Rhythm:Polymeter Tutorial

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Here is a segment of 4-beat followed by 3-beat, repeated four times. Then the two are combined to produce a polyrhythm. You can hear the series here:

  Here is a more fleshed out polyrhythm.

Here is an example of British Fife and drum music. Compare it to the Bajun version below.

Georges Collinet of the radio show "Afro-Pop worldwide tells the story through the music Here. This example is from Barbados, though there are examples from Mississippi and from the Sea Islands of SC and GA. This music is a descendent of the Africanized "Turkish" fife and drum music that the Hessians used. See the second half of Drums and Power for the full story.