4 over 7 Polyrhythm

Stevesmithfan said:
Hmm. I just checked it against the click, and it sounds fine. Thanks for your input.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that keeping the tempo constant is the most important factor to determine whether someone is playing tight or not. I don't know what I was talking about. Oh wait...


Fox.
 
Something about it sounds off to me as well. I think maybe you need to loosen up or something.

are you playing your polyrhythm like...

ONE two three four FIVE six seven one TWO three four five SIX seven... etc?

Or are you playing it like

ONE + two + THREE + four + FIVE + six + SEVEN + one + TWO + three + FOUR + five + SIX + seven +

???

I'm having a hard time hearing the polyrhythm in this case. Sorry dude!
 
The tom accents are 4, I'm playing the 7 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7) with my bass drum. It's a very awkward beat for sure. I learned it a few days ago, maybe I should make it sound smoother with another video.
Thanks for your input.
 
Last edited:
Nope, that's the real deal. He's playing a true 4 over 7 polyrhythm.

The "fours" are a repeating triplet pattern. Count it, it works.

I'm not sure how I'd write it.
 
It's basic polymetric dude...your hands play 16ths notes with accents every 7 beats (RlrlrllRlrlrllR etc...)
And your bass drum play quarter note. And yeah practice at slow tempo because you're a bit sloppy on it.

7 over 4 is a polyrhythm! (check out the book written by Pete Magadini on polyrhythm).
 
I think you're on a good way. What makes it sound a bit sloppy I suppose are some bass drum
hits and snare ghost notes that are a bit off.
You even start with a flam between your highest tom and the BD, which doesn't really help
the impression :).

Also - Fox's post translated in normal nice human being conversation: Use your ears instead
of a click or something to determine whether something sounds right or not! Something
may sound ok with the click, but in the end it's just your drums that convey the music, not
the click.
 
Swiss Matthias said:
I think you're on a good way. What makes it sound a bit sloppy I suppose are some bass drum
hits and snare ghost notes that are a bit off.
You even start with a flam between your highest tom and the BD, which doesn't really help
the impression :).

Also - Fox's post translated in normal nice human being conversation: Use your ears instead
of a click or something to determine whether something sounds right or not! Something
may sound ok with the click, but in the end it's just your drums that convey the music, not
the click.
Click to expand...
Good advice & well communicated.
 
Don't take too much criticism to heart, I've found a lot of people who have no idea what 'constructive criticism' or 'politeness' are :p

Sounds good - just polish it up, and you're onto something.

Maybe mix up what the hands are doing by playing a paradiddle over the top of the bassdrum. Something I work with is taking the basic A B C and D patterns from Gary Chaffee's Linear Patterns book, and playing them as various subdivisions to get used to hearing the downbeat change position. Get comfortable playing double strokes in 5 and 7 note feels as well first.
 
I have one more thought, too: Do you actually hear the 4 over 7 thing? I mean, it makes
a big difference whether you play a practiced pattern, and mechanically get the thing
together, or you're really hearing the figure in your head and "just" let it out on the instrument.

You can test yourself by singing and or clapping the 4 over 7. If you're sure you're hearing
it, then you're on the right track to make it sound really good. If not really (you don't have
to prove anything to anyone of us, just be honest with yourself), practice this first. It will
improve you a lot more than if you just practice the mechanics.
 
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