How to Practice Polyrhythms

[mdecks]

As a piano player you will have to play different subdivisions of the meter on each hand (very often, I would say)

Here's a nice tip on how to design your own practice exercise for any polyrhythm, be it 3 against 2 or 7 against 13...

[brogers70]

People ask about this a lot. This is a good, clear explanation, and a good way to start.

[krzyzowski]

Improvisors want to free up the relationship between hands in order to solo. Attempting to relate one against the other (hands) destroys the independence that many jazz expressionists desire. Nahum to the rescue..

[brogers70]

For lots of people, the only way to learn to feel the rhythms independently is to do something like the original poster suggested. Indeed, I think she pointed out that the end goal is to feel the individual rhythms in the individual hands. I guess there are people who can just feel polyrhythms right off the bat, but most cannot.

[ahinton]

I don't somehow think that this would take you far into mastering the intricacies of, say, Ferneyhough or Finnissy!

Also, at the risk of sounding pedantic (which is not my intention), the excellent professor whose aural training classes I attended when a student always said that one should never think of a polyrhythm as "2 against 3" or "5 against 13" but "2 in the time of 3" and "5 in the time of 13", on the grounds that the former will risk ending up seeming like 2 and 3 or 5 and 13 against you! Wise words, methinks.

Best,

Alistair

[brogers70]

I don't somehow think that this would take you far into mastering the intricacies of, say, Ferneyhough or Finnissy!

Best,

Alistair

A crippling limitation if ever there was one.

[handz]

Learn how to play Fantasie Impromptu - just the beggining -  mark where the "notes meet" and play slowly, I was able to get it under my fingers quite fast,first few days I was like IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, but then something should switch in you brain and you will be able to play it