Polyrhythmic Ostinatos - part 2
Polyrhythmic Ostinatos - part 2
Drum Lesson by Alain Rieder
Example 1
Here are three hi-hat (or ride cymbal) ostinatos (each line is played four times).
Example 2
The same ones, played in a 3-bar sequence.
Example 3
The three-bar ostinato, applied to other bass-drum patterns
The three-bar ostinato can also be viewed as being in 3/4 and played over 4/4:
Example 4
This example is an application of this concept, to Exercise 4 from my Time Manipulation Drum Book.
Each pattern is played twice, but if you listen to the sound file the hi-hat plays the previous shifting hi-hat pattern, instead of the eighth-notes that are written.
Each pattern is played twice, but if you listen to the sound file the hi-hat plays the previous shifting hi-hat pattern, instead of the eighth-notes that are written.
This video illustrates the concept. Again, this is Exercise 4 from my Time Manipulation Drum Book (page 25), played with Polyrhythmic Ostinato 5 (page 127). In this video example, I played each pattern twice, before moving on to the next, and I have added random ghost notes.
Jing Chi
To hear a fine example of this rhythmic concept, listen to the next track, which is a short excerpt from a Jing Chi song.
I wrote this lesson in 1997, and the CD came out in 2001, but it perfectly illustrates the concepts I developed in this lesson.
CD: Jing Chi (Tone Center 40212) © 2001
Track 03: Tengoku
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar: Robben Ford
Bass: Jimmy Haslip
I wrote this lesson in 1997, and the CD came out in 2001, but it perfectly illustrates the concepts I developed in this lesson.
CD: Jing Chi (Tone Center 40212) © 2001
Track 03: Tengoku
Drums: Vinnie Colaiuta
Guitar: Robben Ford
Bass: Jimmy Haslip
Musical examples are granted for your personal use only.
© 1998 Alain Rieder - all rights reserved
Drum Books by Alain Rieder
Time Initiation
"Time Initiation" (published in September 2023) offers a structured and creative approach to drumming instruction, suitable for all levels, featuring innovative concepts such as "Pattern Morphing" and "Universal Fills." Its bilingual format (English and French) and its section on rhythm-centered music theory make it an essential tool for both students and teachers. It is designed to be studied before or in parallel with Time Manipulation.
Time Manipulation
"Time Manipulation" is a critically acclaimed method, ideal for exploring groove and advanced concepts such as polyrhythms and rhythmic displacements, while delving deeper into the ideas of "Pattern Morphing" introduced in "Time Initiation." Available in both English and French, it was described as "fun, inspiring and educational" by Modern Drummer Magazine in 2019.
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