resource for learning new rhythms

[analogman1]

Hey Folks,

Could anyone suggest resources for learning more involved rhythms than the simple rock and pop things that we hear dominating the radio? In particular I'd like to get a better grasp on afro/cuban rhythms, as well as contemporary classical rhythms.

Does it necessitate studying drums? Or are there online resources or maybe books available?

Thanks in advance!

Tom

[analogman1]

I should add that I'd really like to improve my drum programming skills. I'm not looking to become an actual drummer - I'd just like to be able to come up with some interesting rhythms and grooves to serve as an inspiration for tunes.

 

[Bobadohshe]

BAM:

 

The Salsa Guidebook By Rebecca Mauleon

[marino]

Some different perspectives:

 

http://raag-hindustani.com/Rhythm.html

http://www.ancient-future.com/arab.html

http://www.dolphin.upenn.edu/afrhythm/media.html

http://www.amazon.com/African-Rhythms-Drumset-Royal-Hartigan/dp/0897247329

http://www.gtantchev.com/Text1

 

 

[analogman1]

Thanks everyone! LOTS to check out.

[hurricane hugo]

I have no idea how hard it is to navigate the Guitar Player archives, but Frank Zappa had a great column in the early '80s called "Non-Foods." He delved into lots of polyrhythm talk; my fave bit was his tip in counting odd meters: divide it down into groups of 2s and 3s. For example, when counting in 7/4 time, count it as 1-2, 1-2, 1-2-3 instead of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7.

 

He had lots of other things to say on the matter, but that's a piece of advice that anyone can put to almost immediate use. believe me, it works.

 

One other bit of advice, this one directly from me: if you're really interested in afro-Cuban rhythms, take dancing lessons, too.

[J. Dan]

Lol, I can see where that would work pretty well. I remember back in the early 90's covering Subdivisions by Rush. On the 7/8 portions, I remember tapping my foot in 4 and alternating the accents on downbeat/upbeat. In fact, I think with the sequencer I was using at the time, it was easier to alternate 3/4 and 4/4 each measure than to do 7/8 and switch later to 4/4 and 6/4.

[hurricane hugo]

Dude, it works like a charm.

 

I have a song with a single bar of 9/8 in the chorus, and counting it as 1-2-3, 2-2-3, 3-2-3 made it almost easy the very first time I played it. By the 3rd time, I could just feel it instead of counting it. One less thing to think about!

[J. Dan]

Then there are those I can't play if I count. We do Supertramp "Goodbye Stranger". After the last chorus, if I recall (since I don't actually count it) it does a measure of 3, several measures of 4, then another measure of 3 before going to the outtro with the guitar solo. It took us a while to nail the timing, and eventually, I think everybody ended up counting it different. I don't really count it at all except the second measure of 3. I know where it is, and I say 1 2 3 in my head as sort of a count-in to the outtro. Other than that, I don't count any of it.

[hurricane hugo]

I went and listened to that song; hadn't heard it in a long time. I counted that last bar before the guitar solo outro as a bar of 6/4, so I can see how everyone might've come up with a different count. If the job gets done, though, it's all good.

[analogman1]

If you check the time signature notation used by Bela Bartok (for example, in the Mikrokosmos) he'd use something like 3+3+3/8 to represent 9/8 time, indicating that he wanted the groups of notes stressed 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3.

[analogman1]

or perhaps 2+2+3/8 for 7/8 time. So the stresses on the beats would be 1-2, 1-2,

1-2-3

[MAJUSCULE]

Thanks for all those links Marino. Very cool stuff. Particularly enjoyed the taals.

 

I saw a scandinavian folk duo a couple years ago at the folk fest here, can't remember their name. They were talking about odd-metre rhythms and how they were a part of folk music for them, so they didn't really have to think about it, but they had a way of teaching them which they found stuck pretty well:

 

7: Now-I-would-like-a-whis-key/Now-I-would-like-a-whis-key

9: Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-whis-key/Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-whis-key

10: Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-whis-key-sour/Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-whis-key-sour

11: Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-dou-ble-whis-key/Now-I-would-like-a-no-ther-dou-ble-whis-key

 

And so on and so forth.