Robert the Inventor's Software

You can download Tune Smithy's metronome to play rhythms and complex polyrhythms to help with practice. Here is an example of what it can do: Polyrhythm of 7 and 5 beats in the same bar. Or for a simpler example: 6_2_1.mid [mp3]. Scroll down for many more examples.

You can play ordinary simple and compound rhythms, emphasising the bar and its sub-divisions. You can also play polyrhythms consisting of several contrasting rhythms played at once, such as three and four beats in the same bar. You can also play long bars (hypermeasures) - repeating sequences of different metrical units. You can even play polyrhythmic long bars. You can play syncopated rhythms with any of the metronomes.

You can also script your metronome, e.g. set it to vary tempo gradually over a period of time, or change rhythm after so many bars and so on.

Read on to find out more about its capabilities and listen to many sound clips. If you want to just get it right away, skip to next

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Polyrhythm example

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(screen shot, doesn't play notes - to try it out you need to download tune smithy)

Polyrhythm of 7 and 5 beats in the same bar
For more clips see: Polyrhythms you can play with Tune Smithy or you can play the mp3s using the player in the panel to the right.

You enter all the simultaneous numbers of beats per bar you want to play in the Rhythms field - you can also select from a drop list of example rhythms.

As you see from the screen shot, this one was made with the rhythm set to 7 5 1. This means that you have both seven, and five beats to a bar playing together, with an extra beat to mark the start of each bar.

To make a rhythm with three and four beats played together, as is common in some African music, you would enter 3 4 1 here (though it's already in the drop list). See the Polyrhythm Metronome help page (on-line copy) to find out more about how it works and how you use it.

You can choose any instruments you like for the beats from the instruments on your sound card or synth - you set them in the Parts window.

Polyrhythms are common in African and Indian music. The Pygmies are particularly advanced in their use of polyrhythms - you can listen to some in the Baka and beyond (opens in new window) album. They are also found in compositions by modern composers such as Ligetti - and earlier, Debussy also made a lot of use of polyrhythms.

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Vary timing

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If you go to More, you get advanced options to vary the timing of the beat and the volumes to make a more lively rhythm for your metronome:

Polyrhythm_7 & 5 varying

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4/4, 6/8, 5/4 etc

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You can play any normal simple or compound time rhythms, any number of beats to a bar. Here for instance is a six eight rhythm with the centre beat emphasized.

6_2_1.mid [mp3]

You can play 5/4, 7/4 etc with the division where you like, using additive rhythms. Here for instance is a 5/4 rhythm as 3 + 2

3_1_plus_2_1.mid [mp3]

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Polyrhythmic compound time:

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This one is a polyrhythm playing 6/8 simultaneously with 4/4

6_4_2_1.mid [mp3]

And this one plays 9/8, 6/8 and 4/4 simultaneously

9o8_6o8_4o4_polyrhythmic_compound_time.mid [mp3]

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Syncopated rhythms

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You can also play syncopated rhythms. For instance:

Syncopated 4/4:

syncopated_4_1.mid [mp3]

A more elaborate syncopated 4/4 with eighth note subdivisions

syncopated_8_4_2_1.mid [mp3]

You can also play syncopated polyrhythms, such as are used in African music. For instance:

syncopated_7_5_1.mid [mp3]

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Long bars

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You can also play long bars (hypermeasures)

Here is an example with the bar pattern: 3/4 + 2/4 + 3/4 + 4/4

3o4_2o4_3o4_4o4.mid [mp3]

You can also play polyrhythmic long bars

Here is an example mixing ordinary measures with polyrhythmic measures:

example_long_bar_with_polyrh_and_normal_rhythms.mid [mp3]

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Pitched metronome

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You can also play the metronome beats on melodic instruments. This example uses pitches of the harmonic series to bring out the structure of the rhythm:

harmonics_for_example_long_bar_with_polyrh_and_normal_rhythms.mid [mp3]

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Script

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There's an easy to work with script you can use to make a preset rhythm that speeds up gradually over a period of time or slows down, or changes instrument after a certain number of bars - or varies from one rhythm to another after a certain number of bars etc.

Here is an example:

script_example_speeds_up_for_2_mins_slows_down_for_1.mid [mp3]

Tempo changes from 40 to 120 (at 2 minutes) then back to 40 (at three minutes). Then the pattern repeats.

Example scripts included with the program, including that one (go to Script | Open Script in the Script window (Ctrl + 171) ).

This is the script:

Time = 0
Repeat starts = A
Tempo = 40

Morph = Tempo
! Changes it gradually to the next scripted value for this id. You can morph any id in this way

Time = 2:0 ! Minutes : Secs
Tempo = 120
Morph = Tempo

Time = 3:0 ! Minutes : Secs
Tempo = 40
Repeat from = A

You can easily edit the script - for instance to change gradually to 100 instead of 120, just edit the tempo field to

Tempo = 120

and to increase the speed over 5 minutes instead of 2, then back again over another five minutes change the time fields to:

Time = 5:0 ! Minutes : Secs

and

Time = 10:0 ! Minutes : Secs

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Polyrhythmic Fractal tunes

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You can also use your polyrhythm to make fractal tunes if you switch to the Player, or Composer views in FTS.

Navigating the pacific by stars, wind and waves [mp3] uses a 7 5 3 polyrhythm.

Or for a much more complex rhythm, the African style complex polyrhythm [mp3] , which uses a 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 19 23 polyrhythm

If interested in the names, the inspiration for the Navigating the Pacific name is a map made by the early Polynesian voyagers showing the sea patterns - they had a kind of geography of the sea showing the wave patterns you get at various points between the islands.

Of course it isn't made of paper, but of wood and natural materials. Looks rather like a kind of cats cradle, with beads threaded on it.

As they didn't have the compass, they navigated using the stars, the patterns of the waves, the direction of the wind, and other natural signs.

As for the African style complex polyrhythm fractal tune, it is inspired by recordings I've heard of African polyrhythms, but probably not in the least African sounding if you are immersed in the traditions; but never mind...

The Make Web Page button makes a web page of polyrhythm metronomes for all the polythythms listed.

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