Meter in "Thoughts of Home"

[Joe Brausam 214]

I've been wanting to transcribe Thoughts of Home from Munich, but interestingly enough I cannot pinpoint what meter the piece is in. I would greatly appreciate any help. I keep thinking its in three, but I'm not sure. Thanks!

[UK_Tubist 6]

Seems to be in a fairly regular 4/4 (the harp gives you the quaver pulse). Two bars of introduction before the cello comes in. There may well be the odd bar here and there, though, that is irregular.

[Joe Brausam 214]

Thanks. Its wierd because usually I'm good at picking those things out but this one piece just throws me off for one reason on another.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

I still for the life of me can't place "The Whomping Willow". It may very well have no meter, it's certainly hard to tell.

[UK_Tubist 6]

To my ear it's mostly in 12/8, with the main exception being at 00:24, where it alternates between a bar of 6/8 and then two bars of 2/4 (or it could be a 10/8 bar, divided into 3+3+2+2); it does this four times, and then goes back into 12/8. Hope that helps!

Forgot to say that of course the Whomping Willow has a quaver upbeat, which may be what is confusing you...

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Not really, I can get the upbeat and the pulse, but the actual signature eludes me. I'll give it another listen soon, thanks for helping. I was just curious.

[Joe Brausam 214]

I think I got it...I believe thoughts of home is in 12/8 time actually, which would explain why it can be counted as straight four and feel like 3 sometimes.

[UK_Tubist 6]

I'm not sure I agree, actually, although the harp does play a triplet on the second beat of the third bar, which confuses the issue slightly (it returns to straight quavers thereafter). Also, while the theme is played seemingly fairly freely, and very often there isn't much movement to enable one to detect a pulse, it seems to me to be very definitely in a simple 4/4 rather than a compound 12/8. I could be wrong, however...