Polyrhythm Maker — a Tool to Figure Out Any Polyrhythm
How was your Martin Luther King Day? I was remembering about a performance I was a part of six years ago honoring his life in Selma Alabama. We performed "Glory" with John Legend and Common, which was written for the movie "Selma". Edmund Pettus Bridge is where 600 people marched demanding an end to discrimination in voter registration in 1965.
I'm also on day 9 of the 30-Day 10min Practice Challenge. You can follow my journey via Instagram (@chihiroplayspercussion).
Today, I'm sharing my Polyrhythm Maker!! 🥳
(You can download the PDFs via the link)
Continuing the theme of last week's Polyrhythm Challenge, I wanted to dive deep into the world of polyrhythm.
Have you ever encountered a polyrhythm in a piece that you just wanted to fake because you felt like there is no way to play it accurately? I certainly have! 😖
That's why I made this Polyrhythm Maker so that you can figure out EXACTLY how to play whatever polyrhythms come your way ⭐️
The Polyrhythm Maker will:
Teach you how to figure out any polyrhythms by making an easy-to-follow grid
Help you understand the mathematical relationship between the two rhythms
Give you a reference to practice with
How to use it:
1. Multiply the two numbers of your polyrhythm together. That's your grid size.
2. For 3 against 2: 3 × 2 = 6 subdivisions
3. The "3" pattern lands on subdivisions 1, 3, 5
4. The "2" pattern lands on subdivisions 1 and 4
5. Say it out loud, feel the 6, and the polyrhythm unlocks itself!
Practice slowly with a metronome. The goal is to feel both rhythms simultaneously — not to think about them.