The Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms

Last updated
Polyrhythms: The Musician's Guide
The Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms.jpg
Author Peter Magadini
Original titleThe Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms Vol. I & II
LanguageEnglish
SubjectA Study of Polyrhythms for Musicians
GenreMusic Textbook
PublisherTry Publishing, Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
Publication date
1993 / 2001
Media typePrint, paperback and digital
Pages66 pp
ISBN 978-0634032837

The Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms is a study guide by American author, drummer and percussionist Peter Magadini. Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms Vol. I was written in 1967 and published in 1968. Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms Vol. II was written in 1970 and published in 1971 [1] and was (at the time) a continuation of Vol. l. The first publisher (Try Publishing, Hollywood, Ca.) published both volumes separately. These volumes have since been combined into one single volume called Polyrhythms: The Musicians Guide and is now published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation.

Contents

Both books were written after Peter had studied with North Indian Tabla Drum Master, Mahapurush Misra, [2] who was teaching and playing with Usted Ali Akbar Khan in a summer program of North Indian Classical Music at the University of California, Berkeley campus in 1966. Realizing the need for a pedagogical system of study for musicians using the “western” system of notation; Magadini re-configured the concepts and coined the phrase “time ratios”, which describes the mathematical ratios of polymeters as they relate to each other. Magadini also introduced in these volumes a new way to write “Polyrhythmic Time Signatures”. Both volumes deal with polymeters and polyrhythms, and are presented, in a step-by-step manner, through exercises and etudes that progress from easy to difficult.

Critical reception

Gunther Schuller of the New England Conservatory called Musicians Guide to Polyrhythms "... a very important contribution".

In 1993, Modern Drummer Magazine ranked Polyrhythms The Musician's Guide as #6 in its survey of "the 25 Greatest Drum books". [3] [4]

A review in the Percussion Arts Society's Percussion Notes lauded the book's organization and the "articulate and easily understood" explanations of the various polyrhythms. [5]

Polyrhythms For The Drumset

Another polyrhythm book by Magadini was written exclusively for drumset drummers titled Polyrhythms For The Drumset (originally published in 1973) . It is currently published by Alfred Publishing. [6] It also presents polyrhythms and polymeters in step-by-step exercises and etudes. However, the polyrhythms are distributed between hands and feet at the drumset in independent combinations between the ride cymbal, the snare drum, the bass drum and hi hat. This book also describes and contains exercises that teach drummers how to play and perform metric modulation. Polyrhythms For The Drumset endorsers include: Vic Firth, Steve Smith, Cindy Blackman, Peter Erskin, Roy Burns, Jim Chapin, Chad Wackerman, Anthony Cirone, Louie Bellson, William F. Miller (Modern Drummer Magazine)

Related Research Articles

Polyrhythm Simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms

Polyrhythm is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rhythm), or a momentary section. Polyrhythms can be distinguished from irrational rhythms, which can occur within the context of a single part; polyrhythms require at least two rhythms to be played concurrently, one of which is typically an irrational rhythm. Concurrently in this context means within the same rhythmic cycle. The underlying pulse, whether explicit or implicit can be considered one of the concurrent rhythms. For example, the son clave is poly-rhythmic because its 3 section suggests a different meter from the pulse of the entire pattern.

Danny Carey American musician and songwriter

Daniel Edwin Carey is an American musician and songwriter. He is the drummer for the American rock band Tool. He has also contributed to albums by artists such as Zaum, Green Jellö, Pigface, Skinny Puppy, Adrian Belew, Carole King, Collide, Meat Puppets, Lusk, and the Melvins.

Elvin Jones American jazz drummer

Elvin Ray Jones was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed an interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan. He served in the United States Army from 1946 to 1949 and subsequently played in a Detroit house band led by Billy Mitchell. He moved to New York City in 1955 and worked as a drummer for John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Teddy Charles, Bud Powell and Miles Davis.

Drum rudiment

In rudimental drumming, a form of percussion music, a drum rudiment is one of a number of relatively small patterns which form the foundation for more extended and complex drumming patterns. The term "drum rudiment" is most closely associated with various forms of field drumming where the snare drum plays a prominent role. In this context "rudiment" means not only "basic", but also fundamental. This tradition of drumming originates in military drumming and it is a central component of martial music.

Premier Percussion

Premier Music International Limited is an English musical instruments manufacturing company based in Kibworth. The company, founded in 1922, currently produces drum kits, sticks and accessories.

Lukas Ligeti

Lukas Ligeti is an Austrian-American composer and percussionist. His work incorporates elements of jazz, contemporary classical and various world musics, especially African traditional and popular music styles.

Joe Bergamini is a drummer from New Jersey in the United States. He is the co-founder of the instrumental progressive rock band 4Front. 4Front's other founder, guitarist/songwriter Zak Rizvi, went on to become a member of the classic rock group Kansas in 2016. Since 2000 Bergamini has been a member of progressive rock band Happy the Man, and appears on their 2005 album The Muse Awakens. In 2003 Bergamini began working on Broadway, with his first show being the New York and national tour productions of the Billy Joel musical Movin' Out, and has also performed at the Broadway productions of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, School of Rock: The Musical, Rock of Ages, In The Heights, The Lion King, Jersey Boys, Pippin (revival), Jesus Christ Superstar (revival), Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and Million Dollar Quartet. In addition to performing with Billy Joel himself at Movin' Out, Bergamini has also performed with Bumblefoot, Dennis DeYoung and Deborah Gibson. Bergamini was born in Belleville, New Jersey, and grew up in East Hanover. He attended the New Jersey Institute of Technology, receiving a bachelor's degree in architecture while studying drums with Dom Famularo on Long Island, as well as teachers Al Miller, John Riley, and Jim Chapin.

