My favorite band that uses polymeter regularly is no other than Meshuggah. Polymeter is used all over their music. But my favorite example is in their song “Do Not Look Down,” where in the verse, the guitar and bass is in 17/16, while the drums are in 4/4. It also switches later, where the guitar and bass switch to 15/16. It all creates this insane cyclical groove that is very unique.
The intro of Frame by Frame by King Crimson has one guitar playing 8 notes on repeat, the other guitar which starts at the same time plays the same thing but skips the last note, playing only 7 notes in a 7:8 time signature. So the first note of the 8:4 guitar is now on the second note of the 7:8 guitar, next time it will be on the 3rd note and 4th and 5th untill they meet up again at the first note. That's when they change to the next part of the song. Very nice use of polymeters here.
Discipline is also entirely written in Polymeter! Each section of the song takes on a new pairing, creating unique and complex melodies interwoven with each other. I saw a whole list of meter used, and it's honestly too much to summarize in a single comment, amazing what those boys could get up to
Wow that's amazing! Since you are great detecting that complex arrangements, I have a question that I need to ask. What is it called if the drums play 4/4 just like the drums in Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones, but the percussion play a little bit swing, like Still Standing by Elton John. I'm sure it sounds clashing but I like it, my band have that one song that play like that. I wanna know what it's called 😆
King Crimson's Frame By Frame has two guitar parts playing 7/8 and 13/8 respectively. Also, their song Thela Hun Ginjeet has the rhythm section playing in 4/4 and the guitars playing in 7/8
I was at that Snarky Puppy Tiny Desk Concert and all I can say is that there is nothing compared to seeing them live. It was amazing, and I'll never forget the experience. I also have 2 other examples of polyrhythm and polymeter from none other than the Beatles. Magical Mystery Tour's final verse ("the magical mystery tour is dying to take you away") has a Vertical Hemiola polyrhythm. Paul's vocals are quarter notes on the beat (in 3/4) while the horns play dotted quarter arpeggios to counteract the vocals. The polymeter example is in "Happiness is a Warm Gun," and it was originally an accident. During the final section of the song, John sings his verse ("When i hold you in my arms...") in 3/4, with the guitar and bass switching to 3/4 patterns, while Ringo's drum part remains in 4/4. Ringo was supposed to switch to 3/4 as well but forgot and stayed steady through his mistake. In the end it was a happy accident that made the song even more iconic.
I'll add the Rush songs "Limelight" (in 3/4) and "Freewill" (back and forth between 4/4 and 7/4, I think), and Pink Floyd's song "Money" (7/8, then 4/4). I was waiting for those, but didn't hear you mention any of them.
My favourite polymeter is the strings in the opening of Holst's Jupiter. They all start on different beats of a triplet, but it's in straight four. Genius.
My professor in music school during my last year of music theory, taught us this pass the god damn butter. It don't bother me swearing but as a drum instructor I can't (at least with some students lol) So I ended up using instead Pass The Peanut Butter
On a polymeter, the 1st accents will eventually line up after so many measures, when you reach the first common multiple of the two meters. So for 5/4 and 7/4, at the 35th beat the meters will merge again on the 1st accent of their respective measures, before going off and diverging again. It creates a cool, weaving in and out effect. I recommend looking into the Fripp-Belew-Levin-Bruford era of King Crimson to hear some examples of this.
The album Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is almost entirely in polyrhythms. The song “The Castle in the Air” is a stand out for me.
there's definitely a reason it's called "poly"gondwanaland. It's also got some amazing polymeter parts, especially crumbling castle (which is just about exclusively in polymeter).
Dude, you are phenomenal! I’ve watched about 10 of your videos now through the suggestion feed and I really love your music theory. Easy enough for beginners like me, but advanced enough to where I feel like I’m able to learn a lot and really understand it all. Definitely earned a subscriber in me!
Polymeter : “Easy Money” by King Crimson (1973). The verse has John Wetton’s vocals in 7/8 while the instruments (bass/drums mainly) keep a 4/4 beat throughout
Many great examples of polyrhythm from Chopin's piano music, including: - Three against four: Fantaisie Impromptu - Five against two: Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 3 - Two against three: Nocturne, Op. 48, No. 2 - 11 against 6: Nocturne Op 9 no 1 And the dreamiest use of polyrhythm ever... Mozart Piano concerto No 21, Elvira Madigan
Rush has plenty of songs with odd times but the one that comes to mind for me for 4:3 polyrhythms specifically is "Resist" around the 3:50 mark. The song is in 3/4 but at that point, Neil Peart switches to a 4/4 drum pattern while Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson maintain the 3/4 for the rest of the track. I've always enjoyed that.
I can't particularly remember seeing seven sharps. They usually notate the music in Db or Bb minor to avoid it, even when modulating directly from C# minor to C# major, they normally switch to Db flat instead.
Somebody convince me why it's necessary for a keyboard piece to be written in 7 sharps. Why choose that particular key, when shifting up or down a half-tone would simplify?
@@paulbadertscher The piano uses equal temperament, and it results in some tonalities getting scales and intervals without "brightness", and/or too dull. Try listening (playing live would be better) the third Impromptu, in G flat Major, by Schubert. Now play it in G Major. It changes completely; gets darker, and less interesting. I'm sure someone can give you an better answer, though.
