7/4 time signature
7/4 means seven quarter-note beats in a bar. It is an odd time signature, usually heard as 4 + 3, 3 + 4 or 2 + 2 + 3, so each bar feels a beat short of two bars of 4/4.
120 BPM, Allegro: fast and bright
Space starts and stops it, T taps the tempo, and + and − change it.
Opens the free editor with a beat playing. No account needed to start.
How to count 7/4
Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, leaning on 1 and on the start of each group: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 for 4 + 3. The metronome clicks all seven with the first one highest.
| 7/4 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Odd (septuple) |
| Beats in a bar | 7 |
| A beat is | A quarter note |
| A bar holds | seven quarter notes or fourteen eighth notes |
Music in 7/4
"Money" by Pink Floyd is the best-known song in 7/4, and odd meters like it run through progressive rock and jazz.
7/4 or 7/8?
Both bars drawn to one scale: the wider a box, the longer its note.
7/8 has seven eighth notes, so a bar is half as long on paper. 7/4 is usually slower and counted beat by beat; 7/8 is faster and felt as three uneven beats, like 2 + 2 + 3.
How to count it and where it is heard are on the page for the 7/8 time signature.
Questions about 7/4
What does 7/4 mean?
7/4 means seven quarter-note beats in a bar. It is an odd time signature, usually heard as 4 + 3, 3 + 4 or 2 + 2 + 3, so each bar feels a beat short of two bars of 4/4.
Is 7/4 an odd time signature?
Yes. Seven beats cannot split into equal groups, so it is counted in uneven ones, most often 4 + 3.
What music is in 7/4?
"Money" by Pink Floyd is the best-known song in 7/4, and odd meters like it run through progressive rock and jazz.
What is the difference between 7/4 and 7/8?
7/8 has seven eighth notes, so a bar is half as long on paper. 7/4 is usually slower and counted beat by beat; 7/8 is faster and felt as three uneven beats, like 2 + 2 + 3.
Play along with a beat
Open the free editor with a beat playing, set its time signature to 7/4, then add parts one by one. No account needed to start.
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