Thread: Polyrhythms
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Old May 4 2008, 7:26 PM
gms5287 gms5287 is offline

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Polyrhythms and polymeters are different

Polymeter you can find in, say, Stravinsky's Petroushka. There's a point in the ballet (I forget where) where 7/8 is played over 4/4 I believe. Two different and simultaneous acting meters, that's polymeter.

Polyrhythms doesn't involve actual time signature changes, but superimposed rhythms over the normal heirarchy. For instance, if you have constant eighth notes in 4/4, but you imply another eighth note pattern of 5/4 over that. Or for a more obvious example, quintuplets over triplets. Those are polyrhythms, just ask any percussionist friend you know about those. Don't ask them to demonstrate 7:9 for you though, they might get mad.
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