5. Ethno Fusion Guitar: 4 Odd-Time Examples
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World music is full of rich qualities coming from ancient heritages but also influenced by modern times. For example Balkan music has endless features in compositional, instrumentation, melodic, harmonic, social, economical and etc. perspectives. One of distinctive features of Bulgarian music is odd-time signatures that are strongly related to dances (horo). There is wide selection of dances with different time signatures that differ from region to region. This is huge topic that is impossible to show wholly in small article or even large book.
I have composed little examples where I have mixed together four different time signatures, fusion jazz and some ethno music qualities. These examples are not attempts to authentic ethno music. I wanted to try how odd-time signatures that has divisions found in Bulgarian music work in some mix of ethno fusion lines. Practicing different odd-time lines can give new perspectives to our playing in more common times 4/4, 6/8 etc.
I recommend warmly stepping into world of Balkan music. Their beautiful heritage is truly gift to the world, in my opinion.:)
Time signatures in these examples are
5/8 Paydusko horo (2-3)
7/8 Rachenitsa (2-2-3)
11/8 Kopanitsa (2-2-3-2-2)
13/8 Krivo horo (2-2-2-3-2-2)
Ex.1 (5/8): Here is B melodic minor in first 3 bars and rest of the phrase is B locrian n 2 that is D melodic minor thinking 6th note (b) as a root.
Ex.2 (7/8): This example has little more ethno music quality in melody line and the theory behind it can be interpreted in many ways. Western way would be for example that it has mix of B half-whole note scale (B, C, D, D#, F, G, A) and 5th mode of E harmonic minor also called B Phyrigian #3 (B, C, D#, E, F#, G, A).
Ex.3 (11/8): First 3 bars are B mixolydian scale with added #4 (E#). 4th bar 3 first beats are in key of G and then it moves to key of F until in 5th bar’s 3rd beat it solves to key of B major.
Ex.4 (13/8): This example reminds maybe more Bulgarian music. It consists mostly of 5th mode of E harmonic minor scale and some ornamentation.
