Free time (music)

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Free time is a type of Musical meter free from musical time & time signature. It is used when a piece of music has no discernible beat. Instead, the rhythm is intuitive and free-flowing. There are five ways in which a piece is indicated to be in free time:

  1. There is simply no time signature displayed. This is common in old vocal music such as Gaelic psalms.
  2. There is no time signature but the direction 'Free time' is written above the stave.
  3. There is a time signature (usually 4/4) and the direction 'Free time' written above.
  4. The word FREE is written downwards across the stave. This is mostly used when the piece changes to free time after having had a time signature.
  5. Instead of a time signature, a large X is written on the stave.

Examples of musical genres based around free time include Free improvisation, Free jazz & Noise music. Examples of music written in free time include Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Erik Satie's Gnossienne No. 1 and Kaikhosru Sorabji's Opus Clavicembalisticum. In modern rock, the song "Hunting Bears" by Radiohead on the album Amnesiac is in free time.