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These 5 polyrhythm examples are written for two different guitars. If you need help understanding polyrhythms in greater detail, please take a look at these previous polyrhythm/polymeter lessons: The polyrhythms demonstrated in this lesson are:
You will see the tablature for the polyrhythm example followed by a video demonstration. This will be for all five examples.      The following is the full video lesson. You gotta watch it at least for the intro! If you have any questions about this material please leave them in the comments section. DO IT!!!
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This is the 3rd lesson in the Polyrhythm series.
Lesson One: An Introduction to Polyrhythms Lesson Two: How to Play Polymeters
In this lesson we will look at a simple way of spacing out polyrhythms and how to count them.
There are multiple ways to figure out how to play, understand, and count a polyrhythm, but my goal is to show you how to do this in a simple and effective manner. Let's begin with a 3:2 polyrhythm. How do you evenly space the notes, or beats, on top of 2 different evenly spaced notes, or beats? One way I've seen this done, is to write out groups of numbers in rows. For the 3:2 polyrhythm you can write out two rows of numbers that go 1 2 3. 
Then, you circle the first number for every group of two numbers.
Each row represents one full beat. There are two beats shown in this example. Each beat is divided into 3 even parts. The circled numbers represent the parts of the beat where you play 3 evenly spaced notes. The 1 in both beats represent where you play 2 evenly spaced notes.
How this sounds, and other examples in this lesson will be demonstrated in the video found at the end of this entry.
This same method can be applied to any polyrhythm. The 2nd number in the polyrhythm is how many rows of numbers you will write out. The 1st number in the polyrhythm is how many numbers you will write in each row. The 2nd number also tells you how many groups of numbers there need to be so you know which numbers to circle.
A 4:3 polyrhythm will get 3 rows, and each row will have 1 2 3 4. You will circle the first number for each grouping of 3 numbers. 
A 5:4 polyrhythm will get 4 rows, and each row will have 1 2 3 4 5. You will circle the first number for each grouping of 4 numbers.
Now, here's the problem I have with that method. Typically, you do not count out the parts of a measure, or beats with just numbers. For example, a piece of music playing straight 16th notes for four beats is typically counted out as 1ena2ena3ena4ena. Not 1234123412341234.
Counting out 1ena2ena3ena4ena helps you keep track of what beat you are on. Counting 1234123412341234 does not.
Let's talk about how I prefer to figure out and count polyrhythms. Let's take a look at the 3:2 polyrhythm again. The number 2, in the 3:2 polyrhythm, is our main number. We are working with 2 beats. The number 3, in the 3:2 polyrhythm, is our secondary number. The goal here is to space 3 notes over 2 notes. So, what has to happen in order to use a more typical method of counting music is the beat must be divided into 3 parts. And what happens when you divide a beat into 3 even parts? You get a triplet! Now we can view the beats like this:
1na2na
Just like before, the number 2 in our 3:2 polyrhythm tells us where in the beat we play the 3 evenly spaced notes. If you underline the first part of every two parts in the beats, you will know how to space the 3 notes over the 2 beats while using a more common method of counting rhythm.
1na2na
How about 4:3? 4:3 tells you we have 3 beats as our base. Each beat is divided into 4 parts. Counting 16th notes will get the job done here.
1ena2ena3ena
Now, underline the first part of every 3 parts in the beat.
1ena2ena3ena
What about the 5:4 polyrhythm? This one gets a little tricky. You need to divide each of the 4 beats into 5 equal parts. Dividing a beat into 5 parts is not a common thing to do. However, that does not mean it is impossible. My recommendation for counting out 5 equal parts per beat, with 4 beats total, is this:
1enae2enae3enae4enae
This allows us to keep track of what beat we are on, and I feel it's fairly simple to say.
Just like the previous two examples, portions of this rhythm, or parts of the beat, need to be underlined so we can see where in the beat we are going to play. Remember, the 2nd number in the polyrhythm ratio tells you how to group the parts of the beat. Because we are working with a 5:4 polyrhythm we will underline the first part of every 4 parts. It will look like this:
1enae2enae3enae4enae
Developing the ability to comfortably count these rhythms can take a while. Like anything else in music, taking small steps in learning something difficult can and will help you help you learn difficult things in the shortest amount of time possible.
Watch the following video on how to approach adding small pieces to learn a complex rhythm.
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This lesson is the follow up to the Introduction To Polyrhythms lesson.
