Explaining how to play this polymeter

Hey everybody! In this video I play a 3 vs 4 vs 5 vs 7 polymeter and I explain to you how I learned it. I hope it will give you some new perspectives on this kind of rhythm!
‪@ElEsteparioSiberiano‬ I challenge you to do it, if you want to 😉 🙌
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#polyrhythms
#polymeter
#camillebigeault

[@richardhunt809]

I’m not a drummer but this really makes me think about rhythm and how to make my music more interesting. Not just thinking about harmony and melody all the time.

[@joc8]

I get the patterns fitting together in your head, but that limb independence is something else. All kudos to you!

[@the_algo_rhythm]

Off to try this, see you in years 😂

[@vincentkingsdale8334]

Each limb has its own brain.....that seems simple, but it is comolicated

[@the_icerasta7]

Just make sure you count the years in polymeters 😂

[@the_algo_rhythm]

This one broke my brain a bit... my left foot won't cooperate.

[@sidewalksurferXX]

Hell yeah! I'm off to go click this into my DAW with a mouse LOL

[@jimcook9330]

😅

[@TheDivergentDrummer]

That Drum Channel vid was awesome. I appreciate your insight on polyrhythms.

[@paveltc]

Thank you for making such a detailed lesson on how to play the patterns. I took down notes of several of the combinations. Been tapping them out very slowly.

[@MrCongamike]

That’s great. That’s like a Samba!Gadd type groove. So cool.

[@bryanharrison3889]

So I encourage EVERY drummer to learn some sort of polyrythm pattern, maybe 2 or 3, regardless of whether or not you ever actually use them. They don't even have to be difficult like this. Just doing polys for 10 minutes a day during practice will increase your mental neuroplasticity and keep you VERY SHARP on the kit, this helps tighten up all other aspects of your playing, and yes, even more simple polyrythms help. And with that said, if you CAN learn the more complex ones, such as this example, by all means do so. Your playing improves in every way.... this truly opens your mind and liberates your limb independence. helps with precision and dynamics control to. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, this performance is spot on. the explanation on how to learn and build this, its spot on. Her accuracy is top-notch... I watched the entire video and I didn't detect a single mistake. I AM NOT SAYING NO MISTAKES WERE MADE, I'm saying that if there WERE mistakes, I didn't catch them. So that tells us that this person spent at LEAST a few months working on this pattern. it also tells us that this is now SECOND NATURE for her, which is EXACTLY where you want to be as a drummer. You want your beats, grooves, and polys to be SECOND NATURE. Camile is an EXPERT level drummer, and an EXPERT level teacher. I have been doing polys for 30 years, and I've NEVER seen a person explain the mechanics BEHIND polys better than camille did in this video, and I've never seen a person describe HOW TO MENTALLY PROCESS the polys like camille did in this video. PROTECT THIS DRUMMER AT ALL COSTS.

[@CamilleBigeault]

Wow thank you very much for that comment! 😯🙏🙏

[@nowisthetime7461]

Growing in drumming seems to be the art of practicing the difficult and clumsy (and seemingly impossible) until it becomes second nature while regularly introducing new difficult and clumsy material to keep you from getting into a rut with all the things that have now become second nature.

[@dave-d]

Oooooh! Now that's a real drum lesson.Thank you.

[@alexandreash]

Yeah ! The best (my favorite) drummer in France !

[@CamilleBigeault]

🙏☺

[@Drumsholic]

Better than Mario Duplantier??

[@alexandreash]

@@Drumsholic Mario live in France actually ? I don't think... So it's Cam B :)

[@the_algo_rhythm]

Not gonna lie, I love Mario and Camille.... kinda think Camille has the edge in this one.

[@ytnsanw]

Christian Vander?....

[@TheDivergentDrummer]

That was awesomely explained. I'll definitely go buy your book.

[@TheSquareOnes]

Amazing demonstration and explanation as usual. The tip about adding in a third pattern by practicing each loop of the other patterns with it in each position (like adding each version of the 3 over the existing 5 against 4) is extremely helpful, I've been able to learn simple two pattern polymeters but anything more complex just seemed like so much to memorize at once. Being able to break it into chunks like that makes a ton of sense, still not going to be able to play something like this anytime soon but I think that will help me a lot with finally unlocking some basic three meter patterns.

[@pedalboy7]

Such a great explanation - of how these work, how you work on them etc. Just wonderful & wonderful playing!

[@fiachra4266]

Something like this on Bruford's Upper Extremities ? Brilliant explanation, thank you.

[@emergentform1188]

Absolute genius.

[@Icthi]

This is extremely well explained and edited. Thx and well done!

[@CamilleBigeault]

Thank you :)

[@michaelschack]

Nice one! On se voit ce dimanche et lundi!

[@CamilleBigeault]

Ah yessss 🔥🙌🏻

[@emergentform1188]

WOW. How much coordination and time/commitment must someone need to pull this off? Magical.

[@PinoBatMusicDrums15]

La forza della mente non a limiti 👏👏👍👍

[@areagray]

This is soooo interesting. Off to try it. Thanks.

[@MW_1535]

I love this so much. You have an incredible talent (that you've clearly worked hard to build). Thanks for inspiring us all!

[@woutervanwijk4369]

Great sounding kit!

[@therealzilch]

Very nice stuff. I've only managed to play two meters at a time, so far. I do this on my double harp, each hand playing a different meter, for instance 17 against 23. But I combine this with polyrhythm. So, for example, the left hand plays a meter of 17 with five beats to a measure, and the right 23 beats with seven beats to a measure. It's very meditative. Keep up the good work. Cheers from sunny Vienna, Scott

[@aaronmichaud1]

Love this!!!

[@christophegragnic8681]

Hi and thanks for this lesson! I'm far from this level but I'm used to play at least two different groupings quite fluently now. Two things are very important in your lesson that I would like to emphasize for who will read the comments: 1. It's CULTURE too. It's like a song or a usual pattern. 1a. It's much easier if you have HEARD a lot of this in the music you listen to. If not, then listen to music in 5:4, 7:8 you name it. 1b. It's much easier (if at all possible) if you KNOW them before you play them. Play one while singing another, then conversely, then sing both with two different sounds. It's not just a mechanical thing. 2. The slicing and the landmarks. 2a. You have to know your 16ths very well (1e&a2e&a3e&a...), know to play only the 'e's, the 'a's, the '&' of course to have some precise beacons. Something that still helps me very much is what I call the «odd or even» thing: will the two sounds will be at the same time or in counter time, on the 8ths or counter to the 8ths... 2b. Big chunks are interesting too. Know how to start in the middle for example, as Camille explained very well. And as Yogev Gabai says: math is very important (or does he say the contrary?). Don't hesitate to write things out, not in the classical way but maybe with diagrams. I must admit that even working on odd meters, odd groupings and all for 30 years, and being a Meshuggah fan for 25 years, I would have thought this would have been impossible to play. Nice work! Shameless plugs here: A kind of transcription of Meshuggah patterns: grahack.github.io/pattashuggah/ Some silly rhythm exercises where I divide the pulse (half time, quarter time...): soundcloud.com/profgra-org/tracks Des bises de Nantes.

[@DevonSmith1]

The crasher hat/kick drum groove sounds a lot like the groove in Tool- Eulogy. This was awesome, I want that Benny Grebb Crasher Hat/kick bell. The polyrhythm reminds me of King Crimson a lot.

[@O82A69]

The footblock in 7 on top of them…un truc de dingue. 😅 Chapeau 😊

[@MarkusH1966]

❤ Really great!

[@vimalkumar-pm8zb]

Thanks.This bossonova pattern will help to improve 4way independence of hands and legs.❤👍👍

[@groove_sapient]

Mind blown.

[@unwindedcom]

That’s amazing:)

[@zmorton]

You're pretty good at this. 😆

[@simonbackwash]

Well done 👏🏻👏🏻 So relax ❤

[@SugarRushTimes2030-gs3qp]

Tough stuff love it!

[@Uaarkson]

If it takes 20 minutes to explain, it would probably take me 20 years to learn.

[@setitfree78]

Don't worry the average listener dances to 4/4

[@petrtroschenkov360]

First pattern I’ve learned from missis Bigeault was pretty much the same as in this video. It took me over 3 months to nail it. I would spend 3-4 hours every day 7 days a week . There were a lot of doubts if I ever could do it. But with the time it came to me. So, take your time , be persistent and one day all your efforts will be paid off.It’s the only matter of how much energy you put to achieve to what you want! It’s that simple… yeah? Camille 17:11 is absolutely dedicated person to what she does, that’s why she’s a winner!

[@c3N3q]

It takes 20 minutes to explain because it's a detailed explanation that includes tips on how to practice. "All" it is is 16th notes of 4/4,, and you "only" play different groupings of these 16th notes with each limb. It gets much easier after a while. Write it down so you can See what is where, start from slow with 2 limbs first.

