Polyrhythm

Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. A simple example of a polyrhythm is 3 evenly-spaced notes against 2, with the 3-beat pattern being faster than the 2-beat pattern, so that they both take the same amount of time. Other simple polyrhythms are 3:4, 4:3, 5:4, 7:4, etc. Another form of polyrhythm, which might also be termed polymeter, would be phrasing to suggest a different meter than the one being played by the rest of the ensemble. A common example of this in jazz would be phrasing quarter notes in groupings of 3 to suggest 3/4 time while the ensemble plays in 4/4. Compare with hemiola (not a polyrhythm). Traditional African music is heavily polyrhythmic, although, unlike below, the downbeats do not usually coincide. Frank Zappa, especially towards the end of his career, experimented a lot with complex polyrhythms, such as 11:17, and even nested polyrhythms. The metal band Meshuggah also have some polyrhythms in their music, although their quirkiness is mostly of a polymetric nature. The band Tool also incorporates polyrhythms in their music. Much minimalist and totalist music makes extensive use of polyrhythms. Henry Cowell and Conlon Nancarrow created music with yet more complex polytempo and using irrational numbers like pi:e.

Related Topics:
Rhythm - Polymeter - Jazz - Hemiola - African music - Frank Zappa - Metal - Meshuggah - Tool - Minimalist - Totalist - Henry Cowell - Conlon Nancarrow - Pi - E

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Common polyrhythms found in jazz are 3:2, which manifests as the quarter-note triplet; 2:3, usually in the form of dotted-quarter notes against quarter notes; 4:3, played as dotted-eight notes against quarter notes (this one demands a good deal of technical proficiency to pull off, and was not at all common in jazz before Tony Williams used it when playing with Miles Davis); and finally 3/4 time against 4/4, which along with 2:3 was used famously by Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner playing with John Coltrane.

Related Topics:
Tony Williams - Miles Davis - Elvin Jones - McCoy Tyner - John Coltrane

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Cuban music makes extensive use of polyrhythms. Cuban Rumba uses 3-based and 2-based rhythms at the same time, for example, the lead drummer (playing the quinto) might play in 6/8, while the rest of the ensemble keeps playing 2/2.

Related Topics:
Cuban music - Rumba - Quinto

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