Superimposed Subdivisions (Polyrhythm Hell) : Heikki Malmberg

HEIKKI MALMBERG
Superimposed Subdivisions
(Polyrhythm Hell)
Polyrhythms or Polymeters?
Usually when musicians talk about polyrhythms, they refer to
rhythmic structures that are made of two or more simultaneous
time signatures, in which the secondary (superimposed) time
signature basically revolves around the dominant time signature. I
suggest that we use the term polymeter in such cases, and use
the term polyrhythm solely in situations where there are two
or more subdivisions happening in the same time interval (e.g. eight
note triplets over sixteenth notes).

Heres a simple example of a polymeter where the bass drum plays in 5/16 while the hands keep common (4/4) time.
3
3
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
And heres a not so simple example of polyrhythms using eight notes, eight/quarter note triplets and sixteenth note quintuplets.
So What Should I Do?

In order to learn to play any two subdivisions against each other,
or rather superimpose them if you will, you should get a reference
of how they sound played simultaneously on one instrument (A
good teacher and a sequencer are of paramount help here), and learn
to phonetically mimic the result. You can make up halfwitted
sentences or just blabber away with any foolish sounds that you
come up with. as long as youre mimicking the rhythm, it doesnt matter.
3

Heres two subdivisions
waiting to get married.
(polyrhythm Hell)

Here they have
become one.
cold cup of tea
or
blah bla da blah
Heres their daily dialog after

50 years of marriage. MEMORIZE IT!
Heikki Malmberg
Now you can use their dialog to learn any 2 against 3 -based patterns.
3
cold cup of teacold cup of tea etc...
blah bla da blah blah bla da blah etc..
The same trick works for any two subdivisions.

Any two subdivisions
Played on one surface
pass the gol - den but - ter

Have something to say
(though sometimes it's just a jumble of
meaningless phonetics)
So how can I decipher their "dialog"?

Let's see how 5 and 7 land on each other. First you have to count
their lowest common multiple (LCM). The formula is as follows:
A x B = LCM
In our instance a=5 and B=7
and we get:
5 x 7 = 35
Now write two lines of 35 notes. the note value doesn't matter,
but sixteenth notes are clear and easy to read, so let's use them.
Heikki Malmberg
(polyrhythm Hell)
Now place accents to every fifth note on the upper line and to every
seventh note on the lower line.
Now remove the unaccented notes and there you have it. The remaining
notes create the polyrhythm of 5 against 7.
Here's the same pattern written out a bit more clearly.
Here's the same pattern once more written out in common time.
This procedure works perfectly well for figuring out

how any possible combination of two subdivisions land on
each other!
(polyrhythm Hell)
Heikki Malmberg
The toughest part, however, is to really master these polyrhythms

so well that you can use them flawlessly in your playing. And for
composers who are interested in using these polyrhythms in their
music; Try to learn to hear/feel them so thoroughly that you
can tell the difference between 11 over 13 and 12 over 13. They all
have their distinct feels, and they all have something to say.
The following pages contain a lot of stuff that will take ages
to learn properly. Some of them might seem downright impossible
to play, but
everything is possible if you really set your mind to it!

I havent written out any stickings or used more than two sound
sources for the following examples, because the rhythms play
the leading role here. But id say that the best place to
start would be playing the upper rhythm with one hand, and the
lower with another. After that (and preferably only after youve
assimilated their dialog at least to some degree) you can try to
play the upper rhythm on the snare using a single stroke roll
(rlrlrl...) and the lower rhythm on the bass drum using... ...well,
a single stroke roll. After these steps; experiment, experiment and
experiment.
"Numerous studies have proven that people who set goals and
pursue them are much more successful than those who float
along, waiting to see what comes their way. Remember the old
dage: If you aim at nothing, you will surely hit it."
-G. Douglas Rockwell
Heikki Malmberg
(polyrhythm Hell)
HEIKKI MALMBERG
11
13
11
15
13
17
15
19
17

19

21

23
(polyrhythm Hell)
10
12
10
14
12
14
18
16
18

22
20

25
10

24

26
11
Heikki Malmberg
12
27
29
33

39
15
32
17
34
30
18
35
37
14
31
13
28
36
19
38
40
41
43
45
47
49
11
Heikki Malmberg
14
46
15
48
17
19
12
44
13
51
10
42
18
50

