Help with Time Sig Transitions

[TheMarioPianist]

Hey guys!

So, I'm arranging a medley of 3 Christmas songs for my steel drum band. They are Welcome Christmas (from the Grinch), Christmas Time is Here, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It's early for Christmas, I know. Bear with me. Anyway, since the songs go in that order, the time signature will go from 4/4->3/4->4/4. Anyone know how I would go about making these transitions? I can provide more info and the sheet if necessary.

[JDMEK5]

Which version of finale are you using. The only kind of marking for a transition like that is just a time change. Just literally change the time sig whenever you feel like it.

[TheMarioPianist]

Which version of finale are you using. The only kind of marking for a transition like that is just a time change. Just literally change the time sig whenever you feel like it.

I know how to do a time change, that's not the issue. And I have Finale 2014 so I can make the mark. I should have worded it more clearly. What I was asking about was like ideas on what to do with the music to facilitate the change from 4/4 to 3/4. Like, I have sheet music to transcribe from for each song, but the transitions in between are basically my own little additions. Kinda like I did with my Super Mario 64 medley. If you need to see any files or the songs themselves, I can post them here tonight if you need them for a better solution.

[TheMarioPianist]

Anyone got anything here? (If you need to see the song just ask.)

[JDMEK5]

So you're inquiring about a nice way to transition between the time sigs?

Anyone got anything here? (If you need to see the song just ask.)

Yeah it might help if I see it in context.

[TheMarioPianist]

So you're inquiring about a nice way to transition between the time sigs?
Yeah it might help if I see it in context.

Ok, I figured that would probably be the case. In this file, I have the first song complete and the first few measures of the next one done. I have left a couple blank measures in between. Basically, I need to find a way to transition between them that supports the significant tempo change, time sig change, and key change. I'm not necessarily asking you to do it for me; I just need pointed in the right direction because I have no idea how to facilitate it at the moment.

[Oronoco]

Here's something that might help!

The tempo and mood changes will probably be more obvious to the audience than the time signature change. So, I would take some of the rhythmic movement from the first section (like the three eighth-note motif) and combine it with some rhythms from the second section.

That could end up sounding like this. (Although if you put more thought into it, yours would sound a lot better!)

My sample immediately changes to 3/4 after the second ending of the first section. The descending baseline helps with the key change.


I hope that gives you at least something to think about! It's incredibly cool that you're in a steel drum band.

[FireArrow]

You don't really need to have a transition TBH. Just go straight into 3/4.