[@subfragment]

Just learn how to play a triplet, and then place a triplet on every note of the larger triplet, and soon you'll be playing a 3/8 meter and a 9/16 and that's all you'll need to understand if you're in to playing 4/4 for ppl to dance

[@CamilleBigeault]

Don't underestimate yourself :p

[@joakimfrostblacksmithing7127]

This i got to try 👍👍

[@SJF98]

Incroyable! Merci beaucoup pour partager😊

[@fl00d69]

Yeah that's some gnarly independance you got there 👍

[@chrisogburn8240]

You are amazing!❤

[@roadboat9216]

Nice.

[@lukehenseysband]

You are actually insane .

[@alimkassim]

Fantastic

[@vadimuniverse999]

OMG! I loose my mind on 20 second ))

[@Vincent.Duquesne.]

Très intéressant, merci

[@ianmurray1173]

Sounds like King Crimson ❤

[@josephfuller9366]

Sounds like the intro to Steve Winwood's "Higher Love"...just sayin'!

[@chadhiggins9944]

That is ridiculous 🤯

[@urluberlu2757]

Ah oui, très bon exercice en effet ! :-D

[@hubertried19]

Camille, that's truly impressive, thank you very much for sharing. I'm just a rookie drummer, but I'm very interested in this and I want to understand it precisely. According to your video, the pattern repeats after 105 quarter notes (3 * 5 * 7), but it doesn't land on the 1, it lands on the 2? So you have to play 4 times (105 bars) in 4/4 to land again on the one ?! I'v tried to notate this but stopped... I need to notate at least 105 bars to get one circle down and don't even land on the one. CRAZY! 🙂

[@CamilleBigeault]

Thank you very much! It's important to understand which "one" you are refering to here. I guess that you're talking about the "1" of the kick in 4? In my learning process, I emphasizes the 4*5*7 polymeter, which had to repeat three times to loop entirely when we add the hi hat in 3. You, on the other hand, are talking about the 3*5*7 polymeter, so it's a different one. I'm speaking refering to 16th notes, so indeed the 3*5*7 polymeter cycles every 105 16th notes (and NOT quarter notes as you said, even if you could write it at this rate but it would take a lot of bars haha) and you will have to play it 4 times during which the kick in 4 will explore various different placements along it, until the whole polymeter resolves on the "1" of each limb pattern. And you are right, if by "1" you mean the "1" of the kick in 4 16th notes (so the first 16th note of the four), then when the 2d cycle of the 3*5*7 begins, it begins on the 2d 16th note of the kick pattern, meaning that the kick (always playing on the 1st 16th note) will arrive just before the 3 other limbs which are playing together (and the tom pattern is starting on the 12" tom). But I don't recommend seeing the polymeter that way, because it's easier to refer to the kick in 4 as an anchor. If you focus on the 3*5*7 polymeter, it will be your anchor, while the kick will be placed all around it in various places, so for our minds it's harder! Plus, it's hard to write it in 4/4, because the whole polymeter takes a little more than 27 4/4 bars. Better to try to write it in 20/16 for example (so based on the 4*5 polymeter) or in 35/16!

[@hubertried19]

@@CamilleBigeault Thank you so much for your detailed response and your tips! I think I still need time to digest everything you've written... When listening, the polymeter "clearly" felt like 4/4 to me. Perhaps it's because it grooves so hard! For example, 3*4*5 sounds like a latin beat to me, almost like a Bossa Nova! :-) I've already started practicing. I probably will never make it, but hey: it's just so much fun!

[@CamilleBigeault]

@@hubertried19 You're welcome! Yes it feels like 4/4 because the ear relates to the kick in 4 that grounds everything :D That's why I personally focused on the 4vs5 polymeter to learn everything else around it, because that sounds familiar and very bossa nova! And if you keep practicing it you'll be surprise because will come a time where you'll be able to play it without even thinking about it that much!

