Some additional notes- 12/8 is the king of signatures for creating a 3:4 polyrhythm. Try creating a melody or riff in 12/8 then experiment with the rhythm section switching between either steady 3 or steady 4, or BOTH at the same time. Also, polymeters CREATE polyrhythms if you remove the "in between" notes. Watch my video on polymeter and you'll see the relationship- if you play the FIRST NOTE of every polymetric section, what you have is a polyrhythm!
Jake, do you have any actual online or downloadable courses? I find that videos on specific topics are great when you want to zone in on a particular technique or idea but its easy too get overwhelmed and hit roadblocks. A structured course from you I think would be amazing. Particularly focusing on metal and prog styles. I'd definitely buy it.
Signals Music Studio Can you make a video about how to recognize certain time signatures in different genres? Can you cover how to tell the difference between double-time and slow common-time? Also, how is common-time done in R&B/Hip Hop as opposed to in rock? Also, I’ve been undecided for a long time about what time signature/rhythm Michael Jackson’s song “Heartbreaker” has and what genre(s) it is. Do you know?
I am a professional West African drum instructor. That said, I'm thoroughly impressed by the simplistic yet conclusive way you introduced polyrhythms here. You are a phenomenal instructor of music!
By far the best practical explanation of polyrhythms I'ver ever seen. Musicians tend to be pretty bad at explaining things easily. This guy is an exception. I'm sure he's an excellent musician but he's even better as a teacher.
@@SignalsMusicStudio The part I liked best was a throwaway comment towards the end where you talk about combining polymeters. I did a column for Premier Guitar on polymetric concepts and the comments consisted of people telling me that the more common term is polyrythms... no matter how much I explained the difference, they didn't get it...
@@LeviClay Can you share the link to your column? Sounds fun... And yeah, through running this channel and reading comments, I can percieve that there is a huge misunderstanding about polyrhythm vs polymeter. I plan on doing a lot of rhythm and poly-based stuff this yr on this channel and I needed a good foundation groundwork video (besides my polymeter video) to reference later on. The stuff that blew my mind lately was Digital Gerrymandering by Intronaut- the nastiest combos of polymetric polyrhythms I've heard in a loooong time!
@@SignalsMusicStudio Of course! www.premierguitar.com/articles/26211-obsessive-progressive-how-to-decode-advanced-polymeters I have the Intronaut track on now... yeah... this is music to make you seasick! haha But it's VERY cool. Going to add the album to my spotify for the gym later - it's excellent! I really grew up on the prog thing, but none of the bands I dug (Symphony X, Ron Jarzombek, Opeth etc) were big on the polyrhythmic stuff, so it's a huge weakness in my ear now. When I work on it I feel an aneurysm coming - but I've really got into Meshuggah in the last year or so as I've come back to metal - so it's something I want to have a better control off. You can only compose the stuff you can imagine right? Gotta expose yourself to it to imagine it :( Really looking forward to whatever you come up with!
Really good article! But good god that comment section :( I guess the only thing we can do is make more rhythm based content and hopefully clear up the air. I find the ultra-complex polymetal stuff to be hilarious and fun, but it's not the stuff I really want to listen to. I feel it'll be a great medium through which to teach rhythms though, since djent and math metal is somewhat "in" right now. And I finally have a 7 string so more poly-metal stuff is inevitible. Most of my knowledge of the stuff comes from the little I've learned about indian music, specifically Konnakol. Carnatic music is saturated in polyrhythm, polymeter, and even weirder concepts like Tihais and reductive measures. Just scratching the surface is enough to make you realize that us westerners are woefully unprepared to handle those sorts of concepts but I just flat out find it fascinating and fun, albeit rarely practical, lol.
That's amazing... I improvised this 3:4 polyrhythm when playing percussion for years and years and never knew what I'm doing or why it sounds so awesome. Thanks for clearing that up
I like that instead of asking me to join his Patreon, he said: "If you did like this video, you can thank my Patreon supporters for making it possible."
I'm a drummer who also teaches social studies. I'm doing a lesson on West African drumming today in my global history class, and I brought in my djembe. This video is PERFECT for explaining to any non-musicians in the class. Thank you so much!
You know when you learn something amazing and you exclaim "dude that just blew my mind" this is like, Dude you just took my blown up mind and put everything back together and rewired it so I understand music that i've always been experiencing but now in a totally different and refreshing context
Im a beginner drummer and I’ve been practicing just shy of a year and I’ve been stuck in the 4/4 rut with no idea how to understand 3/4 let alone translate it on the kit. This video helped me understand so now I can take that knowledge and FINALLY start practicing. Thank you so much for the easy to understand explanation :)))
"Musical or chaotic" Chopin: Hold my beer! THANK YOU! I've been learning the Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin which has a 4/3 polyrhythm and this explanation helped SO MUCH.
This is fantastic. The way you break it down is the most teachable method I've ever seen (over 20+ years of music experience and discussion and teachers). Great job!
Your tutorial incorporates all of the most important and effective considerations, teaching techniques and examples. A true leader in tomorrow's most powerful education revolutions. Thank you does not express my gratitude adequately.
Thank you so much for explaining this! Playing the piano part of an Intermezzo for Horn by Gliere (Op. 35/11) and I could not figure for the life of me how to put 3 against 4 together. This has helped a great deal.
I understood the concepts of polyrhythm and I have even 'accidently' wrote polyrhythmic riffs but I've never understood how to count them from both perspectives. After 27 years of playing, I still have a lifetime to learn. Thanks bro! I appreciate your instruction but more importantly, your perspective!
I don't really know sheet music but I understood everything you said. I can play along with periphery and meshuggah because of you now. Great video pal!
Man, this is the best lesson on this in the existence of this world. Been clapping all day and FINALLY get it! Thanks for teaching a music noob that he can learn something I thought previously far too complex to comprehend.
Brilliant video man, never heard of the 'pass the stinking butter before'; works really well! I just put one of the rhythms an octave higher when I was learning them. I reckon the butter is a far superior system.
Best part of the video - expressing what it is, why you think it's interesting, and you did it while leaving it clear that opinions can vary and not making anyone feel like this has to be liked or disliked. Nothing makes learning easier than when you don't have to feel like someone is stitching personal opinions to the subject and cramming it down your throat!
This is something that all percussion folk eventually encounter, at least for their own curiosity and entertainment. And flipping 3/4 and 4/3 and counting both is SUCH a sweet little concise service to us because one is intuitive and for whatever reason the other isn't, and like your said, that's where most people/lessons stop. So... passing the butter to the left, is one of those supremely simple solutions to a seemingly complex problem.. much appreciated.
Even if you never consciously decide to use polyrhythms in your playing, practicing this stuff will be a game changer for your GROOVE awareness. No matter how simple or complex your music is, a strong groove and sharp inner time is perhaps the main difference between amateur and pro level playing, regardless of style and instrument. Great video! Keep it up!
That mindblowing accent change happens in "I Can Talk" from Two Doors Cinema Club. Sometimes I hear "a O a a O", but the "right" way to hear is "A o A a o".
This was GREAT! I was practicing this on the plane last week by tapping on the tray in front of me. Fortunately I was flying to Nashville where everyone is a musician. The guy in front of me turned around and said “you practicing 3 against 4?” He was very kind as I wasn’t thinking about him 🤦🏻♂️. Anyway I was stumped when I was trying to focus on the 4. Excellent video!
Thanks for this! Like other polyrhythms, I like to play one with my hands while feeling the other with my body, then switch back and forth. This creates a third “in between feel” that opens into another dimension.
yea, feel you, beat boxed poly till throat and fingers red lined. Now, I just count in eights and try to keep the mind's loop box going pass the sometime "invisible end" of the measure, whether I like it or not.
Step 1, write a simple melody using 3:4 polyrythm step 2, add some Spanish lyrics step 3, Congratulations, you just wrote a new summer hit that every goddamn radio station will engrave into every ones minds
The Reggaeton Rhythm is not a 3:4 polyrhythm. It’s in 4:4 and goes 1, + of 2, 3, 4; a dotted quarter note, then an eighth note, then a quarter note, and then another quarter note.
I love it when some arrogant twat tries to act all snobby and arrogant on TH-cam and ends up being completely wrong. Delicious. Also, the rhythm is called a "tresillo", and it's prevalent in many, many forms and styles of music all over Latin America. It's been around much, much longer than Despacito (which is an alright tune, and shut up).
Thank you for this! I've been stuck on a progression that has a classical vibe to it and not quite sure where to go with it. Just stuck/writers block but I can't seem to get away from it. I found this video and decided to use it to change up my classical(ish) progression. It ended up giving it a funky vibe so I put it on a looper and threw a lead line over top of it. Totally opened up my minds ear. Love your videos and love the sound quality. Thanks for doing what you do!
I've been playing instruments over 15 years and I've never had a lesson or learned chords or scales or fully understood what I was doing. I can play a lot of stuff, write my own music and jam decent. This helped me understand a lot of stuff I've been doing on multiple instruments and didn't even know I was doing it. Now knowing im curious to see what I can cook up. Thank you for this simplified video for beginners and people like me. 👌
In fact, I stopped the video so I could get the swing of doing it. Eventually I noticed I was playing the drum, focusing on the hands individually. Really good concept
I’ve now only seen two of your videos but this is my first time subscribing to a youtube channel. You make awesome content very consicely and it’s really helpful and you’re gnarly at guitar. Thanks!
What you are de-mystifing is what African culture expresses instinctly! African music is polyrhythmic but, also poly meter! This is what JAZZ is all about! Playing syncopated polyrhythms on monophonic instruments! thats how come the largest forced migration in human history resulted in the creation of the greatest musicS (plural) on the planet! A famous musician from my birthplace once said “all music comes from New Orleans!” I think he meant all popular music!
Well written. He is basically teaching soul. I feel like it’s more about the “feel” not some silly pass butter to left. It’s sounds like a gimmick to me, in the end I feel the musician should feel the music. People want everything written, talk to the music directly.
@@rootsdubz I get your point, and think it's a valid one, but because we all grew up in slightly or very different cultures, there are certain things that tend to come less naturally to some of us then others (& I'm sure it's the same the other way around); everyone learned differently, and while, agreed, the sound should be "inate" or become inate in feeling when played, for a lot of young musicians in other parts of the world (maybe not just west, but possibly also east Asia, for example) it can definitely be a process/learning curve..😅 I guess a shorter way to put it is some of us need it explained differently, or even both ways, to being the learning and later/eventually the mastery process 😄 (But this is just my view, currently, on it)
Wow, you are a very good teacher. You know how to make things digestible. I already know this poly (used in Bossa nova quite a bit) but for someone who wouldn't know where to start, you nail it.
LOL Yes I deicded to put that into my Polyrhythm Supplemental video- I will make a follow up to this on how polymeters create polyrhythms, and how polyrhythm occurs in your daily life. That will feature the PolyRhythm Walk and some other silly things. I wanted to keep this video as straightforward and practical as possible (except the 7 string part :P)
@@SignalsMusicStudio At one stage in this video, my mind associated to the offset rhythm of the windshield wipers and sideways indicators. Which then made me think of the Captain Beefheart song 'Bat Chain Puller' which was apparently inspired by windshield wipers. :D
Not just you mate, I tried for about 15 minutes, ended up getting another video up explaining it, i managed to see it anti-clockwise after about 10 minutes, then could't un-see it, then i left it for 5 minutes, walked away, came back and watched it again, then i could only see it clockwise again... No wonder i struggle with poly rhythms!!
This is really helpful. Been struggling to play something which is 4:3 recently. I'd got as far a trying to invent a phrase to help me get that rhythm (mine was much ruder than yours) but the insight that I had a phrase which stressed the triple rather than the 4 is really helpful. I now know I also need something like "pass butter to the left". This has really helped me. Thank you.
It's excellent that you teach this through clapping, drumming, speaking words, and pointing out the emphasis. Applying it to your instrument as an improviser and composer is great modelling. The best music teaching uses actual human stuff to make actual music. Thank you for encouraging people to build skills with their hands and their voice rather than showing us a math equation and getting your computer to play clicks and beeps.
I don’t think I’ve heard a riff heavier than your example! Thanks for this! I’ll have to incorporate some polyrhythms into my own composing. Also how do you achieve such a crushing guitar tone?
You absolute genius! This is brilliant. Thank you for taking the time to break it down. Have been wanting to play triplets against semi-quavers for a while now and just didn't know where to begin. Feel like I can now give it a go.
You sir..... are amazing 😭🤙🏼 13:00 Him: "That would get kinda nutty, let me give it a try." *Plays it flawlessly* Me: Wait so... parenthesis exponents and what?
Your channel is great. It feels good when a teacher doesn't preface their video with a coupon code for a book. Thank you for being a good teacher. I'm learning a lot from your videos.
A big fan of yours, but this reminds me of the meme, "How to draw an owl: Draw a circle. Now, draw the owl." (I understand. "It's a complicated business".)
@@SignalsMusicStudio I agree you make it look easy, but you definitely gave a lot more clear instruction on how to 'draw the owl'. i will say, i found 3:4 poly to be pretty easy, and 4:3 to be weirdly difficult. Also king crimson does some pretty cool polyrhythm / polymeter stuff on their 80s abums (which you probably already know, but in case you didnt!
@@SignalsMusicStudio I understand. I'll get it eventuality. It takes me years to understand anything "poly" before I Master it. For example: polyester.
trying this on guitar with you it's very fun, especially the last version! i was just practicing the "not difficult" 2:3 polyrhythm yesterday and then youtube recommended me this
Thank you so much for this. clear and straight forward video. It imparted a better understanding of the basic mechanics of this polyrhythm than I've ever had before. What a treat.
I had a drummer friend of mine, drill this into my head. I'm glad he helped me figure it out. From a guitarist point of view, it's like rocket science at times. Especially when you have to write it out.
![Writing Complex Prog / Djent Rhythms that GROOVE- Truncated Polymeters [RHYTHM - WRITING]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/o3LypkzywIw/mqdefault.jpg)
![Writing Complex Prog / Djent Rhythms that GROOVE- Truncated Polymeters [RHYTHM - WRITING]](/img/tr.png)
![These 2 Indian Rhythm Exercises Will Destroy You [ADVANCED RHYTHM THEORY + KONNAKOL]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/duBOlIt9uMI/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Play THREE Against FOUR Rhythms on the Piano [Feat. Chopin Fantasie Impromptu]](/img/n.gif)
Some additional notes- 12/8 is the king of signatures for creating a 3:4 polyrhythm. Try creating a melody or riff in 12/8 then experiment with the rhythm section switching between either steady 3 or steady 4, or BOTH at the same time. Also, polymeters CREATE polyrhythms if you remove the "in between" notes. Watch my video on polymeter and you'll see the relationship- if you play the FIRST NOTE of every polymetric section, what you have is a polyrhythm!
Jake, do you have any actual online or downloadable courses? I find that videos on specific topics are great when you want to zone in on a particular technique or idea but its easy too get overwhelmed and hit roadblocks. A structured course from you I think would be amazing. Particularly focusing on metal and prog styles. I'd definitely buy it.
@@graemeozzie2251 me too!
I love you.
simple as that (:
Signals Music Studio Can you make a video about how to recognize certain time signatures in different genres? Can you cover how to tell the difference between double-time and slow common-time? Also, how is common-time done in R&B/Hip Hop as opposed to in rock?
Also, I’ve been undecided for a long time about what time signature/rhythm Michael Jackson’s song “Heartbreaker” has and what genre(s) it is. Do you know?
The fact we cannot keep track of both at the same time is studied in cognitive semantics and is an inherent human aka homo sapiens trait.
This is just one of the best music education videos out there. Huge high fives!!!
THANK YOU!
Whoa! Getting props form Aimee Nolte is high praise, indeed.
Agree
Aimee Nolte meets Nili Brosh. That would be amazing.
Yes it is and ur a beautiful
This guy is so good, not only can he talk while playing polyrhythms, when he plays 4/4 guitar over them he burst into flames! Good stuff.
😂
I am a professional West African drum instructor. That said, I'm thoroughly impressed by the simplistic yet conclusive way you introduced polyrhythms here. You are a phenomenal instructor of music!
"What's my purpose?"
"You pass the stinking butter."
"... oh... my god!"
"Yeah, welcome to the club, pal."
Fuck I love everything about this comment thread
Edit: typo
I forgot there was a like button TH-cam comments until this one.
By far the best practical explanation of polyrhythms I'ver ever seen. Musicians tend to be pretty bad at explaining things easily. This guy is an exception. I'm sure he's an excellent musician but he's even better as a teacher.
Incredibly clear teaching and pacing. This needs to be shown by every music teacher.
Instructions unclear; I'm covered in butter now.
Nate P WoW sO fUnNy AnD rAnDoM
@@lartan18 not made for small minds
ha, yes!
Unclear? There was one very distinct directive: Pass it! Not slather yourself in it! 🤣
Does it stinky?
I said it before, I'll say it again: He is the best music theory teacher I've ever seen. Easy to understand, to the point, just AWESOME!!!
Dude, this video is legitimately flawless - excellent stuff!
omg, that is high praise, thank you Levi!
@@SignalsMusicStudio The part I liked best was a throwaway comment towards the end where you talk about combining polymeters. I did a column for Premier Guitar on polymetric concepts and the comments consisted of people telling me that the more common term is polyrythms... no matter how much I explained the difference, they didn't get it...
@@LeviClay Can you share the link to your column? Sounds fun... And yeah, through running this channel and reading comments, I can percieve that there is a huge misunderstanding about polyrhythm vs polymeter. I plan on doing a lot of rhythm and poly-based stuff this yr on this channel and I needed a good foundation groundwork video (besides my polymeter video) to reference later on. The stuff that blew my mind lately was Digital Gerrymandering by Intronaut- the nastiest combos of polymetric polyrhythms I've heard in a loooong time!
@@SignalsMusicStudio Of course!
www.premierguitar.com/articles/26211-obsessive-progressive-how-to-decode-advanced-polymeters
I have the Intronaut track on now... yeah... this is music to make you seasick! haha But it's VERY cool. Going to add the album to my spotify for the gym later - it's excellent!
I really grew up on the prog thing, but none of the bands I dug (Symphony X, Ron Jarzombek, Opeth etc) were big on the polyrhythmic stuff, so it's a huge weakness in my ear now. When I work on it I feel an aneurysm coming - but I've really got into Meshuggah in the last year or so as I've come back to metal - so it's something I want to have a better control off. You can only compose the stuff you can imagine right? Gotta expose yourself to it to imagine it :(
Really looking forward to whatever you come up with!
Really good article! But good god that comment section :(
I guess the only thing we can do is make more rhythm based content and hopefully clear up the air. I find the ultra-complex polymetal stuff to be hilarious and fun, but it's not the stuff I really want to listen to. I feel it'll be a great medium through which to teach rhythms though, since djent and math metal is somewhat "in" right now. And I finally have a 7 string so more poly-metal stuff is inevitible.
Most of my knowledge of the stuff comes from the little I've learned about indian music, specifically Konnakol. Carnatic music is saturated in polyrhythm, polymeter, and even weirder concepts like Tihais and reductive measures. Just scratching the surface is enough to make you realize that us westerners are woefully unprepared to handle those sorts of concepts but I just flat out find it fascinating and fun, albeit rarely practical, lol.
That's amazing... I improvised this 3:4 polyrhythm when playing percussion for years and years and never knew what I'm doing or why it sounds so awesome.
Thanks for clearing that up
I like that instead of asking me to join his Patreon, he said: "If you did like this video, you can thank my Patreon supporters for making it possible."
yeah Jake is a real class act, such a humble guy
I was about to live on 4/4 forever and cry over the fact that I can't groove in 3/4 until this video, just saved my life.
I'm a drummer who also teaches social studies. I'm doing a lesson on West African drumming today in my global history class, and I brought in my djembe. This video is PERFECT for explaining to any non-musicians in the class. Thank you so much!
The phrases I recommend are:
3:4 GIVE adVICE to MOther
4:3 GIVE MOther SOME adVICE
Hello everyone , i tried to cover calling you by jeff buckley. Can you check it out and leave your ideas as comments ? Thanks in advance :)
Does "Give mother to the left some stinking butter" create a 6:7 polyrithm?
Luka Pavlič A drummer friend of mine taught me "Eat your goddamned broccoli" (broccoli said as two syllables)
@@victoza9232 Or "Eat Your BELOVED broccoli"
I learned a phrase from Adam Neely
“Pass the f*cking butter”
This guy explains this concept like a boss!!. My piano teacher could never explain me polyrhythms as well as this guy!!!. Thumbs up!!!. Thanks!!!!
I could never get tired of the way this guy explains stuff, his passion and knowledge, and his soothing made for radio/tv voice - awesome channel!
You know when you learn something amazing and you exclaim "dude that just blew my mind" this is like, Dude you just took my blown up mind and put everything back together and rewired it so I understand music that i've always been experiencing but now in a totally different and refreshing context
My favorite music teacher so far on TH-cam. Keep it up! :)
Im a beginner drummer and I’ve been practicing just shy of a year and I’ve been stuck in the 4/4 rut with no idea how to understand 3/4 let alone translate it on the kit. This video helped me understand so now I can take that knowledge and FINALLY start practicing. Thank you so much for the easy to understand explanation :)))
Me too been playing for about a year and 3/4 is my achilles heal. I can quite get it right.
This is genuinely one of the easiest to follow but at the same time concise videos ive ever watched
This video really helped me wrap my head around the concept....I would say this is the best videos I found on the topic.
Excellent tutorial! (claps in 4:3) 👏👏👏
I’ve watched a lot of vids explaining polyrhythms and this far and away the best. It clearly lit the light bulb in my head. Thank you!
My brain hurts now but this is easily the best video I've seen that explains this concept! Love your lessons! 🤘
As a drummer, I appreciate that you’ve made this vid! Thank you!
Make a tutorial of how to dance polyrhythms
Go to a Meshuggah show and you'll find out
I do the polyrhythm walk- feet walk the 4, swing your arms in 3. It's extremely awkward and looks really wierd.
@@SignalsMusicStudio please I need to see that!!
ps. ur videos are great!
Yes, please do!
posts video of a meshuggah mosh pit... done haha
"Musical or chaotic" Chopin: Hold my beer!
THANK YOU! I've been learning the Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin which has a 4/3 polyrhythm and this explanation helped SO MUCH.
Youngboy better
This is fantastic. The way you break it down is the most teachable method I've ever seen (over 20+ years of music experience and discussion and teachers). Great job!
One of the best teacher i have seen! Simple language, easy to visualize, great examples... Brilliant!!!!
Musicianship: 10/10. Teaching skill: over 9000.
hutchmusician IT’S OVER 9,000!!! Breaks the radar*
Thank you so much my music teacher never taught me how to play polyrhythms 😭 you’re a life saver
I like how it sort of "opens up" when you switch the accented 3 to 4 and vice versa. It changes the motion in a very subtle way.
You're amazing!!!! You just unlocked this for me! Thanks for your time!
6:47 caught me off guard, immediately subscribed and added the rest of your channel to watch later. Love it.
Your tutorial incorporates all of the most important and effective considerations, teaching techniques and examples. A true leader in tomorrow's most powerful education revolutions. Thank you does not express my gratitude adequately.
bruh i’ve never had someone explain this so well🙌🏼
This channel is perfect
I can tell how knowledgeable you are by how easily comprehensible you make it. Great stuff here my friend!!!
Thank you so much for explaining this! Playing the piano part of an Intermezzo for Horn by Gliere (Op. 35/11) and I could not figure for the life of me how to put 3 against 4 together. This has helped a great deal.
What?!? This is nuts! I would’ve never thought of this! This is awesome! Thanks for your time and sharing your expertise.
youre one of the best music teachers, and its free
I understood the concepts of polyrhythm and I have even 'accidently' wrote polyrhythmic riffs but I've never understood how to count them from both perspectives. After 27 years of playing, I still have a lifetime to learn. Thanks bro! I appreciate your instruction but more importantly, your perspective!
I don't really know sheet music but I understood everything you said. I can play along with periphery and meshuggah because of you now. Great video pal!
Man, this is the best lesson on this in the existence of this world. Been clapping all day and FINALLY get it! Thanks for teaching a music noob that he can learn something I thought previously far too complex to comprehend.
Brilliant video man, never heard of the 'pass the stinking butter before'; works really well! I just put one of the rhythms an octave higher when I was learning them. I reckon the butter is a far superior system.
Best part of the video - expressing what it is, why you think it's interesting, and you did it while leaving it clear that opinions can vary and not making anyone feel like this has to be liked or disliked. Nothing makes learning easier than when you don't have to feel like someone is stitching personal opinions to the subject and cramming it down your throat!
This has to be one of the best explanations of this I've seen on youtuve
This is something that all percussion folk eventually encounter, at least for their own curiosity and entertainment. And flipping 3/4 and 4/3 and counting both is SUCH a sweet little concise service to us because one is intuitive and for whatever reason the other isn't, and like your said, that's where most people/lessons stop. So... passing the butter to the left, is one of those supremely simple solutions to a seemingly complex problem.. much appreciated.
dude you're one of the most talented smart intelligent musicians i found on earth 😂
What a great tutorial!!!
"When I first discovered polyrhythm it was like somebody showed me a brand new spatial dimension" - We call it eastern europe
ive been searching for this sort of explanation, really clear and concise. good content.
I'm showing this technique to my students. You, sir, have done me and those I teach a great service.
Even if you never consciously decide to use polyrhythms in your playing, practicing this stuff will be a game changer for your GROOVE awareness. No matter how simple or complex your music is, a strong groove and sharp inner time is perhaps the main difference between amateur and pro level playing, regardless of style and instrument. Great video! Keep it up!
That mindblowing accent change happens in "I Can Talk" from Two Doors Cinema Club. Sometimes I hear "a O a a O", but the "right" way to hear is "A o A a o".
This was GREAT! I was practicing this on the plane last week by tapping on the tray in front of me. Fortunately I was flying to Nashville where everyone is a musician. The guy in front of me turned around and said “you practicing 3 against 4?” He was very kind as I wasn’t thinking about him 🤦🏻♂️. Anyway I was stumped when I was trying to focus on the 4. Excellent video!
THE DJENT STICK MAKES THE APPEARANCE
lol I was just gonna text you so you could see it's on-screen debut!
@@SignalsMusicStudio ah yes! I'm so glad it is seeing the polyrhythmic life that it deserves
IT WAS A PRETTY DAMN GOOD REFERENCE
Thanks for this!
Like other polyrhythms, I like to play one with my hands while feeling the other with my body, then switch back and forth.
This creates a third “in between feel” that opens into another dimension.
This is by far the best 3/4 polyrhythm music education videos.
You got my signature!
68 years at he piano playing but not understanding polyrhythms - WOW FINALLY I GET IT!! thanks a million!
I just started practicing polyrhythms on my drums and this video has opened up so many possibilities in it. ❤️❤️❤️
i really felt it when he said 'pass stink but' at 3:49
"Some were downright offensive"
You have angered Adam Neely
anger
*A N G E R Y*
*Nested Tuplets intensify*
Danny carey says hello
Brilliant explanation, I find feeling polyrhytms fairly natural but understanding them mentaly can be tricky. You did a great job!!
Damn it I went into seizure trying to count
Hahahaha I'm glad I'm not alone
Polyrhythms are the leading cause of seizure in dudes 15-27.
Came back after 1 year and my head still exploded.
yea, feel you, beat boxed poly till throat and fingers red lined. Now, I just count in eights and try to keep the mind's loop box going pass the sometime "invisible end" of the measure, whether I like it or not.
This is one of the best videos ive ever seen of anything, your teaching style is perfect
Step 1, write a simple melody using 3:4 polyrythm
step 2, add some Spanish lyrics
step 3, Congratulations, you just wrote a new summer hit that every goddamn radio station will engrave into every ones minds
But have you listed to Djazzpacito?
The Reggaeton Rhythm is not a 3:4 polyrhythm. It’s in 4:4 and goes 1, + of 2, 3, 4; a dotted quarter note, then an eighth note, then a quarter note, and then another quarter note.
I love it when some arrogant twat tries to act all snobby and arrogant on TH-cam and ends up being completely wrong. Delicious.
Also, the rhythm is called a "tresillo", and it's prevalent in many, many forms and styles of music all over Latin America. It's been around much, much longer than Despacito (which is an alright tune, and shut up).
@@MusicTheatreTheory did someone say Tequila? cos its a little early in the day.....but it wouldnt be the first time....
What is this “Radio” thing?
Thank you for this! I've been stuck on a progression that has a classical vibe to it and not quite sure where to go with it. Just stuck/writers block but I can't seem to get away from it. I found this video and decided to use it to change up my classical(ish) progression. It ended up giving it a funky vibe so I put it on a looper and threw a lead line over top of it. Totally opened up my minds ear. Love your videos and love the sound quality. Thanks for doing what you do!
I CAN PRACTICALLY SMELL THE PROG.
Also, does 9:37 remind anyone of that byzantine math metal song that he did? Or am I just crazy?
I've been playing instruments over 15 years and I've never had a lesson or learned chords or scales or fully understood what I was doing. I can play a lot of stuff, write my own music and jam decent. This helped me understand a lot of stuff I've been doing on multiple instruments and didn't even know I was doing it. Now knowing im curious to see what I can cook up. Thank you for this simplified video for beginners and people like me. 👌
Meshuggah - Spasm.
Polyrhythm heaven. Thank me later.
the theory is blowing my mind but also how good you are at it
I can play it!!
On my lap 4 over 3
So cool!
Try it people.
Sense of accomplishment!
In fact, I stopped the video so I could get the swing of doing it. Eventually I noticed I was playing the drum, focusing on the hands individually. Really good concept
I’ve now only seen two of your videos but this is my first time subscribing to a youtube channel. You make awesome content very consicely and it’s really helpful and you’re gnarly at guitar. Thanks!
What you are de-mystifing is what African culture expresses instinctly! African music is polyrhythmic but, also poly meter! This is what JAZZ is all about! Playing syncopated polyrhythms on monophonic instruments!
thats how come the largest forced migration in human history resulted in the creation of the greatest musicS (plural) on the planet! A famous musician from my birthplace once said “all music comes from New Orleans!” I think he meant all popular music!
Well written. He is basically teaching soul. I feel like it’s more about the “feel” not some silly pass butter to left. It’s sounds like a gimmick to me, in the end I feel the musician should feel the music. People want everything written, talk to the music directly.
@@rootsdubz bravo!
@@rootsdubz I get your point, and think it's a valid one, but because we all grew up in slightly or very different cultures, there are certain things that tend to come less naturally to some of us then others (& I'm sure it's the same the other way around); everyone learned differently, and while, agreed, the sound should be "inate" or become inate in feeling when played, for a lot of young musicians in other parts of the world (maybe not just west, but possibly also east Asia, for example) it can definitely be a process/learning curve..😅
I guess a shorter way to put it is some of us need it explained differently, or even both ways, to being the learning and later/eventually the mastery process 😄
(But this is just my view, currently, on it)
@@truthsings7 Thank you, well put.
Wow, you are a very good teacher. You know how to make things digestible. I already know this poly (used in Bossa nova quite a bit) but for someone who wouldn't know where to start, you nail it.
On twitter you said you were going to walk with a 3:4 polyrhythm between your arms and legs. When is this going to come out?
LOL Yes I deicded to put that into my Polyrhythm Supplemental video- I will make a follow up to this on how polymeters create polyrhythms, and how polyrhythm occurs in your daily life. That will feature the PolyRhythm Walk and some other silly things. I wanted to keep this video as straightforward and practical as possible (except the 7 string part :P)
@@SignalsMusicStudio That makes sense. Walking polyrhythmically wouldn't really fit into a video about the practical applications of polyrhythms.
What's not practical about walking polyrhythmically?
@@maxonmendel5757 Many are blind to its true value.
@@SignalsMusicStudio At one stage in this video, my mind associated to the offset rhythm of the windshield wipers and sideways indicators. Which then made me think of the Captain Beefheart song 'Bat Chain Puller' which was apparently inspired by windshield wipers. :D
Thanks a lot! Also works well with (simplified) konnakol, using the "TAH-ka-dee-me" (4) and "TAH-ka-ta" (3) patterns.
I don't see the lady going counter clockwise , is it strange ?? Any one else having the same issue??
I could only see the lady spinning clockwise as well. I even went back to it 3 or 4 times and I could still only see it spinning clockwise 😎
It helps me to just watch the feet and try to see it the other way, eventually my brain flips over and I can see it.
Not just you mate, I tried for about 15 minutes, ended up getting another video up explaining it, i managed to see it anti-clockwise after about 10 minutes, then could't un-see it, then i left it for 5 minutes, walked away, came back and watched it again, then i could only see it clockwise again... No wonder i struggle with poly rhythms!!
This is really helpful. Been struggling to play something which is 4:3 recently. I'd got as far a trying to invent a phrase to help me get that rhythm (mine was much ruder than yours) but the insight that I had a phrase which stressed the triple rather than the 4 is really helpful. I now know I also need something like "pass butter to the left". This has really helped me. Thank you.
This is amazing but I feel like middle eastern music has been implementing this as normal. They might hear our 4/4 and think we are the weird ones
It's excellent that you teach this through clapping, drumming, speaking words, and pointing out the emphasis. Applying it to your instrument as an improviser and composer is great modelling. The best music teaching uses actual human stuff to make actual music. Thank you for encouraging people to build skills with their hands and their voice rather than showing us a math equation and getting your computer to play clicks and beeps.
I don’t think I’ve heard a riff heavier than your example! Thanks for this! I’ll have to incorporate some polyrhythms into my own composing. Also how do you achieve such a crushing guitar tone?
You absolute genius! This is brilliant. Thank you for taking the time to break it down. Have been wanting to play triplets against semi-quavers for a while now and just didn't know where to begin. Feel like I can now give it a go.
You sir..... are amazing 😭🤙🏼
13:00
Him: "That would get kinda nutty, let me give it a try."
*Plays it flawlessly*
Me: Wait so... parenthesis exponents and what?
Your channel is great. It feels good when a teacher doesn't preface their video with a coupon code for a book. Thank you for being a good teacher. I'm learning a lot from your videos.
6:37 I'M dead XD lmaoooooo he killt it outta no where
I recently became obsessed with Gnawa music and I think this video was my first step to really understanding it. Thanks so much!
Shoutout to Kevin for that slick 7string chug monster
one day i'll play past the third fret on it!
Dude, this was the only video that made me "get" polyrhythms properly. So intuitive. Thanks for this.
A big fan of yours, but this reminds me of the meme, "How to draw an owl: Draw a circle. Now, draw the owl."
(I understand. "It's a complicated business".)
It's the hardest thing I've taught on this channel so far!
@@SignalsMusicStudio I agree you make it look easy, but you definitely gave a lot more clear instruction on how to 'draw the owl'.
i will say, i found 3:4 poly to be pretty easy, and 4:3 to be weirdly difficult.
Also king crimson does some pretty cool polyrhythm / polymeter stuff on their 80s abums (which you probably already know, but in case you didnt!
@@SignalsMusicStudio Please don't water it down in the future. Just keep it as clear as you have always have.
@@SignalsMusicStudio I understand. I'll get it eventuality. It takes me years to understand anything "poly" before I Master it. For example: polyester.
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After looking at other meandering videos on this topic, this one cut right to what I was looking for in a lot of ways. Thank you!
Ok. Got it. No, wait.... I don't got it. Damn. Back to the start of the video...
Right??
trying this on guitar with you it's very fun, especially the last version! i was just practicing the "not difficult" 2:3 polyrhythm yesterday and then youtube recommended me this
8:43 Were you just going to say “what the fuck”? 😂
Thank you so much for this. clear and straight forward video. It imparted a better understanding of the basic mechanics of this polyrhythm than I've ever had before. What a treat.
2:13
“I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back ribs.”
I had a drummer friend of mine, drill this into my head. I'm glad he helped me figure it out. From a guitarist point of view, it's like rocket science at times. Especially when you have to write it out.
*Jacob Collier laughs in the distance*
Yeah but Jacob's music sucks. Jacob makes Michael-MacDonald-flavored jazz fusion. This dude just made a heavy af polyrhythmic metal riff.
@@yyguuyg Just now
What is your problem dude
8675309 AHAHAHAHA
@@yyguuyg do you even have ears?
@@KOSTISPAL do you even have taste?
Geez. Tried figuring this out on my own, got no where. You made it so clear in one video, Thank you, thank you. Youre awesome!