There is a polymeter towards the end of Muse's song Animals, where the guitar and bass play in 5/4 time and the drums play in 4/4 time Also, I'm not sure if it is a polymeter, but the intro of Biffy Clyro's song Glitter And Trauma has a drum part in 4/4 and a guitar melody in something like 9/8
Killing In The Name has interesting polyrythms in the intro. While the bass is playing 8th note triplets, the guitar riff follows it for the first triplet but then continues the riff with 4 regular 8th notes. Edit: oh yeah and Murder By Numbers by The Police uses a polymeter to confuse you in a really awesome way in the intro! Also also, the instrumental pre chorus of Black Dog by Led Zeppelin features a pretty complicated polymeter with the guitar and bass playing what I think was either 7/8 or 9/8 (can't check rn) against a 4/4 drum beat.
I couldn't hear any polyrhythm in the murder by numbers intro, i think its the 3 8th note anacrusis which throws you off, plus some interesying syncopated high hat hits
@@sinklar1224 The accents on the snare rim together with the kick happen every 3 beats. It's only when the full band comes in halfway through the verse that you get the context to realise so. In the chorus it makes even more sense as you get the regular rock/pop pattern with a kick on beat 1 and 3 and a snare on 2 and 4.
The Hollow Knight soundtrack is also full of polyrhythms, like the whole section at the end of City of Tears is 4 against 3 (it might be 3 against 4, but the 3 is in the bass). Also that sweet piano bit in Hornet uses 4 against 3 for part of it.
Absolutely criminal to not feature Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard! That whole album is a masterclass on how to incorporate polyrhythm in ways that are exciting and fresh
i'm about to apply for the most prestigious music school in my country AND YOUR VIDEOS ARE HELPING ME A LOT TO REFRESH MY KNOWLEDGE IN MUSIC, so thank you!
The Knife's "A Tooth For An Eye" is 3/4 - 4/4 polyrhythmic. When I'm listening at home I concentrate on the 3/4 and it's quite mellow, but when I'm at the gym I listen to the 4/4 beats and it's great for running :D
Live recordings of The National's Fake Empire are always interesting, as you can often hear the crowd struggling to decide which rhythm they're going to clap along with
All I can think of is the 3:2 polyrhythm in Gamma Knife by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Now that’s a band that warrants a lot of music theory analysis
Hey David, I've just discovered your channel; such cool videos! After only watching 3 videos, I've already learnt a lot. Looking forward to watch more of them. Thank you and keep up the good work!
I love the wikipedia description: "During the piece the two guitars of Belew and Fripp, respectively, move through the following sequence of pairs of time signatures: 5 /8 and 5/8, 5/8 and 4/4, 5/8 and 9/8, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16, 10/8 and 20/16, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16, 12/16 and 12/16, 12/16 and 11/16, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16. Throughout the composition the drums play in 17/16."
A really cool example of Polymeter is in the track 'Knowledge' from the game FEZ; it starts with a bass line in 6, comes in with a phrase in 3, layers a phrase in 5 over both, and eventually has a melody in 13 come in over everything. Really really cool sounding!
Thank you! I am not educated in music theory and I greatly appreciate your clear descriptions. Today, specifically, you helped me understand what I've been hearing and intrigued by at the beginning of Let Down. It always gave me the feeling of being propelled forward. I felt it, and heard it, and now I better understand it.
I absolutely cannot play an instrument no matter how hard I try, but i always LOVE watching these videos!!! Just fascinating and easy to understand at any level :)
Mister Flibble's very cross! Oh my God I thought of that episode so many times during the COVID quarantine. Lol. "Oh we couldn't possibly do that... who would clean up the mess?" I actually re-watched the whole series during quarantine because I hadn't watched the more recent seasons and movie. Wow, such an amazing show. It's cool that it came back.
When you mentioned Tool, I was hoping you'd talk about the drum pattern in Eulogy. It sounds very cohesive, but it's actually a ridiculously difficult 16:3 polyrhythm, with the snare and kick playing a 4 measure long 4/4 beat, and the hi-hat playing in 3/4 with an open hat on beat 1.
@@ukkovuorela4196 The pattern has a 4:3 feel, but the 4/4 rhythm is 16 beats long. So it takes 48 beats for a full cycle, where both rhythms realign again on beat 1, meaning it's actually 16:3
There is SO much more cool and often complex rhythmical weirdness to be analysed in so much of Tool's stuff. In I think Lateralus, in a break near the end, Danny Carey plays a continuous, repeated, rhythmic ostinato of "s-s-q, q, q, q", where 's' is a semiquaver and 'q' is a quaver, in a short, quick, 5/8 pattern. He then begins filling in on top of this with a sort of groove in 5/4. What's really cool is that this is all taking place over the top of the song's current, base time signature of 6/8 (or 4/4 - I'm honestly not sure because the feel of the rhythm changes between the two continuously - a fact which adds to the rhythmic weirdness and excitement of the piece. I think at this point the piece is actually in 6/8 with a 4/4 polymeter on top), with a repeated rhythm in 6/8 in the bass of "q, q, q, q, -, -,", where '-' is a quaver rest. What's so cool about 5/4 or 5/8 over 4/4 or 6/8 is that, whereas 3:2/2:3 and 4:3/3:4 mathematically fit very neatly over the top of one another, 5:4/4:5 and 5:6/6:5 do not, and the effect of this is that the two rhythms in the polyrhythms found at this point in Lateralus do not "sync up" anywhere near as cohesively or as frequently as in all of the examples of polyrhythm found in most popular music. Here the rhythm feels characterised by the fact that the two rhythms almost never seem both to arrive back at beat 1 at the same time, as the most popular polyrhythms do, whereas in most examples of polyrhythms they are characterised by the fact that they arrive back at beat 1 together very frequently, which prevents them from sounding rhythmically disjunct (or overly complicated) and in fact causes them to take on the impression of sounding like their own, new, distinctive, cohesive rhythmical motif, which is good but also limits how complex and interesting and divergent the rhythm can be. In The Grudge there are frequent moments where there is a sort of "rhythmic acceleration" which I've basically never heard anywhere else, in which the instruments begin playing repeated crotchets all together in unison, but then the drums peel away from this unison sound and begin playing progressively smaller note sizes, the notes decreasing in length in a mathematically logical way, going down in order of size from one note size to the next. I.e. the drums go from playing continuous crotchets to playing (this may not be 100% accurate but it is something at least very similar to this) continuous quaver triplets > quavers > semiquaver triplets > semiquavers before ending this "acceleration" by cutting out with a cymbal crash. It's an incredibly cool and unique-sounding effect that I can't recall hearing anywhere else. Jesus - sorry for the essay!
