7/4 metronome: how to count 7/4 time
7/4 has seven quarter-note beats in each bar, often felt as 4+3: a bar of 4/4 with its last beat taken away. Other groupings such as 3+4 and 2+2+3 are also used. The metronome above plays 7/4 with an accent at the start of each group. Count it as: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3.
What does 7/4 mean?
The top number, 7, says how many notes fill one bar; the bottom number, 4, says which note value they are (quarter notes). 7/4 is an irregular (asymmetric) meter: its beats are grouped unevenly, here 4+3, so some beats are longer than others.
How to count 7/4
Count 7/4 as “1 2 3 4 1 2 3”. The grouping is 4+3, so you feel 2 beats per bar, and the first note of each group carries the accent.
| Group | Length | Accent |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 4 quarter notes | Strong (downbeat) |
| Group 2 | 3 quarter notes | Medium |
Setting a metronome for 7/4
Set the metronome to 7/4 and let it click on the quarter note. Count the bar as a group of four then a group of three, and accent the first beat of each. Once that feels settled, try the other groupings at the same tempo.
How long is a bar of 7/4?
With the click on the quarter note, one bar of 7/4 lasts 7.00 seconds at 60 BPM, 4.67 seconds at 90 BPM, 3.50 seconds at 120 BPM.
| Tempo | One bar | Eight bars |
|---|---|---|
| 60 BPM | 7.00 s | 56.0 s |
| 90 BPM | 4.67 s | 37.3 s |
| 120 BPM | 3.50 s | 28.0 s |
Drum grooves in 7/4
These grooves from the SuperTime library are written in 7/4: 7/4 Rock (4+3). Each page shows the pattern hit by hit with its count, and plays it on the metronome.