Knowra Polyrhythm Polyrhythm Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more contrasting rhythmic patterns. The patterns may divide the same musical span into different numbers of beats.
Cross-rhythm : A rhythmic relationship in which contrasting beat groupings sound simultaneously, often creating tension against a shared pulse. Cross-rhythm describes the tension produced when polyrhythmic layers emphasize competing groupings.
Ewe music : The musical traditions of the Ewe people of Ghana and Togo, including complex ensemble drumming and dance. Ewe ensemble music offers a prominent tradition of interlocking rhythmic layers.
Musical meter : The organization of musical beats into recurring patterns of accents and durations. Meter supplies the framework against which contrasting rhythmic groupings are heard.
Afro-Cuban music : A range of Cuban musical traditions formed through African and European influences, including layered percussion and dance rhythms. Afro-Cuban ensembles use interlocking rhythmic parts and recurring timelines.
Polymetric music : Music in which simultaneous parts use different meters or recurring measure lengths. Different measure cycles define polymeter, unlike contrasting subdivisions within a shared cycle.
Tuplet : A group of notes that divides a beat or other duration into a number of equal parts different from the usual subdivision. Tuplets provide notation for fitting unequal subdivisions into the same musical span.
African diasporic music : Music shaped by African-descended communities across the Americas and other regions. Diasporic traditions carried and transformed layered rhythmic practices across continents.
Subdivision (music) : The division of a beat into smaller, regularly spaced rhythmic units. Different subdivisions can place multiple rhythmic patterns inside one beat.
Jazz : A musical tradition rooted in African American communities, known for improvisation, swing, and stylistic diversity. Jazz musicians use overlapping rhythmic groupings to vary pulse and phrasing.
Hemiola : A rhythmic figure that temporarily reinterprets two groups of three beats as three groups of two, or vice versa. A hemiola is a specific cross-accent pattern, not every instance of polyrhythm.
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