When I was a little kid, my mom absolutely BLEW MY MIND by telling me Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” was… in 5/4!! I hope all of you were as lucky to have fun, musical family members growing up. 🤗
Animals by Muse use a polymeter. In some point of the song the guitar plays in 5/4 and the drums play 4/4, in result to meet again after 2 bars of 5/4.
I once got a vertical hemiola when I tried to move my gear rack without taking the gear out first. The last time I was this early it wasn't utterly embarrassing to post about the last time you were this early.
The song animals by muse at the end has a 4:5 polymeter between the drums and the strings at the end, and during the solo in the drums has a 3:5 polyrhythm between the crash and the bass and snare
Thank you for making polyrhythms understandable to a musical novice like me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it 🙏 Not just this video, but many others you have produced. I think we underestimate the work that goes it into it :)
The polyrhythmic stuff actually seems very normal to me. It's only when I listen to the explanation of it that it sounds confusing. I think performers probably don't think too much of the theory or if they do they must have developed good rhythm and timing, much better than the average person.
The "When I hold you in my arms..." part of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is really weird, because the drums seem to continue the 4/4 meter from the bars before, while the vocals (and the rest of the band) shift to 12/8.
«Nearer My God to Thee” is also a good example. When one’s new to polyrhythms and co, the music sounds pretty confusing indeed! But it has its own beauty that can’t be appreciated by everybody’s ear. Thanks a lot for the interesting video!
Or any progressive metal song, these are not real polyrithms, those are different distribution of notes, the polyrithms is something different, and you can analize them in anh Meshuggah song or any progressive rock/prog metal songs
No - If Meshugah's music was poly metric then it wouldn't sound like it does. They stopped using poly meters after Destroy Erase Improve. Most of their music after Chaosphere is in 4/4 or 12/8. They deliberately stretch the riffs across the bar lines in a way that sounds like multiple meters, but it's all in 4/4, hence the bands name - Meshugah, meaning crazy. "Cycles" of phrases in 4/4 time.
I would love it if you made a Deftones music analysis video! You explain everything so well and when you show it on the piano it helps me get it. Thanks!
I like the very ambitious polyrhythm in 11 over 8 in Avicii’s cover of Anthony and the Johnsons’ “Hope There’s Someone”, for example from 1:17. Few people noticed it, but I believe it is brilliant!
I think the nine inch nails song "La Mer" uses a polymeter. The acoustic bass line that starts the song is in 3/4, then the drums come in doing 4/4 but the bass line keeps going. Could be wrong, I have very scant classical training
As soon as I saw the title for this vid, I was hoping to see you shout out The National! So cool, they're my favorite band and such talented musicians. Great video!
If have never heard Perpetual Change by Yes go listen. The bridge is one of the best poly meters I have ever heard. Somehow, Bruford plays the accents for both meters at the same time.
Some examples of polyrhythm and polymeter come from the musical "Wicked". Polymeter is shown in Defying Gravity (ua-cam.com/video/Yf9Bt5WFZKs/v-deo.html), where during the main melody section (1:53, 2:36, etc.), you can hear the high voices (Piano, Piccolo at the ending statement) doing 3 eighth notes grouped. Polyrhythm, is shown during For Good (ua-cam.com/video/MuWZAVujrGs/v-deo.html), where Glenda and Elphaba trade off singing (3:50). During this time, they alternate between the 4/4 time being kept by the bass and piano (although with upbeats), and singing triplets as well.
My favorite metal polyrhythm is Killswitch Engage's World Ablaze. At 3:38 of the song, the drummer is doing 3 beats on crash over four beats with the kick drum which leads into an intrumental section with guitars doing a similar polyrhythm
As always, great video! Honestly, I didn't even know that Polyrhythms and Polymeter were different concepts. About songs that feature them though, I am pretty sure that King Crimson has used them extensively. In particular, you should check the songs Discipline and The Construktion Of Light.
My favourite use of polymeters comes from "The Last Lost Continent" by La Dispute. In the middle section one guitar plays a straight 4/4 part while the vocals chant in 7/4 along with the drums and bass (or 14/4, its a long repeating line) and the second guitar comes in in 7/8 underneath, so there's 3 different time signatures going at once.
An interesting example of polymeter is the last part of "What Happens Now?" by Porcupine Tree (5:00). The drums plays in 7/8 and the guitar in 3/4, but that part starts with a 5/8 sample... Thanks for your content. Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱
Hi David! Listen to "Sound of Muzak" by Porcupine Tree! The drummer Gavin Harrison plays a 7/16 on the bass and the snare drum and a 4/4 on the hi-hat during the verse, changing to 4/4 in the chorus. Great drumming in polythythmic style!!!!
One of my favourite polymetric pieces is The Mirror by Dream Theater. The way they slide between triplet and straight all over the main riff, and slide in those extra eighth notes to move the 'one' is nifty.
Many King Crimson songs use either poly rhythm or poly meter. I believe Captain Beefheart uses another, even more complex technique-multiple rhythms and multiple tempos simultaneously.
