Songs that use 13/8 time

Time signatures with a thirteen on top certainly live up to the name “odd” time signature. In this video we’ll take a look at some songs in 13/8, 13/4 and even the much rarer 13/16 time.

And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇

[therealshmorg]

I am unbelievably impressed and concerned that David has managed to make a time signature video without a single Radiohead song

[mikeprice]

Joga is one of the most effortless pieces of music that uses an odd meter to me. I find it so pleasing.

[originalphtbag]

Honestly, 13/16 is a really natural feeling time signature to me, actually. It might be the proximity to 12/16, but especially in the 3-3-3-4 clave, it is a very smooth time signature to my ear.

[Xx_Blue_Blur_xX]

0:03 explanation
0:11 Super Mario RPG - Weapons Factory
0:41 Ocarina of Time - Fairy Flying
0:55 Tigran Hamisyan - To Negate
1:17 Pearl Jam - Low Light
1:47 Pearl Jam - Push Me, Pull Me
2:16 Bobby McFerrin - Stars
2:50 Tool - Schism
3:15 Björk - Jôga


(to be continued)

[DavideMenezes]

The dankest example of 13/8 and 13/4 is King Crimson's Frame by Frame. The guitars moving against each other, one being in 13/8 and the other in 13/4, until they collide again is just magical.

[thecoolestbro]

You couldn't have shaved 9 seconds of the runtime?

[solvoidt]

Thank you David. Now I finally know what all the artists I love have in common: Genesis, Tigran Hamasyan, Tool, Plini, Björk, Nine Inch Nails, and the Nintendo soundtracks. It's the time signature.

[ElvisMokko]

I want to mention Starless by King Crimson. It has that odd time signature of 13/4 in the second half of the song which is a masterpiece.

[giddyaunt]

I really like your explanation of the difference between13/4 and 13/8 - How one is an odd number of complete beats and the other has an extra half beat leading to it sounding more "wonky" than the quarter note version. Something I feel like I knew, but would probably not have been able to explain to anyone else - until now!

[lp-xlld]

During the formal music training I had back in the 1970s, weird time signatures like 5/4 (never mind 13/8!) were basically not mentioned. You've really expanded the horizons.

[mintegral]

Yessss Firth of Fifth made it in!

That intro also has several measures of 15/16, so it's also valid material for the inevitable "songs in 15" video ;)

[mauritsbv]

Funny that for Turn It On Again, Mike Rutherford played a slow guitar riff at first. Phil told him to speed it up and said ‘Do you realise it’s in 13/8’ on which Mike replied ‘What do you mean it’s in 13/8, it’s in 4/4’ but it was in 13. Classic Genesis jam session

[KooriGraywolf]

Videogame soundtracks are a treasure trove of odd time signatures, especially when involving imposing boss fights or alternative dimensions. And the weapins factory from Super Mario RPG just so happens to be one of my favorite odd time signature videogame tracks

[Baby_boodle]

That ending piece is such a lovely little thing. It feels introspective and dreamy.

[ivancho]

There is an interesting example of using 13/8 as a contrasting doubletime of 13/4 in instrumental part of King Crimson's Starless, really catches that bizarre KC's vibe right after more heavy, more spaced section

[waugsqueke]

I'm glad you referenced Turn It On Again, especially your word about it previously. I think in the comments on that video I mentioned that in interviews, Phil has always said it was in 13. Weirdly Mike didn't realize it was an odd signature until Phil pointed it out to him.

[originalloky]

"Concrete Jungle" from the Simcity 3000 soundtrack (by Jerry Martin I think) is another in 13/8. It gave me the feeling of things getting increasingly frantic as the city grows

[wrorchestra]

"I am the Doctor" by Murray Gold, from the Matt Smith era of Doctor Who is in 7/8 or 7/4 time (depending on what version you see) and you can really hear the cut-off beat that is actually driving the theme forward.

[piguy]

"Skimbleshanks" from Cats also uses 13/8 in its chorus... and lots of other Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals also flirt with odd time signatures

[patepulkkinenvtec]

Great video, nice to see some Genesis songs being mentioned. Would be cool if you did a video on "How Genesis writes a song", that would be super interesting, loads of slash chords and epic modulations in their music. I would add Robbery, Assault And Battery by Genesis and Free Will, Jacob's Ladder and Natural Science by Rush as songs that have a 13/8 time signature.