[@hubertried19]

@@CamilleBigeault made good progress in practicing and, YES, I think I've finally got your point: Getting rid of the 4/4 feel simplifies things significantly! The patterns repeat much faster, but in 4/4 they shift what can drive CRAZY. I am having a hard time to "plug" the limbs together i.e. 5*3 not even tried 7 but I guess, thats the challenge! I will keep going, kinda like it 🙂

[@markgriskey]

I don’t see any link for for the book you mentioned. But you tube always comes n fuses me more than playing drums does.:)

[@CamilleBigeault]

That's because you didn't read the description of the video (below it, click on "...more" to show the whole description), all the links are in it ;)

[@DavidGonzalez-qq4vj]

Camille Hello excellent excellent 🥁🥁🥁👏👏👏

[@simonmorley2934]

As you add in all the different meters, do you focus on one in particular? Like a dominant limb that you fit all the other pieces in front or behind. If that makes sense lol

[@CamilleBigeault]

In the video I explain that I mainly focus on the 4 against 5 general pattern (for this particular polymeter of course). There's always one limb or 2 limbs that kind of lead the way you're gonna see the whole rhythm!

[@GeordiLaForgery]

Nice polyrhythm

[@thecandlebombs]

Hermosa!!! merci!

[@mancuniancandidatem]

Bravo!

[@themattprofessor]

Wicked playing, which Benny Green crasher hat is it the 8” or 6” can’t tell from the video.?

[@CamilleBigeault]

Thanks! It's 8" ;)

[@themattprofessor]

They sound great.

[@Megamatthiesen]

Awesome.. 🥢🥁 🌏❤️

[@amazonianchild]

Nice!

[@yannyloyer7177]

that left foot clave kills me lol. though one

[@Arbigale]

Afro cuban rhythms❤❤❤❤❤

[@davidlaidlaw7538]

Killer 🔥

[@defe514]

🤯

[@mojoxide]

Good lawd. I thought I could play polymeters.

[@clasesdepercusion]

Genius❤

[@perosa99]

Wouldn’t the left foot cowbell be in 8 16th notes? 1-2-3-silence-5-6-7-silence Otherwise there shouldn’t be a silence between 7th and 1st note? Or maybe I’m just not getting it correctly…😅 At slow motion seems to me the silences are shorter than the full 16th note to make it fit in 7. Quite the mind bender!

[@CamilleBigeault]

Maybe you don't get where the 16th notes are? If I transcribe just one entire pattern of the woodblock, it's [ W-S-W-S-W-S-S] ("W" for one 16th note played with the woodblock, and "S" for one 16th note silence, for a total of 7 16th notes). Does that help?

[@perosa99]

Wow! Thanks for your prompt reply. I see now. I was not counting correctly. Amazing lesson 👍🏼

[@esoasi]

ya me enamore

[@AaronNGray]

Play it until you relax !

[@danyrogers4220]

whoa 🥴

[@DarkDrum.]

So nice ty

[@vagamorneval8451]

Merci.

[@ili626]

But wouldn’t the cycle need to be the common denominator of 3, 5 & 7 .. which is 105! Am I confused?

[@CamilleBigeault]

If you talk about the cycle of the 3vs5vs7 polymeter, then yes, it's 105 16th notes! And adding the kick in 4, I'll have to repeat this cycle 4 times. But in my learning process I focused on the 5vs7vs4 polymeter, which I have to repeat 3 times if I integrate the hi hat in 3 on it

[@moped975]

Wahnsinn! Es hört sich indisch an.

[@patrag5965]

👍🥰

[@loukastsoulakos5497]

my brain hurts

[@GvOxx23m3rmanD]

can i share an idea for this tutorial can i request that you put notations the screen all 3 different signatures so more or less we see the spaces in between each 2 signature phrases so we can train the third phrase easily with similarities n differences thank you

[@CamilleBigeault]

I prefer that people try to make the transcription parts themselves! Because this way they learn even more than just reading the answer

[@morethanaveragejoe8224]

Aha!! I am now convinced Mademoiselle Camille is a drumming robot. I think I saw her pretty blue eyes shine red like the eyes of a Terminator. :)

[@CamilleBigeault]

I am not a robot. I can still select every image showing a cat. Or a car.

[@morethanaveragejoe8224]

@@CamilleBigeault Lol. My apologies, Camille. I was fooled by the incredible precision of your drumming. :)

[@simonmorley2934]

Learn invincible by tool. You may enjoy it

[@BalthazarMaignan]

That's insanely clean !

[@mayiask654]

I'm not a drummer so i might not fully understand it. What i noticed is that the beats on the left foot and also on the right hand are not exactly even distributed over the measure. Is that supposed to be or is she playing it wrong?

