Topmusicanswers
Are triplets polyrhythms?
Typically, two rhythms will only be considered a polyrhythm if they have no common divisor other than 1. In the case of a 3:2 or 2:3 polyrhythm, there is no number (besides 1) that will divide into both 2 and 3. We can conclude that 3:2 is, in fact, a polyrhythm.
What is the most common polyrhythm?
The most common polyrhythm is the juxtaposition of triplets against quarter or eighth notes. A common alternative to thinking of these patterns in musical notation is to envision (or hear) them as ratios: the triplet example would have a ratio of 3:2. Other simple polyrhythms are 3:4, 4:3, 5:4, 7:8 and so on.
