Songs that use Polyrhythms & Polymeters

Polyrhythms, and their cousin polymeters, can be a difficult concept to get your head around but, once you know what you're looking out for, you'll start spotting them in all sorts of music!

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards this video on the r/musictheory subreddit 🙏

And an extra special thanks goes to Vidad Flowers, Daniel Long, Bruce Mount, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇

0:00 4:3 polyrhythm
2:44 3:2 polyrhythm
5:02 Chariots of Fire
6:36 TOOL
7:18 Jacob Collier
8:36 Polymeter
12:15 Outro

[ContaVelha]

I don't think I've ever seen "David Bennett Piano" actually play piano

[matthewmedina]

bruh that snarky puppy teaching the room 4:3 was the ballsiest move I've ever seen

[AnOldGreyDog]

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...

[eggsontoast]

Both polyrhythms and polymeters scratch my brain in a good way, I've always loved playing them

[toothpastehombre]

If side effects of Vertical Hemiola persist, consult your primary care physician

[dumbee.]

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.

[floriandotsch]

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody with the "So you think you can stone me and spin my eye" part

[JonisMommerency]

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.

[madiserket]

because of adam neely 4:3 only makes me hear "pass the god damn butter"

[krisnilsson]

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.

[DanielGonzalezC]

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.

[nicholasp]

Long Distance Runaround by Yes deserves a mention. The band plays 4/4 while drums play 5/8. Really cool

[Stepski]

Whenever I hear Chariots of fire now, I always think of Rowan Atkinson on the synth at the Olympics 😂

[macronencer]

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.

[decalice]

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

[carlo]

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.

[limegreenelevator]

Seven sharps in a key signature always makes my stomach do flips.

[danopticon]

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. 🤗

[scended]

4:3 straight up sounds like a grammarly advert

[X-UP-and-DOWN-X]

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!