Piano Forum



International Piano Day 2024
Piano Day is an annual worldwide event that takes place on the 88th day of the year, which in 2024 is March 28. Established in 2015, it is now well known across the globe. Every year it provokes special concerts, onstage and online, as well as radio shows, podcasts, and playlists. Read more >>

Topic: How to Practice Polyrhythms  (Read 3922 times)

Offline mdecks

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 19
How to Practice Polyrhythms
on: February 06, 2016, 04:25:42 PM
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...

Offline brogers70

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1603
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #1 on: February 06, 2016, 07:43:39 PM
People ask about this a lot. This is a good, clear explanation, and a good way to start.

Offline krzyzowski

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #2 on: February 12, 2016, 04:26:44 PM
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..

Offline brogers70

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1603
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #3 on: February 13, 2016, 02:57:09 AM
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.

Offline ahinton

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 12144
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #4 on: February 13, 2016, 12:56:24 PM
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
Alistair Hinton
Curator / Director
The Sorabji Archive

Offline brogers70

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1603
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #5 on: February 13, 2016, 04:38:07 PM
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.

Offline handz

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 61
Re: How to Practice Polyrhythms
Reply #6 on: February 23, 2016, 11:54:28 PM
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
In progress: <br />Scriabin: Preludes op 11 nr 6, 10, 17, 1<br />Rachmaninov: Prelude C# minor<br />Fibich: Poeme<br />Mussorgsky: Pictures at Exhibition Promenade, gnome
For more information about this topic, click search below!
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert