Music Term
What is a polyrhythm?
Definition
A polyrhythm occurs when two or more contrasting rhythmic patterns are played simultaneously -- for example, three beats in the time of two, or five against four -- creating a complex interlocking texture.
Polyrhythm in music -- explained
Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that divide the beat differently. The most common polyrhythm in Western music is 3-against-2: one instrument plays three evenly-spaced notes in the time it takes another to play two. This creates a tension that resolves periodically (every six eighth-notes in the 3-against-2 case). More complex polyrhythms (5-against-3, 7-against-4) are common in West African drumming traditions, from which much of the polyrhythm in jazz, funk, and Afrobeats is derived. The Ewe and Yoruba drumming traditions of West Africa built entire musical systems around interlocking polyrhythms. In Western classical music, Brahms and Beethoven used 3-against-2 polyrhythms frequently. In jazz, polyrhythm appears in the independence between the drummer's four limbs. In contemporary music, producers like Flying Lotus and Thundercat use polyrhythmic beat structures to create organic, non-quantised grooves.
Notable examples of a polyrhythm
Piano Phase -- Steve Reich
Two pianists play the same pattern, with one gradually speeding up -- the phasing creates temporary polyrhythm throughout.
Schism -- Tool
Alternates between 5/4 and 7/8 time signatures, with the instruments sometimes occupying different metric places simultaneously.
Money -- Pink Floyd
The bass line in 7/4 against the guitar and vocal melody that gravitates toward 4/4 creates a subtle polyrhythmic tension.
Related music terms
Frequently asked questions
- What is a polyrhythm in music?
- A polyrhythm occurs when two or more contrasting rhythmic patterns are played simultaneously -- for example, three beats in the time of two, or five against four -- creating a complex interlocking texture.
- What is an example of a polyrhythm?
- A well-known example is Piano Phase by Steve Reich: Two pianists play the same pattern, with one gradually speeding up -- the phasing creates temporary polyrhythm throughout.
- How is a polyrhythm used in music?
- Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that divide the beat differently. The most common polyrhythm in Western music is 3-against-2: one instrument plays three evenly-spaced notes in the time it takes another to play two.
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