I was poking around the Spanghoppers web site and saw on the tunes page a tune called Waterman’s. It has a 7/8 meter. How would one interpret that? I was taught to play 6/8 like 2/4, with the appropriate rhythm adjustments (e.g. 3 beamed 8ths = triplet, dotted 1/4 = 1 beat), but I can’t figure out 7/8.
[ This Message was edited by: ThorntonRose on 2001-08-31 12:57 ]
I tried your link but didn’t get a page with any music. 7/8 time can be broken up in different ways. If you can find it listen to Grey Larsen’s tune Thunderhead on the album of the same name. The tune is first played in 6/8 and then in 7/8. The 7/8 measures are broken up as /xooxooo/ where x indicates the strong beat. What he did to achieve this was mainly to repeat a note in the second set of three notes in a measure. In order for me to think in 7/8 I have to tap out seven beats per measure whereas in 6/8 there are just two. Keep in mind that there are other ways to break up a 7/8 measure such as /xoxoxoo/.
Steve
Being the “editor” of the website, I can’t for the life of me see why the picture doesn’t show, since the URL is correct. If I go via the main page and navigate my way onto the tune it appears fine, and once the tune file is in my browsers cache, the direct link suddenly works as well… Hmm, I blame it on geocities. 
As for the tune, its particular rhythm corresponds to the second example Steve showed, ie. |XOXOXOO| (X being emphasized notes). I also learned it playing sloooowly, counting carefully to 7 in each bar (although counting “1-2 1-2 1-2-3” might actually be more logical). Once you get the tune under your skin, its rhythm becomes much easier.
Funny, it was only after I learned the tune that I heard the McGoldrick recording. For me the tune is really nice and beautiful, but Mike plays it very fast, much too fast for my taste.
Cheers,
Jens
If you want to try a tune in 7/8, here’s one from Macedonia. The measures seem largely to be broken up in the /xooxooo/ pattern. It’s at Richard Robinson’s tune site. Should be playable on a C whistle.
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/music/Info/RRTuneBk/Exotic/00/00000059.html
Steve