This lesson is going to go more in depth with polymeters before moving on to polyrhythms. To sum up the difference between a polyrhythm and a polymeter: A polyrhythm is smooshing at least two different rhythms into the same space. A polymeter uses at least two different time signatures that follow the same tempo which results in several repetitions of the piece of music before each section lines back up again. The polymeter HAS to cover multiple bars. The polyrhythm happens in the same bar. Let's take a look at some visual examples to help explain this better. A 4:3 polyrhythm, where you are playing 4 notes evenly spaced over 3 beats, can look something like this: 
This represents two bars, or two measures.
Notice how there are 4 notes on top, and 3 notes on the bottom? Both bars look the same. The polyrhythm takes place in just one bar. A polymeter that has a 4/4 time signature and 3/4 time signature looks something like this: 
The red notes represent the starting point for each time signature.
The top notes represent the 4/4 time signature. The bottom notes represent the 3/4 time signature. Notice how all of the notes line up with the same spacing? That's how a polymeter works. Two different time signatures with the exact same tempo, or beats per minute. It takes 3 full bars until the these two different time signatures line back up. Bar number 4 is where the pattern begins again. A 4:3 polyrhythm is not a 4/4 time signature being playing against, or over, a 3/4 time signature. Polyrhythms are within the same time signature. A 4:3 polyrhythm has you playing 4 beats in the same time span 3 beats are played. Polymeters use two different time signatures, and both have the same tempo. Now it's time for some polymeter examples! All of these examples are written for TWO SEPARATE guitars. ***There is a video at the end of this post that demonstrates all of the examples shown in this lesson*** This first example demonstrates a combination of a 4/4 time signature and a 3/4 time signature. The 4/4 time signature will divide up the bars/measures and be played in the 2nd stave. 
Here is the same thing with the 3/4 time signature being used to divide up the bars/measures:
Now, let's do the same two time signatures but, this time, there will be a lot more movements in the notes.
The 4/4 time signature will divide up the bars/measures and be played in the 2nd stave. 
Just like before, here's the same thing with the 3/4 time signature dividing up the bars/measures:
For the remaining examples, you will have one time signature being used to divide up the bars/measures, then the same piece of music will be shown again with the other time signature being used to divide up the bars/measures.
This next example will use a 9/8 time signature and a 5/8 time signature. 
Let's take a look at another example using the same two time signatures, but with more complexity in the notes.
One more example in this lesson.
This one uses a 7/4 time signature and a 3/4 time signature. So far, everything has been using the same rhythm value for every note. In other words, the first and second examples used nothing but quarter notes for both time signatures. The third and fourth examples both used 8th notes the entire time. This final example will have all 16th notes for the 3/4 time signature, but the 7/4 time signature will have a more complex rhythm being used. 
And that's it! No more examples for this lesson.
The next lesson in this series is going to explain to how figure out spacing polyrhythms correctly, how to count the polyrhythms, and start showing more in depth examples.
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This is the first lesson in a SERIES of lessons to cover POLYRHYTHMS. Polyrhythms are an advanced style of rhythm. If you do not have a basic understanding of rhythm already, this instructional series may be a bit over your head, and too difficult to understand. Even if you DO have a basic understanding of rhythm, polyrhythms are challenging to play and understand.
Several music examples will be used to demonstrate how to play and understand polyrhythms. But, first! What IS a polyrhythm? The word POLY means MANY. So, in simple terms, a polyrhythm means many rhythms. Steve Vai, in his paper called "Tempo Mental", says, "A polyrhythm is just what it says. Two rhythms, or “feels”, happening at the same time." However, it IS a bit more complicated than that. Why? Because if it were simply the case of having different "rhythms" being played at once, I would argue that most music is using polyrhythms. The drums, guitars, vocals, etc. are not all playing the exact same rhythm pattern all the time. However, this does not make a polyrhythm. A polyrhythm is used to create tension in a song. By placing at least two different rhythms together that sound somewhat "off" you can create something that really stands out to the listener's ear. When you see something like a triplet, or quintuplet, sextuplet, nonuplet, etc., you're probably dealing with a polyrhythm. Notes grouped in this fashion will have some indication that they are not naturally found within the given time signature you are playing in. 
The circled numbers are indicating a deviation from what's normally found in this time signature. The numbers are telling you how to space these notes that would not occur, naturally, in the given time signature. You could also notate the same thing like this:
You would wind up hearing the same thing either way. There will be more information to explain what something like 5:2 means in a later lesson.