4 роки тому
I may be a bit late to the party, but HELL! You've explained it in a way I could finally see the difference. I mean, instinctively I knew how to use both things. But I couldn't explain to someone the difference. When you said: "A polyrhythm is resolved in just one bar and a polymeter takes some bars to resolve", I was simply blown away! Thanks for the awesome content!
Polyrhythm is one of favourite music writing tricks, I use it all the time to give my songs an added layer and sway to it. Sometimes its really fun to mess around with the dynamics on one of the rhythms so sometimes it’s more clear there’s a polyrhythm than other times. It just creates such an amazing sound, ever since I heard pierre from Great Comet of 1812’s score I fell in love with polyrhythms.
I don't think I've ever seen "David Bennett Piano" actually play piano
😉
Are you here to watch him play piano?
@@theivory1 nah we got 1000000 piano players on youtube but only 1 david bennett
David Bennett Piano 5M sub piano reveal?
@@frmcf lmao
bruh that snarky puppy teaching the room 4:3 was the ballsiest move I've ever seen
My favorite band that uses polymeter regularly is no other than Meshuggah. Polymeter is used all over their music. But my favorite example is in their song “Do Not Look Down,” where in the verse, the guitar and bass is in 17/16, while the drums are in 4/4. It also switches later, where the guitar and bass switch to 15/16. It all creates this insane cyclical groove that is very unique.
The intro of Frame by Frame by King Crimson has one guitar playing 8 notes on repeat, the other guitar which starts at the same time plays the same thing but skips the last note, playing only 7 notes in a 7:8 time signature. So the first note of the 8:4 guitar is now on the second note of the 7:8 guitar, next time it will be on the 3rd note and 4th and 5th untill they meet up again at the first note. That's when they change to the next part of the song. Very nice use of polymeters here.
Discipline is also entirely written in Polymeter! Each section of the song takes on a new pairing, creating unique and complex melodies interwoven with each other. I saw a whole list of meter used, and it's honestly too much to summarize in a single comment, amazing what those boys could get up to
Wow that's amazing! Since you are great detecting that complex arrangements, I have a question that I need to ask. What is it called if the drums play 4/4 just like the drums in Blitzkrieg Bop by Ramones, but the percussion play a little bit swing, like Still Standing by Elton John. I'm sure it sounds clashing but I like it, my band have that one song that play like that. I wanna know what it's called 😆
Discipline would've been the best example for polymeters but it wasn't on this list.
Black Dog by Led Zeppelin is probably one of the most legendary examples of polymeter. It still does my head in from time to time.
Plus the abrupt time signature changes! Amazing.
Long Distance Runaround by Yes deserves a mention. The band plays 4/4 while drums play 5/8. Really cool
King Crimson's Frame By Frame has two guitar parts playing 7/8 and 13/8 respectively. Also, their song Thela Hun Ginjeet has the rhythm section playing in 4/4 and the guitars playing in 7/8
Both polyrhythms and polymeters scratch my brain in a good way, I've always loved playing them
Ive got scars on my brain
They can be really complicated to get to sound right, but it's AMAZING when a plan fits together 😎
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I was at that Snarky Puppy Tiny Desk Concert and all I can say is that there is nothing compared to seeing them live. It was amazing, and I'll never forget the experience. I also have 2 other examples of polyrhythm and polymeter from none other than the Beatles. Magical Mystery Tour's final verse ("the magical mystery tour is dying to take you away") has a Vertical Hemiola polyrhythm. Paul's vocals are quarter notes on the beat (in 3/4) while the horns play dotted quarter arpeggios to counteract the vocals. The polymeter example is in "Happiness is a Warm Gun," and it was originally an accident. During the final section of the song, John sings his verse ("When i hold you in my arms...") in 3/4, with the guitar and bass switching to 3/4 patterns, while Ringo's drum part remains in 4/4. Ringo was supposed to switch to 3/4 as well but forgot and stayed steady through his mistake. In the end it was a happy accident that made the song even more iconic.
Wow that stuff about the Beatles was really interesting
People should really check out Snarky Puppy. Their 2012 video album "We like it here" is some of the best music I've heard in ages.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody with the "So you think you can stone me and spin my eye" part
great suggestion! I can't believe I missed that one!
March of the Black Queen, too. That's in the instrumental part in the middle of the song - around 3 minutes in
I'll add the Rush songs "Limelight" (in 3/4) and "Freewill" (back and forth between 4/4 and 7/4, I think), and Pink Floyd's song "Money" (7/8, then 4/4). I was waiting for those, but didn't hear you mention any of them.
@@philipclayberg4928 that's changing time signatures, not the same as a polyrhythm/polymeter. Besides, the main money bass riff is in 7/4, not 7/8.
Philip Clayberg Changing time signatures isn’t the same as a polyrhythm or polymeter
My favourite polymeter is the strings in the opening of Holst's Jupiter. They all start on different beats of a triplet, but it's in straight four. Genius.
Also Chopin's fantasie impromptu! A crazy 4:3
because of adam neely 4:3 only makes me hear "pass the god damn butter"
Thanks to Jake Lizzio I hear 3:2 as "not difficult".
Same!
I learned it as "pass the salt and pepper" years ago and have never been able to shake it whenever I hear it
My professor in music school during my last year of music theory, taught us this pass the god damn butter. It don't bother me swearing but as a drum instructor I can't (at least with some students lol)
So I ended up using instead
Pass The Peanut Butter
I don't know how old "pass the god damn butter" is, but I learned it at UC Berkeley in 1970.
10:56 I was about to comment that let down should've been in the video but here it is! Thank goodness!
So, basically, poly*rhythm* is when the "1" accents line up, but the notes don't, poly*meter* is when the notes line up, but the "1" accents don't...
