polyrythym?

im always trying to play in different time signatures and to experiment with different stuff, but i'm basically trying to teach myself everything with the help of reading forums such as this one.

Last week i got thinking about polyrythyms, and, having no instruction from anyone else i just jumped right in and decided to give it a go, not really knowing if my approach was correct or not.

Here's what i did:

I wrote a 4/4 beat which can be played solely with my left hand and bass drum, and then a 3/4 beat which can be played soley with my right hand and bass drum, and then played them simultaneously, so that they meet up again every 3 bars of the 4/4 and every 4 bars of the 3/4. I'm not sure if this would be classed as a polyrythym, and frankly dont care too much, as it was a good exercise regardless, which would no doubt help with limb independance. What do you guys reckon?

Will help? Yes

Polyrythym? No

Polymeter? Yes

Keep up the good work.

What is a polymeter?

That was a new one on me as well. I assume it means to play two time sigs at the same time. I'm not real sure what purpose that would have except maybe as a practice exercise to increase limb independence. That would definitely do it though.

Another drum newbie, but been in music for a long time. With that disclaimer, my understanding would be this.

Polyrhythem --- More than one rythem pattern at the same time. ie... playing triplets on the ride and quarter notes on the snare.

Two different rhythms one time sig.

Polymeter -- two (or more) different meters altogether (as in your example)

If you really want to get confused, you could also consider the quarter notes and triplets as two different meters. 4/4 and 12/8 simultaneously...

Originally posted by Picker Another drum newbie, but been in music for a long time. With that disclaimer, my understanding would be this. Polyrhythem --- More than one rythem pattern at the same time. ie... playing triplets on the ride and quarter notes on the snare. Two different rhythms one time sig. Polymeter -- two (or more) different meters altogether (as in your example) If you really want to get confused, you could also consider the quarter notes and triplets as two different meters. 4/4 and 12/8 simultaneously...

John Fishman, drummer for Phish, plays a lot of what would be called "polymeter," playing things like 6/8 on the hats, 4/4 on the kick at the same time, as well as playing 5/4 on the cymbals and snare, and 4/4 on the kick. Crazy stuff. He said once that the way he got so good at doing that kind of thing is he would purposely think up an "impossible" drum beat, and then would slow it down to 1/10th the desired speed, and would perfect it like that.

The simplest polyrhythm is playing 2 AGAINST 3. Its not called 2/3 time. Example in 4/4 time, one hand playing eighth notes and the other hand playing eighth note triplets.

Quarter notes against eighth note triplets is not a polyrhythm in 4/4 time. It is always fully resolved.

I took lessons from a guy that was working on a four limb polyrhythm. I can't remember exactly what it was, but something like 3 against 4 against 5 against 7. Me, I was struggling with 2 against 3.

Precisely!

2 against 3, 4 against 5 etc. there are jazz books out about afro cuban rythyms, they start very basic and get pretty amazing. for practice, set a metrodome, on one hand count 1 2 3 1 2 3, with the 1 on the beat, on the other count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 and put 1 on the beat than try and put them together, it will sound like the Christman song, "christmas tree, christmas tree"

enjoy

sorry, I'm not talking about ",,,ohh christmas tree,,,,,oh christmas tree" the christmas carol, but the one that has the bells in a descending scale, with the choir over it singing "ring, ring, ring, ring". than the second voice comes in singing "christmas tree" than up alittle, and again "christmas tree", it is a perfect exampe of 2 over 3,