Now, beats are always evenly divided when dealing with note values that DO occur naturally in a given time signature. Most music you hear is in a 4/4 time signature. This means you have 4 beats that fill up the bar, or measure. Bar and measure are interchangeable, they mean the same thing. Now, the number up top in the time signature fraction is telling you how many beats fill up the bar. The number on the bottom is telling you the value of the beat. 4 equals a quarter note. You can have ANY number, ANY NUMBER on top. Doesn't matter. Go nuts! The only numbers you can have on the bottom are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64, but good luck ever finding something with 64 on the bottom. Or even a 1. 1 = Whole note 2 = Half note 4 = Quarter note 8 = 8th note 16 = 16th note 32 = 32nd note 64 = 64th note So, why the hell am I telling you all this? Good question! This is to further explain dividing the beat(s) evenly. A whole note can be divided in half and give you a half note. A half note can be divided in half and give you a quarter note. Half of a quarter is an 8th note. Half of an 8th note is a 16th note. Half of a 16th note is a 32nd note. Half of a 32nd note is a 64th note. Another way to look at all that is this: A whole note = 2 half notes, or 4 quarter notes, or 8 8th notes, or 16 16th notes, etc. A half note = 2 quarter notes, or 4 8th notes, 8 16th notes, etc. A quarter note = 2 8th notes, or 4 16th notes, 8 32nd notes, etc. An 8th note = 2 16th notes, or 4 32nd notes, etc. etc. I hope that gets point across. None of this notation of rhythmic value will tell you to space 3 notes evenly over anything, unless you tweak things in order to make it happen. A triplet, the most common one being an 8th note triplet, is playing 3 evenly spaced notes over the time it takes to play 2 evenly spaced 8th notes. 
You could also notate the triplet like this and wind up with the same sound:
The ratio 3:1 is telling you that 3 notes are being evenly spaced over the time it takes for the one quarter note to be played. I don't think I've ever seen a ratio like this being used in a professional transcription. Usually, you'd see something more like 7:3. That means you are evenly spacing 7 notes over the time it takes to play 3 evenly spaced notes.
Now, you might be thinking, "but, John! I've heard and played plenty of music using triplets that doesn't sound like any tension is being made. You said a polyrhythm creates tension! Are you fucking stupid or something?!" Excellent point! Let's check out an example that uses 8th note triplets over just one beat. 
Now, TO ME, throwing in one beat of triplets after playing 3 beats of straight 8th notes sounds a little jarring. It stands out. Tension was made. Now, let's do something similar with tripleted quarter notes.
I feel that playing quarter note triplets is more challenging than 8th note triplets. They feel and sound weird. You are playing 3 evenly spaced notes over 2 evenly spaced quarter notes when playing quarter note triplets. Technically, it's the same thing as playing 3 evenly spaced notes over 2 evenly spaced 8th notes. It's a 3:2 polyrhythm. 3 notes being played in the same time it takes to play 2 notes.
Now, for the sake of understanding all this, let's use a piece of music using only 8th note triplets. 
When you listen to that in the video posted at the end of this blog entry, you'll hear how this example doesn't really sound like a polyrhythm. I would argue it's not a polyrhythm because both the guitar and drums are following a cohesive rhythm. The two instruments don't clash. No tension is present.
"Yeah, so what's your point?" My point is that something like this is normally notated differently. You could take the same piece of music and put it in a 3/4 time signature and get this: 
When you listen to both versions of this example you'll hear that they sound the same. The cool thing about music is you can notate things differently to create the same outcome. It's all a big math equation.
Playing a straight 8th note pattern in a 4/4 time signature at 120 bpm will be the same thing if you play the same notes at 180 bpm in a 3/4 time signature using straight 8th notes. A 3/4 time signature is telling you that 3 beats fill up the bar, and a quarter note gets the value of one beat. Using this time signature there is no longer a need to use triplet notation. There is no polyrhythm. And, it looks cleaner this way. Let's look at one last example of a polyrhythm before we start getting more in depth with everything. A commonly used polyrhythm is 4:3. This means you have 4 notes being played in the same time span 3 notes are played. Some choose to use this polyrhythm at the beginning of a bar to create tension, and then release that tension by playing something more in line with the given time signature. For example: 
So far, polyrhythms have been demonstrated in just a part of the bar. Can you keep a polyrhythm going for multiple bars? Of course! That will be covered and demonstrated later on in this series.