52
(polyrhythm Hell)
53

55
5
6
5
7

57

54
56
58
59
10
61
12
63
67
18
69
71
6
7
15
66
19
70
72
17
68
13
64

73
11
62
14
65
60

74
75
77
(polyrhythm Hell)
11
76
78
10
12
Heikki Malmberg
13
79
81
15
83
85

87

89
17
19
82
84
18
86
14
80
88
90
7
6
91
93
95
97
99
101
103
Heikki Malmberg
92
10
12
14
18
100
102
104
11
96
98
94
13
15
17
19
(polyrhythm Hell)
10
105
107
106
108
109
11
111
13
113
15
115
17
117
19
119
121
123
125
127
129
(polyrhythm Hell)
9
7
10
12
10
110
12
112
14
114
116
18
118
120
122
124
126
128
130
9
6
11
13
Heikki Malmberg
11
14
131
133
135
137
10
139
10
6
141
10
143
10
145
11
10
147
10
149
15
17
10
153
10
11
Heikki Malmberg
13
10
151
155
18
19
15
132
134
136
138
140
142
144
146
148
150
152
154
156
17
19
10
5
10
7
10
9
10
12
10
14
10
10
18
10
11
11
(polyrhythm Hell)
12
157
159
161
163
165
167
169
171
173
175
177
179
181
(polyrhythm Hell)
11
7
11
9
11
12
11
14
11
11
18
11
12
12
6
12
12
10
12
12
13
158
11
160
11
10
162
11
13
164
11
166
11
168
11
170
172
174
176
178
180
182
15
17
19
11
12
12
7
12
9
12
11
12
14
12
Heikki Malmberg
13
15
183
12
185
12
187
189
191
193
195
197
199
201
203
205
207
19
12
13
13
7
13
9
13
11
13
14
13
13
18
13
14
14
Heikki Malmberg
17
184
12
18
186
12
188
13
190
192
13
194
13
10
196
13
12
198
13
15
200
13
202
13
204
206
208
13
17
19
13
14
14
(polyrhythm Hell)
14
209
14
211
14
10
213
14
12
215
14
15
217
14
219
14
19
221
223
225
227
229
231
233
(polyrhythm Hell)
17
14
15
15
7
15
9
15
11
15
13
15
210
212
14
9
14
11
214
14
13
216
14
218
220
222
14
14
15
224
226
228
230
232
234
18
15
15
15
10
15
12
15
14
15
Heikki Malmberg
15
235
15
18
237
15
17
236
15
19
238
15
239
241
243
245
10
247
12
249
14
251
17
253
19
255
257
259
17
17
Heikki Malmberg
240
242
244
246
11
248
13
250
15
252
18
254
256
17
258
260
17
17
(polyrhythm Hell)
16
261
263
265
267
269
271
273
275
277
279
281
283
285
(polyrhythm Hell)
17
9
17
11
17
13
17
15
17
18
17
18
18
6
18
18
10
18
12
18
14
18
262
17
10
264
17
12
266
17
14
268
17
270
17
19
272
274
276
278
280
282
284
286
17
18
18
7
18
9
18
11
18
13
18
15
18
Heikki Malmberg
17
287
18
19
289
291
18
293
295
297
299
301
303
305
19
19
7
19
9
19
11
19
13
19
15
19
17
19
17
288
18
290
19
292
294
296
298
300
302
304
306
19
19
19
10
19
12
19
14
19
19
18
19
"Don't be afraid to take chances. Play to express yourself and play to have fun. Maybe
someday your name will be mentioned in company like Bellson, Ulrich, Bozzio, Aldridge,
Phillips, Benante or Cobham! And remember, when you feel like you've given your all,
that's the time to give even more!
-Dom Famularo
Heikki Malmberg
(polyrhythm Hell)

Superimposed Subdivisions (Polyrhythm Hell) : Heikki Malmberg

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HEIKKI MALMBERG

So What Should I Do?

cold cup of tea

blah bla da blah

Heres their daily dialog after

cold cup of teacold cup of tea etc...

blah bla da blah blah bla da blah etc..

The same trick works for any two subdivisions.

Any two subdivisions

Played on one surface

pass the gol - den but - ter

So how can I decipher their "dialog"?

Here's the same pattern written out a bit more clearly.

This procedure works perfectly well for figuring out

The toughest part, however, is to really master these polyrhythms

everything is possible if you really set your mind to it!

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