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Thread: Polyrhythms on Drumset

  1. #1

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    Default Polyrhythms on Drumset

    I've got a student that wants to study some polyrhythmic drum stuff on the set. I've got the Peter Magadini book that I'll sometimes work out of but I'm limited on my ability to play it. Does anyone know other books or videos I could use? I need to brush up on this myself.
    Limpy
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  2. #2

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    not sure about official material but what i do is listen to cds of bands like Mashuggah that do funky polyrythmic stuff and then i sit down and prac like i'll just do some straight 8ths or 16ths on the bass or hh or wutever and then with a diff apendage i'll do like quarter or 8th triplets and when i get really good at that where i can do any two or three appendages at once then I will move on to practicing each apendage doing a diff time signature.....and also you have to work out your brain to...polyrythms are like heavy weights for our brains....you have to work out your brain just like your muscles....so wut i do is break down each time signature and i figure out what beats match up with what other beats in which other time signatures and at what speeds and such....for instance....3 measure of 4/4 = 2 measures of 6/8...each side their has 12 beats and when played both together at the same bpm the first beat of every 3rd measure will line up...so like on measures 1, 4, 7 and so on will have the same first down beat.....in order to do polyrytms you have to be able to figure out stuff like that and be able to think about different time signatures at once....good luck

  3. #3

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    A good starter exercise is to play a simple rhythm using three limbs and on the fourth start playing single taps at different speeds, faster and slower, while keeping the rhythm a steady tempo.

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    Limpy, the Magadini book is one of the better ones on the market in my opinion. I would just spend a little more time in it. I don't know how advanced your student is but usually when they say "polyrhythms", they're often referring to odd phrasings such as a group of 16 sixteenth notes grouped in 5's and things like that. If you need more examples of this, I've got a whole slew of them. Just let me know.

    If it is in fact the polyrhythmic stuff he's really after, make sure he understands the fundamentals first and foremost. Example: simple eighth note triplets, quarter note triplets, and half note triplets, and how they're applied. These are the most common. When he makes that connection, then move him into 5 over 1 and things that are much easier to grasp. At that point, if you're not comfortable in the more advanced stuff, I would have him study with someone else. Otherwise he's just going to get confused.

    By the way, check out Ralph Humphrey's "Even in the Odds" book. It's an awesome book and helped me a lot with this odd phrasings and polymeters.

  5. #5

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    know nothing about this but drummer sounds lkik he knows what hes talking about

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Polyrhythms on Drumset

    No. Check out your store. Books books books.
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  7. #7

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    Default Re: Polyrhythms on Drumset

    Also you do need to see videos of drummers doing this. Terry Bozzio's 3-part "Melodic Drumming And The Ostinato" is a great example.....by no means the only one, but it's definitely worth it for the intermediate to advanced student. Also, Thomas Lang's "Creative Control" has a number of excellent examples of it. And if you can find a copy of it in the States, definitely Chris Brien's "Independence II: A Giant Step", where there are sections on polyrhthms as well as layering different percussion parts on top of kit rhythms.

    Possibly the essential polyrhythm you need to get yourself started with, or reacquainted with, is the 3 against 2, which pretty much underpins a number of African percussion patterns. Using a count of 3/4 as your base, play 3 quarter notes with your right hand, keep a count of 1+2+3+ in your head as you play 1,2,3 with the right....then against it your left hand should accent 1+2+3+ in a loop until you're comfortable. But don't stop there. Try right hand against right foot, right foot against left foot, left hand against right foot and so on. Get familiar with this polyrhythm because a sort of related one is 4:3 (four against three) which you count as 1e+a, 2e+a, 3e+a. There are a few West African rhthms that use this....in fact it feels sort familiar to a few Western drummers as this "clave's" a bit more. What I find, irrespective of the overall time signature or polyrhythm, is that if there is a sense of "natural feel" to it, then the groove and polyrhythmic structure are working well together and you won't feel lost.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

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  8. #8

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    Default Re: Polyrhythms on Drumset

    Quote Originally Posted by Grampire View Post
    No. Check out your store. Books books books.
    I know he's banned, but come on. Replying to a 4 year old thread just to boost post count and not even giving good advice at that.
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  9. #9

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    Default Re: Polyrhythms on Drumset

    Wooo...Grampire got banned? When did this happen?
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

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