Rick Mabry wrote:

>It also got me wondering when the earliest surviving odd-time signatures
>appeared.  Anyone have some early classical favorites, say, pre-1900?
>Tchaikovsky's symphony number 6 has a "waltz" in 5/4 (second movement),
>for instance.
>
>P.S.  A percussion professor told me a joke a few decades ago: "How do
>dummies count 7/4?" But I'm sure everyone here has heard it.

Tchaikowsy used 5/4 at least twice elsewhere: once in a ballet score,
and once on the piano 'Valse a cinq temps' in Op.78 (or is it Op72-- I
forget).  And no, I haven't heard the joke about 7/4.  What is it??

Cheers.
Ernie