Can Odd Meters Feel Good? || Odd Time Signatures in Video Game Music Part 2

Who can get enough odd time signatures? I certainly can't! This time we're diving in to try and figure out how to make odd time signatures feel good, with at least one example that feels specifically very bad. Enjoy!

0:00 - Odd time signatures can groove too
1:03 - Wild Woods - Mario Kart 8
5:53 - Balatro Theme
7:53 - Winning Result - Mario Kart 64
11:01 - Sagat's Theme - Street Fighter II
14:24 - Fairy Flying Theme - Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
15:55 - Mad Luca - Suikoden II
19:33 - Outro

#oddtimesignatures #musictheory #8bitMusicTheory

[chimericalical]

I was so distracted by rainbow edition I didn’t initially pay attention to what was said about Sagat’s theme.

[morganhunt]

The Mad Luca transcription is such an underrated flex. I’d go insane transcribing that

[nshady]

Part 2 is twice as good as Part 1 – that's just mathematics.

[williamsanborn]

Bit of a correction: the main instrument in Wild Woods is actually an oboe. There was a behind the scenes video of the recording session, and they showed the oboist playing the melody. 🙂

[Twisted_Logic]

"Oh no! Wasps!" from Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling modulates between 11/8 and 12/8. It's super cool and ends up almost feeling like an off-kilter waltz

[mediocrity]

Castle Bleck from super paper Mario uses 13/8, 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, and 15/8, that game has a quite a few odd time signatures

[Pyrospriter]

Balatro is such a groove. So well done.

[BirdoHermes]

Rainbow Edition as the choice of gameplay background while discussing Sagat's theme!? CULTURED.

[sam_bamalam]

“Wow, I love this oboe in the Mario Kart track!” “…soprano sax…” 👀

[CrispyPixel]

I've always seen Mad Luca as a thematic piece of an insane man making his last stand. It's his adrenaline spiking at random intervals while he's bleeding out. Unpredictable and dangerous.

[huhneat]

In my high school marching band, a large portion of our show was in 7/8, while all the rest was mostly 3/4.
Our metronome played every quarter note. In total, we had an even number of 7/8 measures, but due to some odd phrasing, there were some sections where the downbeats of first measures were ALL off with the metronome. We had to practice with an offbeat metronome.
That's just mathematics.

[aaronclift]

The “Mad Luca” writing reminds me so much of “The Dance of Eternity” by Dream Theater (which came out around the same time).

[stapleboy]

my favorite niche music concept has now been covered by my favorite music theory channel twice and i couldn't be happier

[Grammaton]

Using Rainbow Edition clips for Sagat is certainly a choice...haha

[owlyus]

I never noticed how strong the Ace Attorney vibes are with Balatro, which is one of the greatest compliments I can give a piece of music

[SamyaprasaDasa]

Double-time Sagat theme goes so hard, one of my faves, thanks for that breakdown!

Mad Luca feels like the soundtrack to a deranged mind!

[SimplyDad]

I dont leave comments on videos too often but i gotta say you consistently drop some of my favorite content on the app, as someone who appreciates tf outta music especially in videogames but has 0 knowledge of anything music theory related, you explain these concepts in a way thats real easy to understand and digest n also point out things i never really noticed in the tracks i already enjoy. You fs one of my favorite creators on the platform n i cant wait till the next drop.

[Troloze]

I'd love to have you cover some ULTRAKILL songs. A good part of them use odd time signatures to create a feeling of chaos, and it is great.

[ofalltrades]

splatoon 3’s Frothy Waters has an insane amount of time signature changes. the time signature goes up like every other measure, and it perfectly encapsulates the chaos that is the made where it plays, Salmon Run

[Allplussomeminus]

I love odd time. The way the entire pattern flips between on beat and off beat is fascinating.