Graham Douglas that’s a pretty good way to describe it 😀
Ooooh
But both don't have to start on the first beat of the measure so it's a good way to think of it but not to apply or teach as it could become confusing
@@xdude2011 Indeed. I was merely trying to provide an aide-memoire to remember which was which, not construct an entire thesis.
On a polymeter, the 1st accents will eventually line up after so many measures, when you reach the first common multiple of the two meters. So for 5/4 and 7/4, at the 35th beat the meters will merge again on the 1st accent of their respective measures, before going off and diverging again. It creates a cool, weaving in and out effect. I recommend looking into the Fripp-Belew-Levin-Bruford era of King Crimson to hear some examples of this.
The album Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard is almost entirely in polyrhythms. The song “The Castle in the Air” is a stand out for me.
Always the first thing that comes to mind when polyrhythms come up
there's definitely a reason it's called "poly"gondwanaland. It's also got some amazing polymeter parts, especially crumbling castle (which is just about exclusively in polymeter).
Crumbling Castle's intro is just amazing imo
And I'm surprised they can play The Fourth Colour live lol
4:3 straight up sounds like a grammarly advert
IF WRITE ANYTHING ON YOUR COMPUTER YOU NEED TO GET GRA-
lmaaooo
Pass the goddamn butter.
4:30
@4 S C E N D E D For real though
Dude, you are phenomenal! I’ve watched about 10 of your videos now through the suggestion feed and I really love your music theory. Easy enough for beginners like me, but advanced enough to where I feel like I’m able to learn a lot and really understand it all. Definitely earned a subscriber in me!
Thanks! That really means a lot 😊
@@DavidBennettPiano Dream Theater - Dance of Eternity ? Would be massive on this channel ...
Whenever I hear Chariots of fire now, I always think of Rowan Atkinson on the synth at the Olympics 😂
Same. It's quite funny to me that that is actually the only moment I remember from all of the 2012 Olympics
@@TheDutchCreeperTDC the Queen jumping out of a helicopter with James Bond?
Hahaha same! Rowan Atkinson rules!
Going to search for that clip now :D
Definitely rewatched it a few times back then
Polymeter : “Easy Money” by King Crimson (1973). The verse has John Wetton’s vocals in 7/8 while the instruments (bass/drums mainly) keep a 4/4 beat throughout
Many great examples of polyrhythm from Chopin's piano music, including:
- Three against four: Fantaisie Impromptu
- Five against two: Nocturne, Op. 15, No. 3
- Two against three: Nocturne, Op. 48, No. 2
- 11 against 6: Nocturne Op 9 no 1
And the dreamiest use of polyrhythm ever... Mozart Piano concerto No 21, Elvira Madigan
And with Chopin at the end of the Ballade No.1 ?
Rush has plenty of songs with odd times but the one that comes to mind for me for 4:3 polyrhythms specifically is "Resist" around the 3:50 mark. The song is in 3/4 but at that point, Neil Peart switches to a 4/4 drum pattern while Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson maintain the 3/4 for the rest of the track. I've always enjoyed that.
Vital signs
Seven sharps in a key signature always makes my stomach do flips.
I can't particularly remember seeing seven sharps. They usually notate the music in Db or Bb minor to avoid it, even when modulating directly from C# minor to C# major, they normally switch to Db flat instead.
Yeah, as a violinist, once I see more than five I'm terrified!
@@mvmarchiori I just assume every note is sharp lmao
Somebody convince me why it's necessary for a keyboard piece to be written in 7 sharps. Why choose that particular key, when shifting up or down a half-tone would simplify?
@@paulbadertscher
The piano uses equal temperament, and it results in some tonalities getting scales and intervals without "brightness", and/or too dull.
Try listening (playing live would be better) the third Impromptu, in G flat Major, by Schubert. Now play it in G Major. It changes completely; gets darker, and less interesting.
I'm sure someone can give you an better answer, though.
There is a polymeter towards the end of Muse's song Animals, where the guitar and bass play in 5/4 time and the drums play in 4/4 time
Also, I'm not sure if it is a polymeter, but the intro of Biffy Clyro's song Glitter And Trauma has a drum part in 4/4 and a guitar melody in something like 9/8
and "supremacy" by Muse
I got here a year later. Just watched this vid for the first time and my first thought was Animals, by Muse
Killing In The Name has interesting polyrythms in the intro. While the bass is playing 8th note triplets, the guitar riff follows it for the first triplet but then continues the riff with 4 regular 8th notes.
Edit: oh yeah and Murder By Numbers by The Police uses a polymeter to confuse you in a really awesome way in the intro!
Also also, the instrumental pre chorus of Black Dog by Led Zeppelin features a pretty complicated polymeter with the guitar and bass playing what I think was either 7/8 or 9/8 (can't check rn) against a 4/4 drum beat.
That 4/4 drum beat is known as a backbeat. Pretty common in progressive metal and djent.
I couldn't hear any polyrhythm in the murder by numbers intro, i think its the 3 8th note anacrusis which throws you off, plus some interesying syncopated high hat hits
@@sinklar1224 The accents on the snare rim together with the kick happen every 3 beats. It's only when the full band comes in halfway through the verse that you get the context to realise so. In the chorus it makes even more sense as you get the regular rock/pop pattern with a kick on beat 1 and 3 and a snare on 2 and 4.
"Killing In The Name" uses quarter note triplets, not eighth note triplets.
The Hollow Knight soundtrack is also full of polyrhythms, like the whole section at the end of City of Tears is 4 against 3 (it might be 3 against 4, but the 3 is in the bass). Also that sweet piano bit in Hornet uses 4 against 3 for part of it.
