Polyrhythms and Phrasing Over the Barline

Part 2: Three Limb Exercises

By Chris Munson

Concept
Now that you have become familiar with the two limb exercises presented in the last article, it is time to
move on to three limb (or three voice) exercises. The accent patterns will be the same as before but
you will now be playing them on the snare drum using a natural sticking (R L R L etc) while the kick
drum and hi-hat play various ostinatos.
These exercises are intended to develop your ability to create interesting phrases that are longer than one
measure and/or end in less predictable places (like the and of beat 2). When practicing these
exercises, you will create the illusion that two time signatures are being played simultaneously. Visually,
you will notice that some patterns seem to move backwards in time while others seem to move forward.
All of these devices aid in the creation of rhythmic tension that lasts longer than one measure. I find this
to be very effective because it engages both the audience/listener and the other musicians in a way that is
somewhat unexpected but still natural.
That being said, do not try to force these concepts into your playing. At some point you will find that
they begin to show up naturally. This can happen while playing fills, creating grooves, or both. I have
found that if I put in a lot of practice time on something (1000 + repetitions) that it tends to creep out
in my playing about six months later. That is usually the point at which I have moved on to something
new and given the old concepts time to settle in my brain and limbs.

Application
I have included some examples of the three note polyrhythmic exercises below. The ostinatos are presented
first with examples of the combined snare and ostinato patterns afterwards. For the sake of space, only a
few example have been included. You can come up with several variations on accent patterns ranging from
two against four to seven against four and beyond.

Just like the two note exercises, sound production is more important than speed. Focus on creating a
distinct difference in the accented notes and the ghosted notes. This will aid in creating the aural illusion
that two time signatures are being played. It will also help you internalize the accent patterns so that you
can recognize and react to them when you hear another musician playing or hinting at them.
I suggest you try the following variations when practicing these.
- Play as written
- Play accents on toms and ghosted notes on snare
- Same as above but play double strokes on all ghosted notes
- Revoice to hi-hat and snare and try alternate stickings to create interesting grooves
Again, these are just a few examples. I hope that you can intuitively expand upon them. These are not
the only ostinatos that can be played. You can use any pattern that you want and it does not have to
be one bar in length. I have chosen these four ostinatos because the subtly increase in complexity and
move from one beat in length to four.
Ostinatos:
Basic four-on-the-floor ostinato

Songo ostinato

Second-line ostinato

2/3 clave with tumbao ostinato

Combined examples:
Five against four with four-on-the-floor.

Six against four with Songo:

Three against four with Second-line:

Seven against four with Clave:

Chris Munson is currently the Director of Recording Arts at Eastern Kentucky University where he teaches courses in
music technology and applied drum set. He has been a professional musician and audio engineer for over 15 years.
Over that time he has recorded or performed with: Don Aliquo, David Amram, Darol Anger, Danny Barnes, David
Carradine, Vassar Clements, Jeff Coffin, Joe Craven, Jerry Douglas, Tom Harrell, Jorma Kaukonen, Jon McEuen, Tim
OBrien, Greg Osby, Anders Osborne, Merl Saunders, Jamey Simons, and Trout Fishing in America. Albums he has
appeared on have earned numerous awards including two Grammy nominations.