Interesting Rhythm Tunes (mostly Balkan)
Updated: 22 February 2025 (previously: 29 June 2011) -- see update notes
(see also other music on this site)

Also see Paul Boizot's "Irregular Rhythms" page

These are examples of tunes, most of them Balkan, that use odd rhythms -- either truly odd (non-2,3,4,6) metres, or even metres with syncopated rhythms, non-jigs that sound like jigs, or metres that change from measure to measure.

I put them together for a guitarist friend who wanted to learn something about odd rhythms. The music comes from sheet music collected over the years from a variety of different sources by the Washington, D.C. area folk dance band, Peascods Gathering. I have converted that music into several formats:

ABC   Created with Jim Vint's excellent ABC2Win program, in two forms:
  • ABC: normal chord notations
  • w/rhythm: chord notation on each beat, to facilitate creation of midi files
MIDI   Converted from ABC by Henrik Norbek's versatile ABCMus program, using the "w/rhythm" ABC files to force odd metres from a program unaccustomed to them. Most of these also come in two forms:
  • normal: at approximate dance speed
  • slow: much slowed down, to allow a newcomer guitarist to get comfortable with whatever strumming approach s/he decides to use -- these are omitted where the music is quite slow, where there are few chord changes, or where the rhythm structure resembles a more familiar form (e.g. a jig).
Notes: The midi files are not always perfect, due to limitations in the ABC protocol and the ABCMus program:
  • ABCMus doesn't honor ties, so you may hear more notes than the sheet music indicates.
  • Ornaments are not rendered consistently smoothly in ABCMus, so while they are included in the basic ABC and Sheet music files, I've generally removed them in the "w/rhythm" files used for midi production.
  • The ABC protocol honors neither global repeat symbols such as "D.C." or "D.S." or the Segno-sign, nor section repeats mentioned in the header (e.g., "Play A,B,C,A,B"). In the "w/rhythm" files, I've tried to duplicate segments of music to simulate these, but it isn't always possible.
Regrettable: At the time this page was created, most browsers could play MIDI files. When all else failed, Quicktime Player could. That is no longer the case, and I haven't taken the time to convert them to MP3s with VLC Media Player. But it's an excellent program for a variety of audio purposes, and can be used for playing MIDI files, available from https://www.videolan.org
 
Sheet   Sheet music rendered by ABC2Win, screen captured into Jpeg format.
 
MP3   Renditions from the web by musicians (mostly MP3's, 0.4-4.4 Meg) of either the specific piece or one rhythmically similar. Some are by eth nic musicians, others by musicians conversant with the music. I've tried to indicate the approximate relationship of the MP3 version to the ABC version as follows (keep in mind my assignments to these categories are pure judgment calls):
  • same indicates the same tune
  • sim indicates a similar tune, or the same one with some different parts
  • diff indicates a different tune with the same rhythm
The numbers in parentheses refer to the list of links to original web sources to be found below the main table.

Usage notes listed below table

Tune Origin Metre Count Guitar suggestion Midi ABC Sheet Mp3
 
Ajde Jano Serbia 7 s qq DuDD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (1)
Ali Paşa Turkey 5 even DDDDD normal ABC image mid
Bavno Oro Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD (s generally=D_u ) normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (2)
Bučimiš Bulgaria 15 qqqq s qq DDDD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (3)
sim (4)
sim (5)
sim (6)
Daichovo Bulgaria 9 qqq s DDD Du normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (7)
diff (8)
diff (9)
De-A-Lungul Transylvania 9 slow jig DuDuDu normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (10)
Eleno Mome Bulgaria 7 qq s (see note->) DD Du (s=Du_, not D_u) normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (11)
Fatiše Kolo Serbia 9 q s qq D Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
mid slow
Gankino Horo Bulgaria* 11 qq s qq DD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image diff (12)
diff (13)
Godečki Čačak Serbia 6 jig DuDu normal ABC image same (14)
diff (15)
Horos Eklektikos Greece* 4 even DuDu normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
Jovano, Jovanke Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (16)
sim (17)
Jove Male Mome Bulgaria 18
(7+11)		 s qq+qq s qq Du DD + DD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (18)
sim (19)
diff (20)
Karagouna Greece 4 4.844 Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (21)
same (22)
Karamfil Bulgaria 7 s qq Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (23)
Kopanitsa Bulgaria 11 qq s qq DD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (42)
diff (41)
Makedonsko Devojče Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (24)
same (25)
same (26)
Misirlou Greece 4 4.844 + 888844 DuDD dudu DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (27)
same (28)
same (29)
Mom Bar Armenia 10 s qq s Du DD Du normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
Neapolitan Tarantella Italy 6 jig DuDu normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
Nosorozhka Ruchenitsa Bulgaria* 7 qq s DD Du normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
mid slow
Pajduško Oro (Bb) Macedonia 5 q s D Du normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image sim (30)
same (31)
Pajduško Horo (Dm) Bulgaria 5 q s D Du normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
mid slow
Pożegnanie Ojczyzny Poland 3 8.16 8888 Du D U D U normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid (32)
Pravo Horo / Čestoto Bulgaria 4 () DuDu normal ABC image mid
Pravo Horo / Čestoto
    in a more "natural" rhythm		 Bulgaria 6 jig DuDu normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image diff (33)
diff (34)
Ratevka Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (35)
same (36)
sim (37)
Reflections of Arcadia Greece* 7 s qq Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
Ruchenitsa Bulgaria* 7 qq s DD Du normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image diff (38)
Sandansko Horo Bulgaria 22
(9+9+4)		 qqq s + qqq s + qq DDD Du DDD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (39)
same (40)
Sommermichl Germany 2 & 3 varies 2=D, 3=D_u normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
Starcheska Kopanitsa Bulgaria* 11 qq s qq DD Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image
diff (41)
diff (42)
Što mi je milo Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (43)
Sylivriano Greece 4 4.844 Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
mid slow
Tino Mori Macedonia 7 s qq Du DD normal
slow		 ABC
w/rhythm		 image mid
mid slow
Trugnala Rumjana Bulgaria 7 s qq Du DD normal ABC
w/rhythm		 image same (44)
U Šest Serbia 4 even DuDuDuDu (fast) normal ABC image mid