Now, some people argue that a 4:3 polyrhythm, or 3:4 polyrhythm are polymeters. I believe they think, in the case of the 4:3 polyrhythm, a 4/4 time signature is being played over a 3/4 time signature. This same person may also say that in a 3:4 polyrhythm you have a 3/4 time signature being played over a 4/4 time signature. This isn't really the case. Polymeters indeed have two different time signatures being played simultaneously, but they have their own unique sound and parameters. The next video will be covering polymeters in depth. I feel it's best to get a good understanding of polymeters before moving on to in depth discussion and examples of polyrhythms. This is because I feel you'll have a much better chance of fully understanding what polyrhythms are, and how you can play them.
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photo credit: EJP Photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/29498428@N00/31609721381
One for the road via photopin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ photo credit: misterbisson http://www.flickr.com/photos/41894176272@N01/6509167963 butter via photopin https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
This lesson was made in response to a special request.
One thing to mention, is that I do not have an 8 string guitar; just a 6 string guitar. Bleed is played with an 8 string guitar. Thankfully, I was able to recreate the intro with my 6 string by tuning the low E string down a half step to Eb/D#. Bleed's intro can be viewed in a very simple way. There is a short picking pattern that gets repeated throughout the entire intro, and carries over into the verse. Below (near the end of this post) you will see 3 different tabs showing the picking pattern divided by bar lines. The rhythm will, essentially, be the same. You will always have 2 fast notes followed by 2 slow notes (half the speed of the fast notes). Here's what the 3 ways of viewing the picking pattern look like: 
Two 8th notes + Two quarter notes Two 16th notes + Two 8th notes Two 32nd notes + Two 16th notes
Because of how fast the song is played, and how long you need to keep this rhythmic pattern going, you will need to pick this with the strum pattern of:
|Down Up Down Up |Down Up Down Up |Down Up Down Up |
That was 3 repetitions of the picking pattern. I put a BAR line at the start of the first pattern, in between the other patterns, and at the end of the final pattern to help you visualize the way you will be picking this pattern.
The spaces in between the down, up, and the bar lines are to show you where you will have a gap (or slow down) in your playing. In order to get this song up to speed, I recommend focusing on getting the picking pattern up to speed, or at least comfortable, before you begin adding in the bend sections. The bend sections will be shown in the tabs below.
USE YOUR METRONOME TO WORK UP THIS RHYTHM SLOWLY!!!!!!!!!!
The bend section is broken into 6 parts.
The open E string patterns, that have already been shown, can be counted in such a way to keep this intro somewhat simple.
Counting how many times the rhythmic pattern (picking pattern) is played, you will have this:
The final bend section WILL carry over into the beginning of the verse (when the vocals start). Just make sure you finish all 6 parts of the bend section, even when the verse begins, because that's just how the song goes.
This first tab is the easiest way to count the intro. You will have two 8th notes followed by two quarter noes. 
The second tab is basically the same, but now you have two 16th notes followed by two 8th notes.
This third tab is how I count along with the song. You have two 32nd notes followed by two 16th notes.
When I count this out, I'm only counting at the start of each section/bar/measure so I know how many times I've played the picking patterns, and I know when to go into the bend sections. 
One last tab!!
This one is showing the song as it's probably intended to be viewed. The song is in 4/4 and the full rhythmic pattern repeats every 3 bars. 
If you have ANY questions about this lesson PLEASE ASK!!!
This song is definitely NOT EASY and will prove to be a challenge for most people. Not only is the rhythm fairly unusual, but you need to have really good speed and stamina to pull this off. Good luck!!!
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This lesson compliments the Gallop Exercises Lesson well.
The gallop rhythm emphasized the down beat. You had one 8th note followed by two 16th notes. 
The reverse gallop emphasizes the up beat. You will have two 16th notes and one 8th note.
The following are four exercises, progressing in difficulty, to help you improve your reverse gallop rhythms.
This video demonstrates those exercises:
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The gallop rhythm is quite popular in metal music. A simple description of a gallop rhythm is one eighth note followed by two sixteenth notes.
The strumming pattern is
Down - Down Up Down - Down Up Down - Down Up Down - Down Up Check out the following video for a demonstration of FOUR different exercises to help you improve your gallop rhythms. These are also great for breaking through speed picking plateaus.
The following are the tabs of the exercises demonstrated in the video above:
Exercise One
Exercise Two
Exercise Two - ALT
Exercise Three
Exercise Four
All of those tabs are also available in Guitar Pro files, which are exclusive to Mile High Shred Patrons. CLICK HERE to learn more.
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AuthorJohn Taylor - guitar and bass instructor for Mile High Shred. Archives
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