Imagining Rhythm in a Different Way

Rhythm is indicated on a musical bar line in standard notation. However, there are other, perhaps more intuitive, ways to picture rhythm. In his explanation of the "wheel method" of tracing rhythm, John Varney utilized it in his research on this subject to take us on a musical tour across the globe.

Although we typically associate rhythm with music, it actually permeates every aspect of our environment, from the tides of the ocean to our own heartbeats. Rhythm is basically a repeated event across time. Even the sound of a clock ticking is a rhythm. However, a continuous series of identical single beats is insufficient for musical rhythm.

We need at least one opposing beat that has a different sound, which can be the backbeat with an accent or the unstressed offbeat. These beats can be distinguished in a variety of ways, for example, by employing high and low drums or long and short beats. It's not always clear which beat will be seen as the dominant beat; like the famous Rubin's vase, this might change based on cultural interpretation.

There are different ways to describe rhythm besides using a musical bar line as it is done in standard notation. Do you still hear the clock? The flow of rhythm can be traced in a circle, just as its round face can show the linear progression of time. A continuous wheel can be a more natural method to visualize rhythm than a linear score that calls for turning the page back and forth. Using blue dots for the main beats, orange dots for offbeats, and white dots for secondary beats, we can identify the beats at various locations around the circle. Here is a straightforward two-beat rhythm that consists of a main beat and an opposing offbeat.

Alternatively, a rhythm with three beats—a main beat, an offbeat, and a subsidiary beat—could be used. Additionally, the intervals between each beat can be further subdivided into beats using multiples of two or three. Concentric wheels enable us to layer several patterns to produce more intricate rhythms. For instance, we can create a four beat system by adding offbeats to a simple two beat rhythm. Rock, country, jazz, reggae, and cumbia are just a few of the well-known genres that have gained worldwide acclaim.

On the other hand, we may mix a two-beat and a three-beat rhythm. We are left with a rhythm whose fundamental sense is three-four after removing the extra main beat and turning the inner wheel. This serves as the foundation for the music of the Whirling Dervishes, a variety of Latin American rhythms like the joropo, and even Bach's well-known Chaconne. Now, if we think back to Rubin's vase and hear the offbeats as the major beats, this will give us a six-eight feeling, as heard in genres like Chacarera, Quechua, Persian music, and more.

We have three tiered circles with an eight beat system, and each rhythm is played by a different instrument. The outermost layer, which is made up of an additive rhythmic element, can then be added to strengthen the primary beat and improve precision. Let's now take away everything but this blended rhythm and the two fundamental beats on top. This rhythmic pattern can be heard in the Northern Romanian music, the Puerto Rican bomba, and the Cuban cinquillo. We also get a pattern that is frequently heard in Middle Eastern music, Brazilian choro, and Argentinian tango when we turn the outer circle 90 degrees counterclockwise.

The underlying rhythm in all of these instances reinforces the fundamental one-two, albeit in various ways depending on the composition and cultural context. It appears that the wheel approach is more than just a useful tool for visualizing intricate rhythms. By releasing us from the shackles of the bar line, we are able to think of rhythm in terms of time. By just turning the wheel, we can travel the globe of music.