VGM in timesigs other than 3/4 and 4/4

[Level 99]

I'm very much enjoying music lately that is in different time signature than 3/4 or 4/4. So, list the music you've found in odd timesigs from video games.

Here's a starter:

(5/4)

Magical Quest staring Mickey Mouse - Snowy Valley (switches between 3/4 and 7/8, I believe, not 100% on this one)

Mystical Ninja staring Goemon - Warriors (7/8, then 3/4, and then 5/4)

[Xenon Odyssey]

http://cruiseelroy.net/2008/05/irregular-meter/

[lazygecko]

I think this fits the criteria

[DragonAvenger]

Ah, good thread. I would suggest that Stevo add 6/8 into the 'common' time signatures category. Otherwise I will have a lot more to add!

One of the reasons Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is pretty much my favorite soundtrack is because a few of the tracks are in odd time signatures, and a lot of the tracks change frequently. Here are just two:

"Leaving the Body Freely" is in 7/8 with just a dash of 6/8

"Sleeping Treasures in the Sand" has alternating 7/8, 9/8, 7/8, 11/8 to a standard 7/8

And on another note, there is Chrono Cross's "Drowning Valley" which is in 5/8.

[Nabeel Ansari]

(after the slow intro)

[DarkeSword]

Treasure Hunter G - Surrounded by Forest 1

In 9/8 time; the subdivision goes 2-2-2-3 for the first part until the second part around 1:20, where it changes to 9/8 in 3 (similar to 6/8 in 2).

[Diodes]

Sealed door from Chrono Trigger:

A section in 5/8, B section in 6/8. One of my fav VG themes to listen to, back in the day

[DragonAvenger]

Treasure Hunter G - Surrounded by Forest 1

In 9/8 time; the subdivision goes 2-2-2-3 for the first part until the second part around 1:20, where it changes to 9/8 in 3 (similar to 6/8 in 2).

I'm hearing it as 3/4 with the 'bell' part as a hemiola throughout. Still pretty awesome to combine 9/8 and 3/4 though.

[jmr]

According to this guy, it's 29/16.

[Nekofrog]

There's a section in my FF7 remix on youtube that goes into a different time signature but I dont know what it is.

I think it's a pulleditoutof/myass time signature.

[CC Ricers]

It starts off at 7/8, then 7/4 and then a typical 4/4 towards the end.

Edited October 5, 2010 by CC Ricers

[Necrotic]

in Final Fantasy 8 is written in 5/4 and is easily my favourite FF battle theme.

According to this guy, it's 29/16.

Wow, very cool analysis.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Necrotic

[CHz]

NESing this thread up. (NOTE: my grasp of this stuff is pretty flimsy, so when I say 7/4, I may actually mean 7/8, and so on.)

Dragon Warrior IV - Battle for the Glory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVpLmv2r1p4

Mostly 4/4, but the climax does this 9/8 + 9/8 + 13/8 + 7/8 + 7/8 thing that rules.

DuckTales - The Moon:

The intro is a few measures of 15/8, I always thought this was kind of sly.

Final Fantasy - Dungeon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RGYqIFUfrA

First half is 7/4, second half is 4/4.

Just Breed - some town theme: http://akumunsf.good-evil.net/J/Just%20Breed%20(MMC5).nsf

There are no videos so I'm linking to the NSF, track 6 is the track in question. It's mostly 7/4, though right before it loops at the end are two measures of 6/4.

Rollergames - Dangerous Approach: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbj8qjH3s10#t=2m10s

Mostly 7/4, though near the end it goes into 15 (4 + 3 + 4 + 4) and then straight 4.

*** BONUS TRACK ***

Contra - Aliens' Lair:

This is ridiculous, what does this do: 6/4 to 11/8 to 5/8 to 6/8 to 7/8? This is actually just a conversion of the final stage theme from the arcade version, but I'm throwing it in anyway because what the hell.

