe here.

Thanks for compiling this list. It’s a lot of fun!

]]> By: Logan43000 http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-215 Logan43000 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:38:39 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-215 Wow this is really cool!!! Have you ever heard the mortal kombat song? That has some pretty interesting rhythms as well! :) Wow this is really cool!!! Have you ever heard the mortal kombat song? That has some pretty interesting rhythms as well! :)

]]> By: Lego http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-214 Lego Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:54:04 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-214 Always been a fan of video game music with odd meters like this. I've known about the Mario Kart results screen one for a while, since I made sheet music for it. Some others I have found include Super Mario Bros. 3's 1-2 theme sneaking in a 5/4 measure near the middle, Super Mario Galaxy's Bonefin battle theme has a 5/8, 5/8, 6/8 pattern in the beginning, and it's Bowser's Galaxy Reactor song has 4/4, 5/4, and 3/4 sections in it. I've probably ran into more, but those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head at the moment. Nice article! Always been a fan of video game music with odd meters like this. I’ve known about the Mario Kart results screen one for a while, since I made sheet music for it.

Some others I have found include Super Mario Bros. 3′s 1-2 theme sneaking in a 5/4 measure near the middle, Super Mario Galaxy’s Bonefin battle theme has a 5/8, 5/8, 6/8 pattern in the beginning, and it’s Bowser’s Galaxy Reactor song has 4/4, 5/4, and 3/4 sections in it.

I’ve probably ran into more, but those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head at the moment. Nice article!

]]> By: Viv http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-213 Viv Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:23:52 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-213 Neat post. Was about to mention WoW's login music till I got to the last page. Have been a big fan of it since I first heard it. I like 7/8 and would often listen to the whole song in classic WoW before I'd log in to the game. There's been several versions of the song for each expansion pack that has been released. Neat post. Was about to mention WoW’s login music till I got to the last page. Have been a big fan of it since I first heard it. I like 7/8 and would often listen to the whole song in classic WoW before I’d log in to the game. There’s been several versions of the song for each expansion pack that has been released.

]]> By: OpaOpa http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-212 OpaOpa Fri, 25 Mar 2011 22:11:44 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-212 A fellow poster on a forum I frequent shared a link to your site , and I'm happy to have come across a writer who's invested in picking apart vg-music in a competent way. But I questioned your familiarity with the material when you wrote that the earliest example of irregular meter you could find came from ALttP, since plenty of vg-soundtracks before 1991 boasted unusual meters. In any case, I anticipate future articles -- hopefully with less worn out examples included (I'd be especially interested to see an analysis of Hitoshi Sakimoto's work). A fellow poster on a forum I frequent shared a link to your site , and I’m happy to have come across a writer who’s invested in picking apart vg-music in a competent way. But I questioned your familiarity with the material when you wrote that the earliest example of irregular meter you could find came from ALttP, since plenty of vg-soundtracks before 1991 boasted unusual meters. In any case, I anticipate future articles — hopefully with less worn out examples included (I’d be especially interested to see an analysis of Hitoshi Sakimoto’s work).

]]> By: Epitaph http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-211 Epitaph Sat, 26 Feb 2011 17:06:20 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-211 the moon theme from duck tales! 7/8 really interesting site! :D the moon theme from duck tales!
7/8

really interesting site! :D

]]> By: Peter http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-210 Peter Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:45:31 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-210 Neat stuff--also worth noting are Zelda: The Wind Waker's title theme in 9/8, Super Metroid's final boss theme in 7/8 and Ridley theme alternating between 5/8 and 6/8, and Kirby 64's Ripple Star Catacombs theme full of slithering polyrhythms I've never been able to untangle. Neat stuff–also worth noting are Zelda: The Wind Waker’s title theme in 9/8, Super Metroid’s final boss theme in 7/8 and Ridley theme alternating between 5/8 and 6/8, and Kirby 64′s Ripple Star Catacombs theme full of slithering polyrhythms I’ve never been able to untangle.

]]> By: Aenea http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-209 Aenea Sun, 06 Feb 2011 23:52:17 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-209 If you are interested in irregular rhythms, I suggest you look at Medieval and Renaissance music. It was written without bars and modern editors frequently attempt to put it into modern meter, ending up with music switching from 2/2 to 3/2 to 4/2 and back in a small amount of time. Also, lots of Sephardic and Middle Easter Music has interesting meters. For example, Si Verias is a traditional Blugarian tune, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoGDYqzAyhg. If you are interested in irregular rhythms, I suggest you look at Medieval and Renaissance music. It was written without bars and modern editors frequently attempt to put it into modern meter, ending up with music switching from 2/2 to 3/2 to 4/2 and back in a small amount of time. Also, lots of Sephardic and Middle Easter Music has interesting meters. For example, Si Verias is a traditional Blugarian tune, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoGDYqzAyhg.

]]> By: Richard http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/#comment-208 Richard Sun, 06 Feb 2011 21:51:05 +0000 http://cruiseelroy.net/?p=85#comment-208 One not from Nintendo: http://66.90.118.45/soundtracks/ratchet-clank-up-your-arsenal/rxunnbcemr/42-rendezvous-with-qwark-.mp3 Ratchet and Clank III, 11/8 throughout. One not from Nintendo:
http://66.90.118.45/soundtracks/ratchet-clank-up-your-arsenal/rxunnbcemr/42-rendezvous-with-qwark-.mp3
Ratchet and Clank III,
11/8 throughout.

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