# Polyrhythmic patterns



## clockwise101 (Jul 21, 2004)

Polyrhythmic patterns 
What exactly are they? I see people write 7:8, 9:8, 11:8, 15:8 sequences....is that a time sig, or odd beat timings? 
I'm a recent fan of math metal and I see that quite often.


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## Metal Ken (Jul 21, 2004)

Math metal? 
huh. Never did get that term...

Anyway, those are time signatures. A poly rythm is too different rythms happening at the same time. Like if you were to divide a septuplet and group the 3 notes into a triplet under the septuplet. Thats a polyrythm. Steve vai has a really cool lesson on his site about polyrythm -- http://www.vai.com/LittleBlackDots/tempomental.html


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## Chris D (Jul 21, 2004)

^^^Cripes!!! I managed to get my head around _some_ of that! I'll have to print that off & digest it...


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## Vince (Jul 26, 2004)

hey hey hey...

nothing wrong with "math" metal  I happen to keep a calculator handy at all times when recording and writing. You never know when you're gonna need to set a delay.


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## Virtue (Jul 26, 2004)

desertdweller said:


> hey hey hey...
> 
> nothing wrong with "math" metal  I happen to keep a calculator handy at all times when recording and writing. You never know when you're gonna need to set a delay.



You're damn right!


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## Metal Ken (Jul 27, 2004)

i think thats a little different ;p


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## Leon (Jul 27, 2004)

i have just shown this thread to my girlfriend, who was a music major for 2 years, and is currently a music minor. she calls those things "hemiolas".

i know nothing (well, a little, played sax for 8 years). i just play the rythyms that i hear


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## Vince (Jul 28, 2004)

OK hatebreeder, since you challenged me....  

I'm currently working on a song that varies between 5/4 and 4/4 time. Some sections are 5/4, some are 4/4. Now, the multitrack program I run lets you set the grid to measures, but it only allows 1 time sig for a song. I set the grid to 5/4 time, and I just have to remember that to get the 4/4 time to resolve correctly to the grid for 5/4 time, it has to be where both 4 and 5 can multiply into... i.e. 20 measures, 40 measures, 60 measures, 80 measures, etc.

Also in another song I have a similiar thing happening, although it has nothing to do with the song grid. In this other song, the guitar & bass parts are playing a fast rhythm in 4/4 time, and the drums are playing in a syncopated 7 + 8 /16 _(i.e. measure of 7 then measure of 8, measure of 7, then measure of 8 et al. )_ . I love polyrhythms  Anyway, the pattern continues on for approx 10 measures and then I cut the syncopation halfway through the drum riff.

It sounds f'n cool. 

So yes, I love "math" metal, and I'm not afraid to use it.


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## Vince (Jul 28, 2004)

wildealien said:


> i have just shown this thread to my girlfriend, who was a music major for 2 years, and is currently a music minor. she calls those things "hemiolas".
> 
> i know nothing (well, a little, played sax for 8 years). i just play the rythyms that i hear




_You say 'hemiolas'.... I say 'polyrhythms'.... hemiolas!! polyrhythms!!! hemiolas!! polyrhythms!! Let's call the whole thing off._ 

 

yeah, I'm weird.


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## Chris D (Jul 28, 2004)

wildealien said:


> she calls those things "hemiolas".



...you can get ointment for that.


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## Metal Ken (Jul 28, 2004)

desertdweller said:


> OK hatebreeder, since you challenged me....
> 
> I'm currently working on a song that varies between 5/4 and 4/4 time. Some sections are 5/4, some are 4/4. Now, the multitrack program I run lets you set the grid to measures, but it only allows 1 time sig for a song. I set the grid to 5/4 time, and I just have to remember that to get the 4/4 time to resolve correctly to the grid for 5/4 time, it has to be where both 4 and 5 can multiply into... i.e. 20 measures, 40 measures, 60 measures, 80 measures, etc.
> 
> ...


It dont like calling it 'math metal', it just seems a bit cheesy, i like calling it 'applying music theory' ;p Anyway, lemme hear that song when you get it done... sounds like prog to me ;p
Oh, if you use powertab, check this out:
http://www.powertabs.net/pta.php?page=song,6214
http://www.powertabs.net/pta.php?page=song,6509

edit:I like the second song (if you want mp3s of either,i can send you them) because the timesinatures are pretty unrelated. (11/16 & 19/16) Thats more interesting than subdividing 2 different time signatures to treat it as one, to me anyway.


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