Absolutely criminal to not feature Polygondwanaland by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard! That whole album is a masterclass on how to incorporate polyrhythm in ways that are exciting and fresh
Easy Money by King Crimson has vocals on 7/4 and the rest in 4/4 during the verse, I love it!
I always liked this kind of music, but never realized it was polyrhythm. Thank you!
i'm about to apply for the most prestigious music school in my country AND YOUR VIDEOS ARE HELPING ME A LOT TO REFRESH MY KNOWLEDGE IN MUSIC, so thank you!
You can’t make a David Bennett video without an example by Radiohead :)
I love that
or if not Radiohead then the Beatles
True.
The Mirror by Dream Theater, starts with John Petrucci playing a guitar riff that gets 4 (!) consecutive polymeters by Mike Portnoy on drums.
The Knife's "A Tooth For An Eye" is 3/4 - 4/4 polyrhythmic. When I'm listening at home I concentrate on the 3/4 and it's quite mellow, but when I'm at the gym I listen to the 4/4 beats and it's great for running :D
Live recordings of The National's Fake Empire are always interesting, as you can often hear the crowd struggling to decide which rhythm they're going to clap along with
All I can think of is the 3:2 polyrhythm in Gamma Knife by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Now that’s a band that warrants a lot of music theory analysis
So much 7/4.
If I had the time, that band would be my PhD thesis.
Anything in polygondwanaland would be great in this video. Just to make people lose all hope
@@athomeinventions7266 I hate to use the word genius because it can be a cliche, but I think that's a very appropriate word for those guys.
literally all of nonagon infinity lol
Hey David, I've just discovered your channel; such cool videos! After only watching 3 videos, I've already learnt a lot. Looking forward to watch more of them. Thank you and keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! 🙂🙂
'Discipline' by King Crimson has a lot of polymeters, you should check it out !
And for "Discipline" substitute almost any recently-ish Crimson title...
Frame by Frame, on that same album too!
I love the wikipedia description: "During the piece the two guitars of Belew and Fripp, respectively, move through the following sequence of pairs of time signatures: 5
/8 and 5/8, 5/8 and 4/4, 5/8 and 9/8, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16, 10/8 and 20/16, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16, 12/16 and 12/16, 12/16 and 11/16, 15/16 and 15/16, 15/16 and 14/16. Throughout the composition the drums play in 17/16."
no mention of discipline really shocked me
you guys had me intrigued, so I did a search for the track. Now I'm getting all sorts of weird shit in my recommends!
This channel is gold
Thank you!
You will always get me with Thom on the thumbnail
Thom Ol' Reliable Yorke
**HIM**
@@DavidBennettPiano wha-
A really cool example of Polymeter is in the track 'Knowledge' from the game FEZ; it starts with a bass line in 6, comes in with a phrase in 3, layers a phrase in 5 over both, and eventually has a melody in 13 come in over everything. Really really cool sounding!
Thank you! I am not educated in music theory and I greatly appreciate your clear descriptions. Today, specifically, you helped me understand what I've been hearing and intrigued by at the beginning of Let Down. It always gave me the feeling of being propelled forward. I felt it, and heard it, and now I better understand it.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Thank you
I absolutely cannot play an instrument no matter how hard I try, but i always LOVE watching these videos!!! Just fascinating and easy to understand at any level :)
Another fascinating video on the more outre aspects of music, even if I still have trouble wrapping my head around most of it
Thank you Red Dwarf!
Mister Flibble's very cross! Oh my God I thought of that episode so many times during the COVID quarantine. Lol. "Oh we couldn't possibly do that... who would clean up the mess?" I actually re-watched the whole series during quarantine because I hadn't watched the more recent seasons and movie. Wow, such an amazing show. It's cool that it came back.
@@DavidBennettPiano I love that show!
This is easily one of the most informative music channels I’ve stumbled upon.
Thank you! 😀😃😃
When you mentioned Tool, I was hoping you'd talk about the drum pattern in Eulogy. It sounds very cohesive, but it's actually a ridiculously difficult 16:3 polyrhythm, with the snare and kick playing a 4 measure long 4/4 beat, and the hi-hat playing in 3/4 with an open hat on beat 1.
So basically 4:3
@@ukkovuorela4196 The pattern has a 4:3 feel, but the 4/4 rhythm is 16 beats long. So it takes 48 beats for a full cycle, where both rhythms realign again on beat 1, meaning it's actually 16:3
There is SO much more cool and often complex rhythmical weirdness to be analysed in so much of Tool's stuff. In I think Lateralus, in a break near the end, Danny Carey plays a continuous, repeated, rhythmic ostinato of "s-s-q, q, q, q", where 's' is a semiquaver and 'q' is a quaver, in a short, quick, 5/8 pattern. He then begins filling in on top of this with a sort of groove in 5/4. What's really cool is that this is all taking place over the top of the song's current, base time signature of 6/8 (or 4/4 - I'm honestly not sure because the feel of the rhythm changes between the two continuously - a fact which adds to the rhythmic weirdness and excitement of the piece. I think at this point the piece is actually in 6/8 with a 4/4 polymeter on top), with a repeated rhythm in 6/8 in the bass of "q, q, q, q, -, -,", where '-' is a quaver rest. What's so cool about 5/4 or 5/8 over 4/4 or 6/8 is that, whereas 3:2/2:3 and 4:3/3:4 mathematically fit very neatly over the top of one another, 5:4/4:5 and 5:6/6:5 do not, and the effect of this is that the two rhythms in the polyrhythms found at this point in Lateralus do not "sync up" anywhere near as cohesively or as frequently as in all of the examples of polyrhythm found in most popular music. Here the rhythm feels characterised by the fact that the two rhythms almost never seem both to arrive back at beat 1 at the same time, as the most popular polyrhythms do, whereas in most examples of polyrhythms they are characterised by the fact that they arrive back at beat 1 together very frequently, which prevents them from sounding rhythmically disjunct (or overly complicated) and in fact causes them to take on the impression of sounding like their own, new, distinctive, cohesive rhythmical motif, which is good but also limits how complex and interesting and divergent the rhythm can be.
