World Of Rhythm Worskhop

A World of Rhythm- WORKSHOP

A workshop exploring the concepts and playing strategies of poly rhythm, cross rhythm and odd time meters. Applicable to any instrument

During this 2-hour workshop topics explored and discussed will include:

  • the concepts and application of poly rhythm, cross rhythm and odd time meters

  • how these musical phenomena appear in folk, jazz and pop music

  • a step by step practical approach towards applying these concepts in any musical situation.

  • different ways ways to notate & conceptualise above concepts

This will be a hands-on workshop so feel free to bring your instrument.  All welcome-musical theory not essential, these concepts will be discussed using both conventional music theory and more universal concepts using numbers and the physical phenomena involved.

A bit of background on how I got here….
Throughout my 35+ years of playing and teaching I have had a continuous fascination with rhythm and how & why it operates in different musical worlds.
As an 80’s pop radio kid, I wasn’t really exposed to much poly or cross rhythm but clues were dropped. Bands like Talking Heads and The Police-Devo, and artists such as Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Paul Simon turned me on to rhythm as a fluid and vital musical element.

Living in Adelaide and thanks to the WOMAD festival I was opened up to a whole lot of music from around the world and fell particularly hard for West African & Afro Cuban music. I have continued down this rabbit hole trying to find a way to express the richness, complexity and funkiness of Afro based rhythm concepts in my own music. Through this process I have developed a learning system which I am keen to share.

A few examples of my own music exploring these concepts:

Excerpt from an unreleased work by the Melbourne group The Subprimes. 5/4 clave with an Afro Cuban feel. Guitar is playing an almost six over five.

Excerpt from the 2013 release Multiverse. Both 12/8 & 3/4 groove with a few extra ideas floating around.

Excerpt from a 2025 live gig collaborating with the Perth group Numbr Junky-12/8 groove playing with a “Samba” type feel and mixng up 5 & 7 phrases