Obscure Keys and Time Signatures

[fruple]

So, I need some help. We're doing a composition project for our band final, but we need to do about 5 different things to get up to that project. As I've utterly given up on my other classes, I thought it would be fun to mess around with this, as I'm trying for a different key and time signature in each of the little compositions and melodies.

The thing is, I don't have any good ideas for the key signatures and time signatures. You can only use harmonics and such so many times. I'm messing around with the gypsy scale that was mentioned in that other topic, but other than that, I can't think of anything fun.

Same with the time signatures. I've loved the switching, non-normal signatures since we did a few weeks of reading Tempered Steel. But again, I want something that could have some fun rhythms, so I don't think 13/3 would really work out.

So, if you have some ideas, I'd love the help. I know this sounds ridiculous and it is, but it's still pretty fun. Thanks in advance for any help!

EDIT: I was just informed that there is no such thing as 13/3. I feel stupid, but what if you wanted to make it over triplets? Could you do that?

[Deleted]

Maybe go in 4/4 with lots of quintuplets.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_musical_scale

Pentatonic

Use blues scales in classical stuff

[trumellotonium]

I've played a duet book by a composer who liked to create his own scales and base pieces off of those... for example, a piece would be based off the scale C-D-Eb-F#-Ab-B-C or something weird like that. You could do something like that.

As for time, it's always fun to put something in 4/4 lentissimo and use tuplets to simulate alternate time signatures.

[fruple]

May 20, 2009 18:59:41 GMT -5 trumellotonium said:

I've played a duet book by a composer who liked to create his own scales and base pieces off of those... for example, a piece would be based off the scale C-D-Eb-F#-Ab-B-C or something weird like that. You could do something like that.

As for time, it's always fun to put something in 4/4 lentissimo and use tuplets to simulate alternate time signatures.

Actually, I just remembered Wolfram, which is a wicked awesome search site that does like anything. So, I put your odd scale in and apparently it is a "C Takemitsu Tree Line mode 1 scale".

So, nevermind about needing things because they can do anything. It's fun to try, just type in a few notes in a scale and it'll tell you what scale it can be. www58.wolframalpha.com/

Thanks for the help though!

[the_sousabone]

I have a bunch of Scales in a book. There's japanese scales in there and indian scales. PM me if you'd like some of them.

also
38/16.

[trumellotonium]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to now reply "Takemitsu Tree Line mode 1 scale" any time I'm asked what scale anything is based off of... what a ridiculous scale.

[84bdsop]

Look up some jazz charts by Don Ellis....15/16 time was one if his signatures...

[altoclarinets]

I write fiddle solos in 5/16 just to tick orchestra kids off...