BookatlasPiano Rabbit Hole: Improvisation Theory & Practice
6054 / 18210 · Workshop 43 — “Blue Rondo à la Turk”: 9/8 as 2+2+2+3, Additive Rhythm, Switching Between Odd Meter and Swing, and Keeping Form During Metric Changes← prev⊞ allnext →

43.1What does 9/8 normally suggest?

A conventional 9/8 often feels like:

3 + 3 + 3

Count:

ONE two three | FOUR five six | SEVEN eight nine

or more musically as three dotted-quarter pulses.

That feels flowing and compound.

But now regroup the same nine eighth notes as:

2 + 2 + 2 + 3

Count:

ONE two | THREE four | FIVE six | SEVEN eight nine

Completely different.