I am having fun with math… one new piece has a chorus in 4/4 at 99bpm and a verse that’s in 6/8 at 66bpm – the beat is the whole note of the 6/8 verse rhythm and the triplets of the 6/8 rhythm are the quarter notes of the chorus rumba.

Actually that’s how I was playing it this Summer, but I wanted to know why I was playing it and what the relationship between the rhythms might be. It feels natural to me to switch between these rhythms. Jon said that there are African rhythms that do something similar, but playing both at the same time.

I have another new piece that’s in 5/4 at 120bpm and today I wrote an outro that’s in 4/4 at 96bpm. (((120 : 5 = 24, 24 x 4 = 96))). I am changing the kick drum and snare patterns, but the clap pattern will remain the same. It’s an eerie effect because the music seems to slow down because the same length of the bar now contains only four beats, instead of five, but the clap pattern stays the same and constant…