5/4 time signature

Most of the music you hear is in groups of two, three or four. Five is different. A measure of 5/4 feels a little off balance, like a walk with a limp, and that is exactly why composers use it. Once you learn to see it as a three and a two stuck together, it is easy to count and a lot of fun to play.

What does 5/4 mean?

The top 5 says there are five beats in a measure, and the bottom 4 says each beat is a quarter note. So a measure is as long as five quarter notes. You can fill it with a dotted half note and a half note (3 + 2 beats), a half note and a dotted half (2 + 3), or five separate quarter notes.

Five beats is quintuple meter. It is not a simple duple or triple meter. Musicians treat it as a combination of the two, which makes it an irregular or asymmetrical meter.

How do you count 5/4?

Count "1 2 3 4 5." But beat 1 gets the strongest accent, and a second, lighter accent falls either on beat 4 (when you group it 3+2) or on beat 3 (when you group it 2+3). Counting out the groups separately helps: "1 2 3, 1 2" or "1 2, 1 2 3."

What is the difference between 3+2 and 2+3?

They are both five beats, but they feel different. In 3+2 the long group comes first, so the second accent lands on beat 4: ONE two three FOUR five. In 2+3 the short group comes first, and the accent lands on beat 3: ONE two THREE four five. A composer or an editor may show the grouping with beams, with a dotted line, or with dashed bar lines. When a piece gives no hint, listen to where the melody wants to accent.

What are some examples of music in 5/4?

"Take Five" by the Dave Brubeck Quartet is the best-known piece in 5/4. It was composed by the group's saxophonist, Paul Desmond, and the title refers to the five beats in the measure. It is felt as 3+2. Another famous example is "Mars, the Bringer of War" from The Planets by Gustav Holst, where the relentless 5/4 gives a feeling of marching that never quite settles into a regular step.

Composers in many traditions use five-beat patterns, and film and television themes sometimes use 5/4 because it feels unusual. Rock and pop songs in 5/4 are rare, but they exist, and they are good ear training.

Why would a composer choose 5/4?

• It breaks the predictable pulse of 4/4 and 3/4, so the music sounds restless or tense.
• It lets a melody stretch over an unusual phrase length.
• It sounds fresh and playful, which is why jazz players like it.
• It can imitate folk dance rhythms that do not divide neatly.

The effect depends on the tempo. At a brisk pace, 5/4 can feel like a quick 3+2 with a bounce. At a slow pace each beat is heard separately, and the meter sounds heavy and uneven.

How do you practice 5/4?

1. Tap five even beats with your foot and count "1 2 3 4 5" aloud.
2. Clap only the strong beats: 1 and 4 for 3+2, or 1 and 3 for 2+3.
3. Say "1 2 3 1 2" so the groups of three and two are clear.
4. Play a scale up in five notes and down in five, one note per beat.
5. Switch between 4/4 and 5/4, and listen to how the extra beat changes the feel.

It also helps to conduct 5/4 with your hand. For 3+2, make a pattern with a big downward motion on beat 1, a smaller motion on beat 4, and light motions for the others. Moving your hand makes the unequal groups feel physical, and soon the five beats will sound like one natural pattern instead of a count you have to work at.

For a bigger picture of how counting changes from one signature to another, see time signatures, and compare it with the steady 4/4.

Check yourself

Related pages

• Time signatures explained
• 4/4 time signature
• 3/4 time signature and waltz time
• Quarter note: symbol, beats and counting
• Dotted half note: how many beats it gets
• Syncopation in music