Alex González (musician) Musical artist

Alejandro González Trujillo is an American musician of Cuban and Colombian extraction. He is a member, drummer and songwriter for the Mexican band Maná and metal band De La Tierra. He is nicknamed "El Animal" and has sung lead vocals on several songs, such as "Me Vale". Alex discovered his passion for playing the drums at the young age of 5 when he caught the attention of a kindergarten teacher who gave him a red sparkle drumkit. He took to the instrument very seriously and found himself a teacher shortly thereafter.

George Lawrence Stone (1886–1967) was an American drummer and author.

In music, a cross-beat or cross-rhythm is a specific form of polyrhythm. The term cross rhythm was introduced in 1934 by the musicologist Arthur Morris Jones (1889–1980). It refers to when the rhythmic conflict found in polyrhythms is the basis of an entire musical piece.

Dave Black is an American composer and co-author of numerous books, including Alfred's Drum Method,Alfred's Beginning Drumset Method,Alfred's Kid's Drum Course,Contemporary Brush Techniques,Drumset Independence and Syncopation,Living Praise, Cymals: A Crash Course,The Essential Dictionary of Orchestration,A Jazz Diary, and Sound Innovations for Concert Band. He has also written a number of articles, concert reviews, and book reviews for publications including The Instrumentalist,Down Beat,Modern Percussionist,Modern Drummer,Drums and Drumming,Drum Tracks,Jazz Educators Journal,Grammy Pulse, and Music Connection.

Hill country blues is a regional style of country blues. It is characterized by a strong emphasis on rhythm and percussion, steady guitar riffs, few chord changes, unconventional song structures, and heavy emphasis on the "groove", which has been characterized as the "hypnotic boogie".

Peter Magadini Musical artist

Peter Charles "Pete" Magadini is an American drummer, percussionist, educator and author. He is known for his body of work concerning the comprehension and execution of musical polyrhythms, especially the books The Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms and Polyrhythms for the Drumset. Magadini has recorded and performed with George Duke, Diana Ross, Bobbie Gentry, Al Jarreau, Buddy DeFranco, John Handy and Mose Allison.

Sean J. Kennedy American musician & Educator

Sean J. Kennedy is an American drumset player, percussionist, recording artist, author and educator. Kennedy's drumset method book Camp Jam: Rock Solid Drums was nominated as Educational Drum Book of the Year in the 2011 Modern Drummer magazine reader's poll. Kennedy's most recent release Sixty Second Solos won 2nd Runner Up in the 2015 DRUMMIES, DRUM! Magazine's an annual readers poll award.

Charles "Charley" Wilcoxon was an American drum teacher and drum method book author. He wrote several influential books on rudimental drumming that are still used by drum teachers today. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

Mathew "Mat" Roger Marucci III is an American jazz drummer, composer, author, educator and clinician. He has numerous critically acclaimed recordings as leader, and his performing credits include Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Buddy De Franco, Les McCann, Pharoah Sanders, and John Tchicai among others.

Daniel Glass is an American drummer, author, historian and educator. He is recognized in the drum industry as an authority on classic American drumming and the evolution of American Popular Music.

Morris Goldenberg was an American percussionist, music teacher, and method book author. He wrote several books on orchestral snare drumming, mallet percussion, and timpani. He is a member of the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame.

Claus Hessler Musical artist

Claus Hessler, also spelled Claus Heßler, is a German drummer, author, and teacher. He is a clinician who specializes in Open-handed drumming and rudimental drumming, especially Basel Drumming and Moeller method.

John Sterling "Jack" Pratt (1931–2020) was an American Army drum instructor at West Point as well as a celebrated rudimental book author. Pratt produced several volumes of rudimental solos and instructional materials and was also the founder of the International Association of Traditional Drummers (IATD), a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD), a member of the United States Association of Rudimental Drummers (USARD), and was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society (PAS) Hall of Fame and the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

References

  1. "Library of Congress - Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series: 1971: Title Index". Library of Congress
  2. Miller, Mark. June 1, 1978. "Pete Magadini" Downbeat Magazine. p.33.
  3. Miller, William F. August. 1993. "The 25 Best Drum Books". Modern Drummer Magazine.
  4. "Musicians Guide to Polyrhythms, voted 6th on Modern Drummer Magazine's list of the 25 greatest drum books.". Vic Firth
  5. Beck, John (April 2002). "Musician's Guide to Polyrhythms Review". Percussive Notes. Percussion Arts Society. 40 (2).
  6. "Polyrhythms For The Drumset". Google Books

"Peter Magadini's Polyrhythmic Life" Dec. 2017 Modern Drummer Magazine https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/december-2017-peter-magadinis-polyrhythmic-life/ Jazz Drummers Workshop "Polyrhythms" Jan.1978 Modern Drummer Magazine https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/january-1978-jazz-drummers-workshop-polyrhythms/

"Polyrhythms The Musicians Guide" https://www.amazon.com/Polyrhythms-Musicians-Guide-Peter-Magadini/dp/0634032836

"Polyrhythms For The Drumset" https://www.amazon.com/Polyrhythms-Drumset-Book-Peter-Magadini/dp/089724821X/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_1/130-3900444-4100417?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G0B2WPEMY1D36V9D980H

San Francisco Conservatory of Music Alumni Peter Magadini March 2016 https://sfcm.edu/library/archives/oral-history-project/peter-magadini