polyrhythm

noun

poly·​rhythm ˈpä-lē-ˌri-t͟həm 

: the simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in music

polyrhythmic

ˌpä-lē-ˈrit͟h-mik 

adjective

polyrhythmically

ˌpä-lē-ˈrit͟h-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

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. —Chris Richards, Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2022

The instrumental rockers still pack a punch through core musical ingredients, including electric guitar, bass, drums and saxophone, to produce otherworldly polyrhythms. —Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2020

What hasn’t changed is the group’s penchant for Caribbean polyrhythms, Afrobeats and Latin-American melodies. —John Ochoa, Billboard, 23 Sep. 2019

Backed by funky polyrhythms from Dyson’s sticks, saxophonist Khari Lee blew a serpentine alto solo. —Dan Emerson, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2019

But Ode was again a wild card, working yet another polyrhythm of such power that even as Croker was playing beautiful, vibratoless romances, the drummer’s back-line improvisation was more interesting. —Michael J. West, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2019

The interesting thing here is that the polyrhythms found in traditional music are fundamentally different than the general 4/4 beat of Western music. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 12 Sep. 2019

There are more layers of vocal melody, more percussion, more polyrhythm, more direct connections to the guitars and horns of African pop, more languages among the lyrics and, of course, enormous soul and annunciatory power in Ms. Kidjo’s voice. —Jon Pareles, New York Times, 8 June 2018

But for her own productions, Ms. Borges mixes these childhood influences with polyrhythms, frantic beats, air horns and elements of genres like trance, European techno, Afro-house and American R&B. Her drums thwack like a bucking bronco. —Kate Hutchinson, New York Times, 14 June 2018

See More

Word History

First Known Use

1908, in the meaning defined above