polyrhythm

American  

[pol-ee-rith-uhm] / ˈpɒl iˌrɪð əm /

noun

Music.

1. the simultaneous occurrence of sharply contrasting rhythms within a composition.

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polyrhythm British  

/ ˈpɒlɪˌrɪðəm /

noun

1. music a style of composition in which each part exhibits different rhythms

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Other Word Forms

• polyrhythmic adjective
• polyrhythmically adverb

Etymology

Origin of polyrhythm

First recorded in 1925–30; poly- + rhythm

Example Sentences

After his lessons with Smith, Naqvi was best known as the drummer from Dawn of Midi, a mesmerizing trio that approached polyrhythm with a thrilling, almost scientific tenacity.

From Washington Post • Dec. 20, 2022

It lays out a polyrhythm of events and exhibitions, but rarely repeats itself.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

“I’m thinking of past lives, I’m thinking of having a kid,” Fohr sings, crooning a journal entry over alien polyrhythm.

From Washington Post • Apr. 28, 2020

Saxophone, trombone and violin all tangled as the bass and vibraphone built a dicey polyrhythm underneath.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2017

To best illustrate a polyrhythm, the following system, known as the T.U.B.S. or Tiny Unit Box System, was developed as a way for participants to visualize the inner workings of a polyrhythm.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin