> >
> > David:
> > Thanks for youe reply. A rhythmic template could be for example a
> > repeating 3 beat idea in 4/4 time.(imagine for example the rhythm
> > of the words "double dubonnet") Start the idea on beat 1 of bar 1
> > and play it 4 times and you come out on beat 1 of the fourth bar.
> > Start the whole thing on beat 2 of bar 1 and come out on beat 2 of
> > the fourth bar etc. The possibilties are of course endless. I
> > suppose that if you practiced enough of these rhythmic words that
> > you would start to assemble them in different combinations much
> > like we combine and recombine melodic ideas during improvisation.
> >
> > Andrew Trott
> > renmusic@sympatico.ca
> >
> >
> This is what I was elluding to in my post last week, recommending
> the
> Latin stuff as a source for ideas and so on. The above and
> subsequent posts lead me to believe that my definition of polyrhythm
> is incorrect. If what you describe are rhythm templates or metric
> modulation, what then is polyrhythm? Or, is polyrhythm the
> combination of two or more rhythm templates? I'd appreciate some
> clarification.
> BTW, I meant to say in my last post that the key to playing stuff
> like
> this "spontaneously" is learning how to think rhythmically on
> multiple levels like the way a drummer thinks.
David,
"Polyrhythm" is simply two or more meters playing over one another
simultaneously.
A common rhythm for blues is "3 against 4" that is three beats
played to a bar at the same time as 4 beats to a bar. This is
commonly notated as 12/8 time.
Polyrhythm is also sometimes called "cross-rhythm".
Here's a couple of things I've posted elsewhere about cross-rhythms.
If the characters don't line up right, then change your mail browser
to use a monospaced font such as "Courier".
CROSS RHYTHMS:
Now about cross rhythms. Cross-rhythms are when you have two pulses
going at once in music. Cross-rhythms fascinate the heck out of me.
"3 AGAINST 4" CROSS RHYTHM:
Let me illustrate this with a typical African "3 against 4"
cross-rhythm:
1 1 1
Count: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2
3 Beat: 1 2 3
4 Beat: 1 2 3 4
Notice that "Count" is 3 beats times 4 beats = 12 beats.
Now play the "3 beat" and the "4 beat" at the same time on your
trusty instrument. You can count in 12: "one, two, three, four,
five, six, sev', eight, nine, ten, 'lev', twelve" If you do it
right, it will sound like:
"Play the goddam rhythm. Play the goddam rhythm..." (Thanks to Bob
Brozman.)
If you have trouble, tap your hands on your thighs. Left hand for the
3 beat, right hand for the 4 beat. Play 3 beats with the left hand on
the 12-count, then 4 beats with the right hand on the 12-count. When
you get good at alternating right and left hands then start playing
with both hands, left hand still on 3 beat, right on 4 beat.
This sounds funky and you haven't even done anything fancy yet. Like
divide the beats into smaller units and syncopate.
One way I've played with cross-rhythms with the people I play with is
to take a 4/4 tune and start throwing in measures in waltz-time then
go back to 4/4. The players I play with pick this up real fast. Then
go into three against four. It's wild.
"5 AGAINST 4" CROSS-RHYTHM:
If you can't read the following, try a monospaced font like courier:
1 2
12345678901234567890 Count
1 2 3 4 4 beats
1 2 3 4 5 5 beats
For 5 against 4 cross-time, 5 x 4 = 20, so a 20 count pattern will
give you all the counts you need for 5 against 4. Count in 20 and
first pat your leg with your left hand on the "4 beats" above a lot of
times and then pat your leg with your right hand on the "5 beats"
above a lot of times. When you're comfortable with that, count in 20
and pat your left leg with your left hand on the "4 beats" and your
right leg with your right hand on the "5 beats" both at the same time.
There's your basic "5 against 4" pattern. Do it over and over and
over until your backbrain gets it. Now count in 4 and do the "5
against 4" pattern. Now count in 5 and do the pattern. Now pick up
the bass and do the pattern while you count, first in four, then in
five. Check yourself against the metronome if you like.
Something that might also help is to chant a sentence or scat a
pattern that matches the "5 against 4" pattern: that's how some
Bulgarian players do it.
--KevinJ
=============================================================
Kevin "Rudi" Johnsrude, Software Design Developer
Rogue Wave Software, 850 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333
Email: kevinj@roguewave.com
Voice: (541) 754-3010 Fax: (541) 754-3185
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