Polyrhythm metronome – practice 3 against 2, 3 against 4 and more
A polyrhythm is two even pulses at once that do not divide into each other: three notes in the time of two, four in the time of three. grooph's metronome can play such a counter rhythm against its normal click, with a sound of its own, so you hear exactly how the two pulses line up.
▶ Open the metronome with 3 against 2 in 4/4
How to use it
- Open the Metronome tab and pick a time signature.
- Tap Polyrhythm and choose a ratio. 3:2 means three counter clicks in the time of two beats; the pattern repeats until the bar is full.
- Under Your own (clicks : beats) you can set any other ratio that fits the meter, for example 7:4 or 9:4.
- Press play. The counter rhythm has its own volume in the mixer (speaker icon), and you can tap single counter clicks on the circle to make them louder, softer or silent.
The beats count in the meter's beat unit: quarters in 4/4 and 3/4, eighths in 6/8 or 7/8.
Ready-made polyrhythms
These links open the metronome with the polyrhythm already switched on:
▶ 3:4 in 4/4 – three against four
▶ 5:4 in 4/4 – five against four
▶ 2:3 in 3/4 – two against three
▶ 4:3 in 3/4 – four against three
▶ 2:3 in 6/8 – duplets against the dotted quarters
▶ 7:5 in 5/8 – seven eighths in the time of five
Building your own link
The counter parameter is one bar of the meter in grooph's
text notation: the counter clicks as notes, rests where it is
silent. A note with > clicks strong, a note in parentheses such as (e) soft. It needs
ts and works only for the metronome, not together with a written rhythm. The easiest way
to get a link is to set the polyrhythm in the app and use Copy link in the library panel.
A ratio with a common factor sounds like the reduced one: 4:2 in 4/4 is four eighths in the time of two quarters, the same as 2:1, so a 4:2 link opens as 2:1:
▶ 2:1 (or 4:2) in 4/4 – eighths against quarters
FAQ
How do I practice three against two?
Start slowly and count the six eighth-note triplets of two beats: "1 2 3 4 5 6". The click falls on 1 and 4, the counter rhythm on 1, 3 and 5. Clap the counter rhythm while the click plays, then swap hands.
Which ratios does grooph offer?
Every ratio of 2 to 16 clicks over a number of beats that divides the bar, as long as the clicks land on note values grooph can write: 3:2, 3:4, 5:4 and 7:4 in 4/4, 2:3 and 4:3 in 3/4, 3:5, 4:5 and 7:5 in 5/4, and many more.
Can I send someone a polyrhythm?
Yes. Copy link in the library panel copies a link with the tempo, the meter, the click and the polyrhythm.