In The Grudge there are frequent moments where there is a sort of "rhythmic acceleration" which I've basically never heard anywhere else, in which the instruments begin playing repeated crotchets all together in unison, but then the drums peel away from this unison sound and begin playing progressively smaller note sizes, the notes decreasing in length in a mathematically logical way, going down in order of size from one note size to the next. I.e. the drums go from playing continuous crotchets to playing (this may not be 100% accurate but it is something at least very similar to this) continuous quaver triplets > quavers > semiquaver triplets > semiquavers before ending this "acceleration" by cutting out with a cymbal crash. It's an incredibly cool and unique-sounding effect that I can't recall hearing anywhere else.
Jesus - sorry for the essay!
There are a few excellent drum videos on UA-cam that break that section down.
It's also somehow really groovy despite being that complex.
When I was a little kid, my mom absolutely BLEW MY MIND by telling me Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” was… in 5/4!!
I hope all of you were as lucky to have fun, musical family members growing up. 🤗
My grandpa and uncle played music, but my dad says that he can only play the radio, and not even that well.
😂
Glad to hear you talk about Tool now :)
@Natalie Kirk that just means he’s got good taste
Animals by Muse use a polymeter. In some point of the song the guitar plays in 5/4 and the drums play 4/4, in result to meet again after 2 bars of 5/4.
I once got a vertical hemiola when I tried to move my gear rack without taking the gear out first. The last time I was this early it wasn't utterly embarrassing to post about the last time you were this early.
I laughed
hAHAHAHAH
The "mother superior jumped the gun" part in Happiness is a Warm Gun has a hemiola in the first measure of the phrase
I love the examples you found! Some of them I’ve heard many times and never realized they used polyrhythms. Thanks David!
David Dieffenderfer thanks David! I’m glad you enjoyed the video! 😊😊
I've been fascinated by this for a long time. Thank you for the in-depth analysis.
hoping to get into musicology master this year - gonna watch this whole channel
Snoopy à la Guerre fantastic!
The song animals by muse at the end has a 4:5 polymeter between the drums and the strings at the end, and during the solo in the drums has a 3:5 polyrhythm between the crash and the bass and snare
Philip Glass' Mad Rush is one of my favorite 3:2 polyrhythms.
And the metamorphosis are pretty as well. But I love playing mad rush so much.
Thank you for making polyrhythms understandable to a musical novice like me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it 🙏 Not just this video, but many others you have produced. I think we underestimate the work that goes it into it :)
Great video. Massive admiration to the artists who can play such music live, it must frazzle the mind having 2 rhythms going on at the same time!
The polyrhythmic stuff actually seems very normal to me. It's only when I listen to the explanation of it that it sounds confusing. I think performers probably don't think too much of the theory or if they do they must have developed good rhythm and timing, much better than the average person.
Another great video, David, and thanks for highlighting a further example of my musical inadequacy. Keep up the good work.
🙂🙂 thank you!
The "When I hold you in my arms..." part of "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" is really weird, because the drums seem to continue the 4/4 meter from the bars before, while the vocals (and the rest of the band) shift to 12/8.
I think of it as lyrics deciding to solo lol
that part always hits real hard, the offset time makes it really fun to listen to
I think Ringo may have just recorded the drum track in 4/4 and the rest of the band changed the time signature over the 4/4 beat
«Nearer My God to Thee” is also a good example. When one’s new to polyrhythms and co, the music sounds pretty confusing indeed! But it has its own beauty that can’t be appreciated by everybody’s ear.
Thanks a lot for the interesting video!
Examples of Polymeter: Every song ever by Meshuggah
I don't think he ever heard about them
Do you mean the djent grandfathers?
Or any progressive metal song, these are not real polyrithms, those are different distribution of notes, the polyrithms is something different, and you can analize them in anh Meshuggah song or any progressive rock/prog metal songs
@@nbecerra17 Yeah, thats why OP said polymeter and not polyrhythm.
No - If Meshugah's music was poly metric then it wouldn't sound like it does. They stopped using poly meters after Destroy Erase Improve. Most of their music after Chaosphere is in 4/4 or 12/8. They deliberately stretch the riffs across the bar lines in a way that sounds like multiple meters, but it's all in 4/4, hence the bands name - Meshugah, meaning crazy. "Cycles" of phrases in 4/4 time.
I would love it if you made a Deftones music analysis video! You explain everything so well and when you show it on the piano it helps me get it. Thanks!
Love your videos. You're a very good teacher. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! 😊
I like the very ambitious polyrhythm in 11 over 8 in Avicii’s cover of Anthony and the Johnsons’ “Hope There’s Someone”, for example from 1:17. Few people noticed it, but I believe it is brilliant!
the king crimson album Discipline is full of polyrhytms and polymeters
Fripp called it "Western Gamelan" after the marimba music of Bali.
@@jcf1963 nice, learned something new. Going to check out that music.
Cool video david
Thank you Maya!
2:50 sounds like a cell phone alarms have 😆
First thing I thought, but I'd argue it's more because of the sound of the instrument than the rhythm itself.
13:41 That was a very British way of saying “toot”
The Shaggs have some of the most complicated polyrhythms ever. Shame they weren't intentional.
frogindeed pretty sure they meant to create their music that way.
@ In either case, I defy our friend David Bennet to analyse any of it.
what song? don't tell me it's my fucking dog foot foot.
listen to Palberta!
very good example, I wonder if they ever played a song the same way more than once?
"More progressive types of music... like classical"
its true
Apparently you misunderstand the term "progressive"
Kin3tic 0n3 who
@@dolan5685 not you, other guy lol
I think the nine inch nails song "La Mer" uses a polymeter. The acoustic bass line that starts the song is in 3/4, then the drums come in doing 4/4 but the bass line keeps going. Could be wrong, I have very scant classical training
As soon as I saw the title for this vid, I was hoping to see you shout out The National! So cool, they're my favorite band and such talented musicians. Great video!
Thanks 😊
If have never heard Perpetual Change by Yes go listen. The bridge is one of the best poly meters I have ever heard. Somehow, Bruford plays the accents for both meters at the same time.
I have no idea about majors, minors, rhythm, meter, notes etc. But I binge watched your videos for two days now. 😅
Great video. Clear, and nicely illustrated presentation of polyrhythms-- bravo!
best bit of "Light my Fire" (until he stops the triplets). Such an epic part of the 5 minute organ/guitar solo!
polyrhythms aka "inspirational background music for youtube videos royalty free"
Maestro Bennett, this video was fantastic, thank you
1:42 I saw them live and he tried it and the audience messed it up so bad
Thank you so much brother! Noone has ever explained polyrhythms so well for me..way to put it into context ! Lovin the music knowledge your dropping
Everyone: Let's do a 4:3 polyrythm!
Jacob Collier: wHaT bOuT 21:22 pOlYrYtHm?
Some examples of polyrhythm and polymeter come from the musical "Wicked". Polymeter is shown in Defying Gravity (ua-cam.com/video/Yf9Bt5WFZKs/v-deo.html), where during the main melody section (1:53, 2:36, etc.), you can hear the high voices (Piano, Piccolo at the ending statement) doing 3 eighth notes grouped. Polyrhythm, is shown during For Good (ua-cam.com/video/MuWZAVujrGs/v-deo.html), where Glenda and Elphaba trade off singing (3:50). During this time, they alternate between the 4/4 time being kept by the bass and piano (although with upbeats), and singing triplets as well.
"Polyrhythm" by Perfume has... well, polyrhythms
Aren't those polymeters?
Ironically, the label didn't like the polyrhythms in Polyrhythm and made a radio edit that excludes them.
My favorite metal polyrhythm is Killswitch Engage's World Ablaze. At 3:38 of the song, the drummer is doing 3 beats on crash over four beats with the kick drum which leads into an intrumental section with guitars doing a similar polyrhythm
As always, great video! Honestly, I didn't even know that Polyrhythms and Polymeter were different concepts. About songs that feature them though, I am pretty sure that King Crimson has used them extensively. In particular, you should check the songs Discipline and The Construktion Of Light.
Abelardo Elizondo 🙂🙂🙂🙂
My favourite use of polymeters comes from "The Last Lost Continent" by La Dispute. In the middle section one guitar plays a straight 4/4 part while the vocals chant in 7/4 along with the drums and bass (or 14/4, its a long repeating line) and the second guitar comes in in 7/8 underneath, so there's 3 different time signatures going at once.
"Little Secrets" by Passion Pit has some insane polyrhythms going on in it, I've always wanted to see that broken down by someone smarter than myself.
An interesting example of polymeter is the last part of "What Happens Now?" by Porcupine Tree (5:00). The drums plays in 7/8 and the guitar in 3/4, but that part starts with a 5/8 sample... Thanks for your content. Greetings from Chile 🇨🇱
Hi David! Listen to "Sound of Muzak" by Porcupine Tree! The drummer Gavin Harrison plays a 7/16 on the bass and the snare drum and a 4/4 on the hi-hat during the verse, changing to 4/4 in the chorus. Great drumming in polythythmic style!!!!
Clicked on this video on the whim. Didn’t know you were gonna open with one of my favorite songs. Bravo
Interesting enough, I though that polyrhythm and polymeter where the same. I have used both a lot, thanks for making it easier to understad.
Common misconception! 😊 thanks for watching!
One of my favourite polymetric pieces is The Mirror by Dream Theater. The way they slide between triplet and straight all over the main riff, and slide in those extra eighth notes to move the 'one' is nifty.
A great example of polyrhythm: the second verse of "I'm Not Down" by The Clash (starting from 0:56).
So happy you picked Fake Empire for the 4/3 polyrhythm example, it's my go-to song to explain the concept
Many King Crimson songs use either poly rhythm or poly meter.
I believe Captain Beefheart uses another, even more complex technique-multiple rhythms and multiple tempos simultaneously.
I may be a bit late to the party, but HELL! You've explained it in a way I could finally see the difference.
I mean, instinctively I knew how to use both things. But I couldn't explain to someone the difference.
When you said: "A polyrhythm is resolved in just one bar and a polymeter takes some bars to resolve", I was simply blown away!
Thanks for the awesome content!
The doo-doo-doo-doos of 'Hungry Like The Wolf'
Polyrhythm is one of favourite music writing tricks, I use it all the time to give my songs an added layer and sway to it. Sometimes its really fun to mess around with the dynamics on one of the rhythms so sometimes it’s more clear there’s a polyrhythm than other times. It just creates such an amazing sound, ever since I heard pierre from Great Comet of 1812’s score I fell in love with polyrhythms.
This was really helpful. Meshuggah use them in like pretty much every song.
Man... I haven't seen better clear explanation of this subject like this and believe me, I saw a lot of stuff. I will follow you, man. Thank you!