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:
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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 | |
Bavno Oro | Macedonia | 7 | s qq | Du DD (s generally=D_u ) | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | sim (2) |
Bučimi | 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) |
Fatie Kolo | Serbia | 9 | q s qq | D Du DD | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | |
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 | |
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) " (WAV) (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 | |
Neapolitan Tarantella | Italy | 6 | jig | DuDu | normal | ABC w/rhythm |
image | |
Nosorozhka Ruchenitsa | Bulgaria* | 7 | qq s | DD Du | normal
slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | |
Pajduko Oro (Bb) | Macedonia | 5 | q s | D Du | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | sim (30) same (31) |
Pajduko Horo (Dm) | Bulgaria | 5 | q s | D Du | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | |
Pożegnanie Ojczyzny | Poland | 3 | 8.16 8888 | Du D U D U | normal | ABC w/rhythm |
image | (see 32) |
Pravo Horo / Čestoto | Bulgaria | 4 | () | DuDu | normal | ABC | image | |
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 | |
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 | |
Starcheska Kopanitsa | Bulgaria* | 11 | qq s qq | DD Du DD | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | diff (41) diff (42) |
to 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 | |
Tino Mori | Macedonia | 7 | s qq | Du DD | normal slow |
ABC w/rhythm |
image | |
Trugnala Rumjana | Bulgaria | 7 | s qq | Du DD | normal | ABC w/rhythm |
image | same (44) |
U est | Serbia | 4 | even | DuDuDuDu (fast) | normal | ABC | image |
NOTES:
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 |
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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.)
1. Ajde Jano (D) 2. Bavno Oro (partial) 3. Bučimi (B; sample) 4. Bučimi (Mooncoin, slow-fast) 5. Bučimi (jazz) 6. Bučimi (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) |
29 June 2011 | Added a transcription of the Geocities "Kopanitsa" (note 42) |