[Rozovian]

. (or three tracks, depending on you look at it) Remixed it, subbed to ocr. Got NOd.

[Top Gun]

. (or three tracks, depending on you look at it) Remixed it, subbed to ocr. Got NOd.

I still have your final version lying around somewhere; I really liked where you went with it. It's funny, but I never thought about Numbers being in 7/4. It's a shame it didn't get past the judges; FreeSpace really needs some representation on here.

[Nekofrog]

I really don't know anything about time signatures, I just know I tried a completely different rhythm from 3:24 to 3:55. I sort of just made it up, but it's probably something.

[EC2151]

I think Bubble Crab and Crystal Snail have some irregular time beats going around:

At least this is the case in the intro of Bubble Crab

Crystal Snail

[Vilecat]

Plok's

and

levels.

Stevo posted it in IRC yesterday after I made him listen to it, but for whoever hasn't heard it yet,

alternates between 4/4 (or 2/4) and something else.

isn't in 4/4, for sure.

[José the Bronx Rican]

A few from my older faves that come to mind....

Thunder Force IV:

Rolling Thunder 2:

Later, same video:

And I remember this one because Pezman asked me to transcribe this madness to MIDI once... from Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake:

[zykO]

and GANON

[Mazedude]

Well, there are a few that I've done, let's see...

Sagat's theme - Street Fighter 2 (Sagat's Moonbike)

Microscope puzzle music - The 7th Guest (Microscopism)

Hotslug Ice - Missile Master (listen at www.mazedudemusic.com)

Mother Brain - Super Metroid (stay tuned for Heroes vs. Villains)

As to the originals, Jack Wall's music to Myst IV: Revelation has some unusual time sigs, specifically the Main Theme and the Swamp theme. Good stuff, just haven't had a chance to remix it yet.

[K.B.]

I, too, have a soft spot for time-sig wankery.

Non-4/4 starts at 1:15. Love the cut-offs mid-bar.

Entire thing. Seamless. Rhythmically ingenious, indeed.

Super Castlevania IV - Dracula's Theme

Snapple was trying to pin this down a few weeks ago. I count it as 7/4 (and 4/4), but he thinks, or at least thought, it was far wilder than that.

Fluctuates between 6/8, 4/4, and 5/8 (3+2) with the skipping of the second beat in the last bar of some of the 6/8 sections. This one is especially cool since the listener has the urge to count it as 3/4 and 5/4 (and 4/4), but the note groupings make more sense the other way. Sakuraba does, or at least did, a lot of melding of meters, so be sure to check out more of his stuff if you're into this sort of thing. Ella posted another example below.

Edit: how did I miss this when I've had it on repeat for days?

3+3+3+2 (/4). Maybe that's too close to 3/4 (as it is, minus a beat), but I figured I'd mention it anyway since I really like the flow.

Edited October 6, 2010 by K.B.
deleted one vp rec and corrected goober-counting on the other

[EC2151]

Goddammit KB you just made me listen to the entire Super CV IV soundtrack.

[K.B.]

The best.

[ella guro]

There's a bunch of crazyass NES prog in weird time signatures. I can't even think of anything but the Contra thing that CHz mentioned at the moment though.

here's one that came to mind:

this is entirely in 6/8 (or 3/4) with the exception of a bar in the intro that adds a couple beats and then skips a couple about 5 seconds later (so it technically stays in 6/8 I suppose), but all the rhythmic interplay makes it seem way way more complicated than that.

also this one from star ocean 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE1g5F2T7BI

first phrase has 12 beats (first bar 7, second bar 5), second phrase has 14 (first bar 8, second bar 6), third has 18 (first bar 8, two bars of 5) and then the fourth phrase has 12 (two bars of 6). then that repeats once, then the second section is entirely in 6/8. Then there's a bar of 5/8 and then a part with harp arpeggios that's 20 beats, divided into 11 and 9. I like how this one sounds, it's kind of arhythmic except for that second section.

Edited October 6, 2010 by ella guro