![Superimposed Subdivisions (Polyrhythm Hell) [Sallan Tarkistama]](http://data.docslib.org/img/0441417c95988e91f8b64b374cf396fb-1.webp)
HEIKKI MALMBERG
Superimposed Subdivisions (Polyrhythm Hell) Polyrhythms or Polymeters?
Usually when musicians talk about polyrhythms, they refer to rhythmic structures that are made of two or more simultaneous time signatures, in which the secondary (superimposed) time signature basically revolves around the dominant time signature. I suggest that we use the term polymeter in such cases, and use the term polyrhythm solely in situations where there are two or more subdivisions happening in the same time interval (e.g. eight note triplets over sixteenth notes). Here’s a simple example of a polymeter where the bass drum plays in 5/16 while the hands keep common (4/4) time.
3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 5 5 5 5 And here’s a not so simple example of polyrhythms using eight notes, eight/quarter note triplets and sixteenth note quintuplets. So What Should I Do? In order to learn to play any two subdivisions against each other, or rather superimpose them if you will, you should get a reference of how they sound played simultaneously on one instrument (A good teacher and a sequencer are of paramount help here), and learn to phonetically mimic the result. You can make up halfwitted sentences or just blabber away with any foolish sounds that you come up with. as long as you’re mimicking the rhythm, it doesn’t matter.
3 3 3 3 or cold cup of tea blah bla da blah Here’s two subdivisions Here they have Here’s their daily dialog after waiting to get married. become one. 50 years of marriage. MEMORIZE IT!
Superimposed Subdivisions (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 3
Now you can use their dialog to learn any 2 against 3 -based patterns.
3 3 3 3 cold cup of teacold cup of tea etc... blahbla3 da blah blahbla 3 da blah etc.. 3 3
The same trick works for any two subdivisions.
3 3 3 pass the gol3 -den3 but- ter
Any two subdivisions Played on one surface Have something to say (though sometimes it's just a jumble of meaningless phonetics) So how can I decipher their "dialog"? Let's see how 5 and 7 land on each other. First you have to count their lowest common multiple (LCM). The formula is as follows: A x B = LCM
In our instance a=5 and B=7 and we get:
5 x 7 = 35 Now write two lines of 35 notes. the note value doesn't matter, but sixteenth notes are clear and easy to read, so let's use them.
Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 4
Now place accents to every fifth note on the upper line and to every seventh note on the lower line. Now remove the unaccented notes and there you have it. The remaining notes create the polyrhythm of 5 against 7.
Here's the same pattern written out a bit more clearly.
Here's the same pattern once more written out in common time.
7 5
This procedure works perfectly well for figuring out how any possible combination of two subdivisions land on each other!
Superimposed Subdivisions (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 5
The toughest part, however, is to really master these polyrhythms so well that you can use them flawlessly in your playing. And for composers who are interested in using these polyrhythms in their music; Try to learn to hear/feel them so thoroughly that you can tell the difference between 11 over 13 and 12 over 13. They all have their distinct feels, and they all have something to say. The following pages contain a lot of stuff that will take ages to learn properly. Some of them might seem downright impossible to play, but everything is possible if you really set your mind to it!
I haven’t written out any stickings or used more than two sound sources for the following examples, because the rhythms play the leading role here. But i’d say that the best place to start would be playing the upper rhythm with one hand, and the lower with another. After that (and preferably only after you’ve assimilated their “dialog” at least to some degree) you can try to play the upper rhythm on the snare using a single stroke roll (rlrlrl...) and the lower rhythm on the bass drum using...... well, a single stroke roll. After these steps; experiment, experiment and experiment.
"Numerous studies have proven that people who set goals and pursue them are much more successful than those who float along, waiting to see what comes their way. Remember the old ádage: If you aim at nothing, you will surely hit it."
-G. Douglas Rockwell
Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) Superimposed Subdivisions HEIKKI MALMBERG 6 1 2 3
3 5 4 6
5 6 7
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9 10 11 12
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17 19 18 3 19 20 5 3 3 21 6 22 7 3 3 23 24 9 3 3 25 26 10 11
Superimposed Subdivisions 3 3 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 7 27 28 12 13 3 3 29 30 14 15 3 3 31 32 17 3 3 33 18 34 19 3 3 35 36 3
37 5 38 6
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43 44 11 12
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5 Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 8 53 54 3 5 5 55 6 56 7 5 5 57 58 9 5 5 59 60 10 11 5 5 61 62 12 13 5 5 63 64 14 15 5 5 65 66 17 5 5 67 18 68 19 5 5 69 70 3 6 6 71 72 5 6 6 73 7 74 6 6 75 76 9 10 6 6 77 78 11 12
Superimposed Subdivisions 6 6 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 9 79 80 13 14 6 6 81 82 15 6 6 83 84 17 18 6 6 85 19 86 6 7 87 3 88 7 7 89 5 90 6 7 7 91 92 9 7 7 93 94 10 11 7 7 95 96 12 13 7 7 97 98 14 15 7 7 99 100 17 7 7 101 18 102 19 7 7 103 104 3
Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 10 105 106 5
107 6 108 7
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Superimposed Subdivisions 9 9 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 11 131 132 14 15 9 9 133 134 17 9 9 135 136 18 19 9 9 137 138 3 10 10 139 140 5 10 10 141 6 142 7 10 10 143 144 9 10 10 145 146 11 12 10 10 147 148 13 14 10 10 149 150 15 10 10 151 17 152 18 10 10 153 19 154 10 11 155 156 3
11 11 Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 12 157 158 5 6 11 11 159 7 160 11 11 161 162 9 10 11 11 163 164 12 13 11 11 165 166 14 15 11 11 167 168 17 11 11 169 170 18 19 11 11 171 172 3 12 12 173 174 5 12 12 175 6 176 7 12 12 177 178 9 12 12 179 180 10 11 12 12 181 182 13 14
Superimposed Subdivisions 12 12 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 13 183 184 15 12 12 185 17 186 18 12 12 187 188 19 12 13 189 3 190 13 13 191 5 192 6 13 13 193 7 194 13 13 195 196 9 10 13 13 197 198 11 12 13 13 199 200 14 15 13 13 201 202 17 13 13 203 18 204 19 13 13 205 206 3 14 14 207 208 5
14 14 Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 14 209 210 6 7 14 14 211 212 9 14 14 213 214 10 11 14 14 215 216 12 13 14 14 217 218 15 14 14 219 17 220 18 14 14 221 222 19 14 15 223 3 224 15 15 225 5 226 6 15 15 227 7 228 15 15 229 230 9 10 15 15 231 232 11 12 15 15 233 234 13 14
Superimposed Subdivisions 15 15 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 15 235 236 17 15 15 237 18 238 19 15 15 239 240 3
241 242 5
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17 17 Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell) 16 261 262 7 17 17 263 264 9 10 17 17 265 266 11 12 17 17 267 268 13 14 17 17 269 270 15 17 17 271 18 272 19 17 17 273 274 3 18 18 275 276 5 18 18 277 6 278 7 18 18 279 280 9 18 18 281 282 10 11 18 18 283 284 12 13 18 18 285 286 14 15
Superimposed Subdivisions 18 18 (polyrhythm Hell) Heikki Malmberg 17 287 288 17 18 18 289 19 290 18 19 291 292 3 19 19 293 5 294 6 19 19 295 7 296 19 19 297 298 9 10 19 19 299 300 11 12 19 19 301 302 13 14 19 19 303 304 15 19 19 305 17 306 18 19 19
"Don't be afraid to take chances. Play to express yourself and play to have fun. Maybe someday your name will be mentioned in company like Bellson, Ulrich, Bozzio, Aldridge, Phillips, Benante or Cobham! And remember, when you feel like you've given your all, that's the time to give even more!
-Dom Famularo
Superimposed Subdivisions Heikki Malmberg (polyrhythm Hell)