NOTES:
(When checked in February 2025, many of these links no longer function.)

Origin:   Country of origin (exception: *denotes tunes written by Fred Aalto in the style of that country.)
Count:   is for one measure, unless "+" is present to indicate more than one measure
Count
symbols:		   q = quick: 2 counts
s = slow: 3 counts -- usually beat_pause_beat, but in one case (Eleno Mome) beat_beat_pause
4, 4., 8, 16= beat values for syncopated even metres: quarter, dotted quarter, eighth, sixteenth
Guitar:   Just my suggestion -- use whatever works for you (D:strum down or bass, u:strum up)
MP3s   These are the names of the MP3 tunes, linked to their sources.   The main sources, which represent a lot of tempting CD's, are as follows.   (A great source of these Eastern European CD's is http://cdbaby.com/style/158/all.)

B Nick Bratkovich http://www.bratkovichmusic.com
D Dunav http://www.dunav.org.il/balkan_dance_directory.html
G Geocities http://geocities.com/balkanfolkdances/
M Maritza http://www.maritza.us
R Reptile Palace Orchestra http://beeftone.com/rpo/
S Simpson U. Archive http://campus.simpsonuniversity.edu/faculty/mhuster/FolkDanceF05/Music/@page.htm

  1. Ajde Jano (D)
  2. Bavno Oro (partial)
  3. Bučimiš (B; sample)
  4. Bučimiš (Mooncoin, slow-fast)
  5. Bučimiš (jazz)
  6. Bučimiš (R; crazy, sample)
  7. Daichovo Oro (B; sample)
  8. Dajchovo Horo (G)
  9. Daichovo Horo (jazz)
10. De-A-Lungul (D)
11. Eleno Mome (Goran Alachki; sample)
12. Gankino Oro (B; sample)
13. Gankino Horo (R)
14. Godečki Čačak (R; sample)
15. Čačak (B; sample)
16. Jovano Jovanke (Clarke, sample)
17. Jovano Jovanke (D; Other lesnotos)
18. Jove Malaj Mome (D)
19. Jove Male Mome (M; sample)
20. Jove (D)
21. Karagouna - male (G)
22. Karagouna (B; sample)
23. Karamfil (M; sample)
24. Makedonsko Devojče (S)
25. Makedonsko Devojče Tomovska-Mancevski (G; = above, but WAV fmt))
26. Makedonsko Devojče (B; sample)
27. Misirlou (S)
28. Misirlou (Enoch Light, Other versions)
29. Mizirlu (B; sample)
30. Pajdusko -- Goran Alečki (D)
31. Pajdusko Oro (B; sample)
32. Pozegnanie Oncyzny (Flash file: click the purple PLAY button))
33. Pravo (G)
34. Pravo Trakisko Icapras (D)
35. Ratevka Ranila Moma (G)
36. Ratevka (Pece Atanasovski; sample)
37. Ratevka (Vujicsics; sample)
38. Racenica Trakijska tambura BelcoStanev (G)
39. Sandansko Horo YvesMoreau - tambura (G)
40. Sandansko Horo Spassov - kaval (G)
41. Kopanica Gankino (D; Other Kopanitsas)
42. Kopanitsa (G)
43. Sto Mi Je Milo (B; sample)
44. Trugnala Rumjana (S)

Update Notes
29 Jun 2011 Added a transcription of the Geocities "Kopanitsa" (note 42)
22 Feb 2025 Corrected filenames; checked some links;
converted a WAV to MP3 (25) but seems same as (24), source no longer available;
made tunes with no natural mp3's audibly accessible by converting their midi files:
 Ali Paşa, Fatiše Kolo, Horos Eklektikos, Mom Bar, Neapolitan Tarantella,
 Nosorozhka Ruchenitsa, Paiduško Horo (Dm), Pravo Oro in 4, Pożegnanie Ojczyzny,
 Reflections of Arcadia, Sommermichl, Sylivriano, Tino Mori, and U Šest