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ISSUE #57 \__\__\___THE____/__/__/ Sept 5, 2001
_______________TEMPO DISPATCH ___________
Newsletter For Drummers and Drumming Enthusiasts
Copyright Bill Powelson 2001 all rights reserved.
____________'IT'S ALL ABOUT DRUMS'_______
Tips * Tricks * Hints * Ads * Freebies * Lessons *
_________NOW OVER 7,8OO SUBSCRIBERS!__________

TABLE OF CONTENTS: What is in this issue?

FEATURE ARTICLE:

1.  Counter-Rhythms and Poly-Rhythms

2. Humor?  Witty Lines, Worthy of a Smile . . .


_____________________________________
|__________FEATURE ARTICLE___________|

NOTE:  This months lesson may be a little tough
for some of the beginners.  It might
be good for the lesson for everyone to visit the
following html (web page) lesson first.  Pay
SPECIAL attention to the QUARTER TRIPLET
FILL in this lesson . . .

 Better Drum Fills

     THEN, return to this COUNTER-RHYTHM lesson below
and visualize the association between the two.


Counter Rhythms and Poly Rhythms

    Study this 2:3 counter rhythm . . .
    You'll be playing TWO separate tempos
simultaneously . . .

L   L   L
R     R

    Repeat, repeat, repeat . . . keep BOTH
HANDS IN A STEADY FLOW . . .

    This is a 3:2 counter-rhythm . . .
    But . . . it might also be considered as a 6:4,
a 12:8 or even a 24:16 counter-rhythm. . . depending on the
the 'reps' and the way it's written or perceived by the writer.
   
    No matter what it is called . . . the objective
is the STEADY FLOW of two, separate but simultaneous, tempos.

    To help distinguish the separate tempos . . . place
your left on the hi-tom and your the Right on the snare . . .
keep repeating until you HEAR the separate tempos.


     NEXT: Finding ways to use the 3:2 COUNTER-RHYTHM.
Now, learn it this way . . .
     It's still the same . . . but it'll soon become
more useful this way.

L   L   L      <--- SNARE
B     B        <--- BASS DRUM

    Repeat, repeat, repeat . . . keep BOTH
IN A STEADY FLOW . . . the same as before.
We've converted the right-hand to a bass
drum, that's all.

    OK . . ., NOW it is time to think . . .
   
    If we are in 4/4 time . . . and IF we see
two-reps of this, in ONE bar of written notation . . .
we are seeing QUARTER NOTES on the bass and
QUARTER TRIPLETS . .  on the snare  (As a 6:4
counter-rhythm.)
    It'll look something like this . . .

L   L   L   L   L   L      <--- SNARE
B     B     B     B        <--- BASS DRUM

    This means, a 3:2 counter rhythm is really
QUARTER TRIPLETS against QUARTER-NOTES in 2/4,
or a 6:4 'counter' in 4/4 (when doubled.)  No
matter which signature is used . . . the pattern
on the snare is still a QUARTER-TRIPLET.

    (This will prove to be useful knowledge as we progress
with the OTHER counter rhythms . . .)
    BUT FIRST, lets take THIS ONE a little further . . .

    LEARN TO 'USE' THIS WITH SWING!
    I'm assuming you have already learned the SWING BEAT at:
http://wwwc.catalog.com:82/drummers/hsdrum/ccrtgh8.html
    We'll now learn to play a POLY-RHYTHM . . . This is a
3-way pattern.  We'll be playing the 3:2 counter rhythm
(Quarter-triplets VS Quarter notes) BETWEEN THE BASS AND
SNARE as we SIMULTANEOUSLY play the Swing pattern with our
right-hand on (either) the hi-hat (or ride cymbal) . . .
OVER THE TOP.

    STEP #1:
    FIRST, learn to do this . . .

  X    XX   <- SWING PATTERN on the Cymbal
S   S   S   <- SNARE = (QUARTER TRIPLETS WHEN DOUBLED)

(NOTE:  That 1st snare should appear all alone . . .
IT ISN'T WITH THE FIRST CYMBAL.  It's BEFORE the
first cymbal.  If it doesn't appear that way in your
e-mail app. . . we have a font-distortion problem.
(Change your font to Courier New .9)

    (ANYWAY . . . Keep it steady and flowing)

    STEP #2. 
    NEXT, ADD THE BASS . . . AFTER the above pattern begins
to feel easy-to-do.

  X    XX   <- SWING PATTERN on the Cymbal
S   S    S   <- SNARE = (QUARTER TRIPLETS WHEN WRITTEN IN 4/4)
  B       B   <- BASS (falls with 1st and 3rd cymbal)

ANOTHER INTERESTING ADAPTATION OF THE SAME GENERAL IDEA . . .

    The following is a simple JAZZ WALTZ beat . . . We'll now be
in 3/4 time . . . and we'll reverse the 2:3 counter rhythm,
so that the 3 is NOW being played with the right and the 2
is being played with the left . . .

    STEP#1:

X   X   X   <--HAT OR RIDE
  S       S   <--SNARE

    NEXT, if we place a bass along with the 1st cymbal,
we'll hear a classic (jazz form) of the WALTZ BEAT.

    STEP#2:

X   X   X   <--HAT OR RIDE
  S       S   <--SNARE
B           <--BASS

    This could also be called a POLY-RHYTHM . . .
though it is admittedly a fairly 'simple' example.
    It's a 3:2:1 POLY.


    A Poly-rhythm is when we get 3 (or more) rhythms/tempos
going at once.  It's pretty difficult stuff . . . but
very useful at times.
   
    There are many COUNTER-RHYTHM and POLY-RHYTHM
possibilities.  I'm not sure how many there are.  They
tend to occur OFTEN in various Latin styles.
   
    BUT, to add a little more to the ABOVE 'mix', and
POP styles . . .

HERE'S ANOTHER COUNTER-RHYTHM . . .
    *  The 3:4 counter-rhythm represents a HALF-NOTE
TRIPLET in 4/4:

S     S    S    <--SNARE
B   B   B   B   <--BASS

    This MUST be played as a steady flow,
(as two separate tempos), to be accurate . . .

    Imagine QUARTER-NOTES on the bass (in 4/4)
against '3' (HALF-NOTE TRIPLETS) on the snare . . .
    If we then add QUARTER-NOTES with the
right-hand on the Cymbal, it would become a
simple (or quasi-) poly-rhythm.  It'll look
like this . . .


X   X   X   X   <--CYMB
S     S    S    <--SNARE
B   B   B   B   <--BASS

    This could become a somewhat USEFUL pattern
if we are playing Dancebeat #5 . . .
the Quarter-Rock beat.

    It could also be easily played with HALF-NOTES
on the bass, making it 'more officially' a
poly-rhythm.

X   X   X   X   <--CYMB
S     S    S    <--SNARE
B       B       <--BASS

    I would call this 4:3:2 POLY.

STILL MORE COUNTER RHYTHMS . . . (MORE food for thought.)

    A 'WHOLE-NOTE-TRIPLET' can't exist in 4/4 time . . .
but it CAN and DOES exist in 8/4 time.  In which case
it might be perceived as an 8:3 or 3:8 counter-rhythm,

against the 8 Quarter-notes on the bass . . .

S            S             S         <-- SNARE
B   B   B   B   B   B   B   B   <-- BASS

    If the BASS DRUM notes are QUARTER-NOTES,
in 8/4 time.  The snare notes will represent
a set of WHOLE-NOTE TRIPLETS in 8/4.  They would
be written as 3 separate WHOLE-NOTES, connected
or TIED together with 3 over the top.
    This is rarely used and rarely seen.  It's just
neat-knowledge and 'super-brain-food'.
    As yet . . . I haven't put it to any practical
use.  I can't even say I've ever heard it in a song.

    BUT . . . I HAVE MADE $$$ MONEY WITH IT!  :>) 

HERE'S HOW YOU CAN MAKE MONEY WITH IT TOO . . .
    This is a GREAT topic of conversation when we mix
with other musicians . . .
    It's neat to ask something like . . .

    "Does a WHOLE-NOTE-TRIPLET exist"?

    Then, WAIT for response.  If the response is negative . . .
TAKE BETS . . . then PROVE it on paper  . . . haha.  Many
musicians will deny the existence of WHOLE-NOTE triplets,
and it's true . . . they DO NOT EXIST in 4/4.  Yet, they
MOST DEFINITELY DO EXIST in 8/4.

    This lesson proves the following statements . . .

    *  "A 'form' of TRIPLETS will exist for EVERY
note-value".

AND . . .

    *  "Many triplet-forms may be easily visualized
as 'COUNTER' and/or 'POLY-RHYTHMS".

 ________________________________
|___________HUMOR? _____________|

Witty Lines, Worthy of a Chuckle . . .

The closest I ever got to a 4.0 in high school
was my blood alcohol content.

I live in my own little world, but its OK,
they know me here..

I saw a woman wearing a sweatshirt with
'Guess' on it.
I said, 'Thyroid problem?'"

I don't do drugs anymore 'cause I find I
get the same effect just by standing up really fast.

Sign In Pet Store: "Buy one dog, get one flea...

Money can't buy happiness, but it sure
makes misery easier to live with.

If flying is so safe, why do they call
the airport the 'terminal'?

I don't approve of political jokes...
I've seen too many of them get elected.

The most precious thing we have is life.
Yet it has absolutely no trade-in value.

If life deals you lemons, make lemonade;
if it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys.

I love being married.
It's so great to find that one special person
you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

Shopping tip: You can get shoes for
85 cents at bowling alleys.

I am a nobody, nobody is perfect,
therefore I am perfect.

I married my wife for her looks...
but not the ones she's been giving me lately!

"Everyday I beat my own previous record for number
of consecutive days I've stayed alive."

No one ever says "It's only a game,"
when their team is winning.

If carrots are so good for the eyes,
how come I see so many dead rabbits on the highway?"

How come we choose from just two people
for president and 50 for Miss America?

Ever notice that people who spend money on
beer, cigarettes, and lottery tickets are always
complaining about being broke and not feeling well?

How long a minute is depends on what side
of the bathroom door you're on.

Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.

Every time I walk into a singles bar I can
hear Mom's wise words:
"Don't pick that up, you don't know where it's been."

 

 Are you among the 95% good, or the 5% bad?
FIND OUT HERE:


END OF TEMPO DISPATCH #57 Sept 5, 2001






Copyright Bill Powelson 1994 all rights reserved.