Polyrhythms For Non-drummers: Fives

To understand the theory about FIVES and how you can learn to play them and hear what they sound like I will explain briefly how I teach them to my students. Being a drum teacher, I explain from a drummers perspective – but the theory is easily adapted for guitarists (up- and downstrokes) or bassists (index and middle finger). You get the overall idea.

Starting with quintuplets (famous examples of fives appear in Chopin’s sonata in C minor and Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony) would be a good idea – count five hits per beat. Drummers have many alternative stickings for quintuplets, but let’s settle for left-right-left-right-left right-left-right-left-right. Use a metronome when you are practicing this and it’s also a good thing to use your voice to really get it into your system. Try saying DA LA PI KO LA when practicing fives.

Let us move on to 5 against 2 as soon as you feel comfortable with quintuplets. Use the same rlrlr lrlrl etc. and start to accent every other hit: RlRlR lRlRl So, all the hits with the right hand are accented! There you have the fundamental five-against-two sound. And as soon as you are comfortable doing this, just play the accents and, there you have it!

Five over four is a little trickier than five against two, and thus takes a little more time to learn. Let’s go back to the quintuplets again and use the same rlrlr lrlrl rlrlr lrlrl. The difference this time is that we now accent every alternate hit with the right hand: RIGHT-left-right-left-RIGHT left-right-left-RIGHT-left right-left-RIGHT-left-right left-right-left-RIGHT-left. That’s 5 against 4! This can be hard to hear in slow tempos. When fluent in this, play only the accents.

I sincerely hope you’ll have a good time with those polyrhythms, and why not catch your drummer by surprise at your next rehearsal session by throwing some 5 against 2 at him?

Learn more about polyrhythms and drum loops. Stop by Magnus Brandell’s site where you can find out all about polyrhythms and what you can do with them.