A 7/8 or 10/8 tune isn't math — it's a small number of uneven groups you feel, not calculate. I invited composer John Dew onto the Inner Circle to break down 7/8 and 10/8 into their natural groupings — threes and twos — and the two of us marched them out on the spot to prove feel beats counting every time.
A complex time signature only sounds like a gimmick when the tune underneath it is weak. John's tunes Cloud 18 and Mackerel Sky flow so naturally that you could play them for someone and they'd never notice the odd meter hiding inside.
Listening to a tune before you ever try to play it is the one truly free shortcut in learning music. It won't fix your gracenotes or your crossing noises, but it builds the feel for a rhythm, and feel is most of the battle with anything unfamiliar.
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Composer John Dew
50m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
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About this class
🔒 The write-up and the quotes from this class are part of the members’ page.
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