19/16 Metronome
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19/16 has nineteen sixteenth notes in every bar. Think of it as a full bar of 4/4 with three extra sixteenth notes tacked on at the end. It is a long, winding meter you hear in progressive rock, metal and jazz fusion.
What does 19/16 mean?
The top 19 means nineteen notes per bar, and the bottom 16 means they are sixteenth notes. A bar of 4/4 holds sixteen sixteenth notes, so 19/16 is a 4/4 bar plus three more.
TypeOdd meter (sixteenth notes), 19 sixteenth notes per bar
How to count 19/16
Say it: "1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a, 1 2 3"
Count a normal bar of 4/4 in sixteenth notes, then add three more notes before the next bar starts: "1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a, 1 2 3". That is 4+4+4+4+3. Other groupings work too, as long as they add up to nineteen.
Accent patterns to try
Press a pattern to set the metronome to it and start the click.
The tempo in 19/16
In 19/16 the metronome clicks every sixteenth note. The tempo number still counts quarter notes, so you hear four times as many clicks as the number says: at 60 bpm that is 240 clicks a minute.
How 19/16 feels
19/16 feels like 4/4 that keeps going a moment too long before it starts over. Each bar has an extra little tail, and riffs built on it have a stretched, winding feel.
Songs in 19/16
- Keep It Greasy by Frank ZappaThe first verse, some bridges and the guitar solo
- Celestial Terrestrial Commuters by Mahavishnu Orchestra
- Home by Dream TheaterThe ending
Practice 19/16 on guitar
- Keep the tempo slow, around 50 bpm, and play a palm-muted note on every click while you count out loud.
- Play a 4/4 sixteenth-note riff and add three notes to the end of it. That is a 19/16 riff.
- Accent the start of each group with a power chord and play muted notes in between.
- Once you can count it, try the other grouping and hear how the short group changes the feel.
Learn 19/16 with a teacher
Hear it played, count along and try it yourself with these video lessons from the Infinite Guitar library:
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19/16 time FAQ
How do you count 19/16 time?
Count a bar of 4/4 in sixteenth notes, "1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a 4 e and a", then add "1 2 3" before you start the next bar.
Is 19/16 used in real music?
Yes, though it is rare. You hear it in progressive rock, metal and jazz fusion, from Frank Zappa and the Mahavishnu Orchestra to Dream Theater.