[@CamilleBigeault]

It's a polymeter, not a Polyrhythm. It's only rhythms of different lengths (meaning composed with a different number of 16th notes) played together over a common subdivision of 16th note. One rhythm will loop every 3 subdivision, the other every 4, etc. It's not a matter of "evenly distribution over one bar" here, if I understood you right

[@mayiask654]

​​@@CamilleBigeault thanks for clarifying. 🙂👍 Yes, you understood right. I was thinking of polyrhythm. Also (my bad ☺️😇) i somehow missed the parts where you explain that you are leaving out some of the subdivisions... That's what confused me most because the "missing" subdivisions produces those little "interruptions".

[@physics2817]

Piece of cake 🎂 🤣🤣🤣

[@williamnantz571]

Helps me to understand however this is on another level than I’m ready for. maybe some time

[@markkens9]

This one seems less like patterning and more like building a soundscape.

[@michaelpulaski506]

hey, what drum heads are those?

[@CamilleBigeault]

Remo emperor colortone (red) top, and remo emperor coated bottom!

[@michaelpulaski506]

nice! great groove btw.

[@MrSpuentes]

I can't even listen to this in time ,much less play it.

[@rshfn44]

I'm having a hard time counting 5 to the toms pattern ?

[@rshfn44]

. . . in fact , it seems that I am counting 6 for the opening toms pattern ?

[@rshfn44]

. . . oh' OK' ... each cycle through the toms is two counts of five , 5/16 ?

[@TheSquareOnes]

@@rshfn44 Yes, if I understand the question right. The pattern is accenting the 1st and 3rd notes and is arranged across two bars. "Tom - rest - tom - rest - rest, tom - rest - tom - rest - rest" with each of those notes or rests being a single 16th note.

[@CamilleBigeault]

@@rshfn44 Yes :)

[@chrisblackburn1892]

That makes my head hurt

[@JasonWelchMusic]

And there goes my vertigo....

[@lucmichel7588]

👍👍👌

[@IThinkYouLookLarvely]

Wow, that's amazing independence of limbs - Neil Peart will be smiling down at you 😊

[@CamilleBigeault]

Not independence! Coordination ;)

[@IThinkYouLookLarvely]

@@CamilleBigeault Ah yes, thank you! Brilliant videos, and fully subscribed 🙂

[@wriker36]

Crikey... My brain is hurting. Bugger me!

[@warlee6969]

Could you write this down to notes please? And show it all together? I would comprehend it much faster from reading the notes than from verbal explanation

[@Icthi]

It would be a great exercise for you to write it out. Bet you’d learn it fastest that way.

[@ronnieroxx13]

That hurts my head

[@SkinMetalWood]

Good luck finding the resolution of the cycle.

[@Vince-ml9gw]

😲🙌🫨

[@christopheroliver148]

I need my eyes checked. I read this as "the hardest polymer," and I expected a chemistry lecture.

[@CamilleBigeault]

🤣🤣

[@galwaytribesman9289]

I need to get 3 other brains

[@Augfordpdoggie]

yea but can you rap? ;) Awesome job!!!!!

[@CamilleBigeault]

I can't, and let's not even talk about beatboxing xD

[@holokaan]

🥲

[@webstercat]

The question when will this applicable? I

[@CamilleBigeault]

Hi! I copy paste my answer to a similar question. It has a practical application in everything you do on drums, since it's about developping your sense of time, space, relation to subdivisions and groupings, inner strenght on beats of various meters, and also general coordination, independance, capacity of playing what comes to your mind, improvisation, and creativity (it levels up your CPU in general and gives you a larger perspective on rhythm). It also developps your way of playing over a rhythmic ostinato in general, whether it's in latin music (salsa, bossa nova, samba...) or in a drum solo. You can also create new original rhythms applying this concept, it's endless, and you can use it to compose music too (not only drums), like I did with my compositions "Anatman" and "Mental Web".

[@Drumsholic]

Oh this is too easy for me please make it more difficult using accents on China too instead of three subdivisions at small hihat.Also something like this where has a practical application?In Latin Music?

[@CamilleBigeault]

It has a practical application in everything you do on drums, since it's about developping your sense of time, space, relation to subdivisions and groupings, inner strenght on beats of various meters, and also general coordination, independance, capacity of playing what comes to your mind, improvisation, and creativity. In latin music it's a lot about phrasing over one steady ostinato, so yes it developps that too. You can also create new original rhythms applying this concept, it's endless, and you can use it to compose music too (not only drums), like I did with my compositions "Anatman" and "Mental Web".

[@Drumsholic]

@@CamilleBigeault very interesting, thank you for the long and analytical explanation!!

[@Solar.Geoengineering.Advocate]

bing bang bong bung

[@bobbydigital8111]

Cool... So what are you doing for dinner tonight?