SIMPLE RHYTHM CONSTRUCTION SET (PART II)

Most of the world's hand drum rhythms are combinations of these. They are selected for their simplicity, usefulness and educational variety.

* = Dance beat
B = bass
P = pressed bass
O = open tone
S = slap
t = touch

1 2 3 1 2 3  do not count these numbers  
* . . * . .  go by the beat and pulse  
B   B O   O  
r   r l   l  striking hand

Three space rhythms:

|1 2 3|   |1 2 3|   |1 2 3|  
|* . .|   |. * .|   |. . *|  
|O    |   |O P  |   |O O B|  
 r         r l       r r l

Four space rhythms:

|1 & 2 &|   |1 & 2 &|   |1 & 2 &|  |1 & 2 &|
|* , . ,|   |* , . ,|   |. , * ,|  |* , . ,| 
|O      |   |B   O  |   |O O B  |  |O O    |
 r           r   l       r l r      r l

Six space rhythms:

|1 2 3 4 5 6|   |6 1 2 3 4 5|   |1 2 3 1 2 3|
|* . . . . .|   |. * . . . .|   |* . . * . .| 
|B   O O O  |   |O P   O    |   |B   B O   O| 
 r   l r l       r l   r         r   r l   l

Eight space rhythms:

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|     |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|* , . , * , . ,|     |* , . , * , . ,|   
|B   B   O     O|     |B     O B   O  |  
 r   r   l     l       r     l r   l  


|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|(cinquillo)   |1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|* , . , * , . ,|              |. , * , . , * ,|  
|O   O O   O O  |              |O O t   t t t  | 
 r   r l   r l                  r l r   l r l

Twelve space rhythms:

|1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3|    |1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6|
|* . . * . . * . . * . .|    |* . . * . . * . . . . .| 
|P   O P     P   O P O  |    |P   O P   O P   O   O  | 
 l   r l     l   r l r        l   r l   r l   r   r

Sixteen space rhythms:

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|. , * , . , * , . , * , . , . ,|
|O O B   O O S   O O B   O O    |
 r l r   r l r   r l r   r l

|1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &|
|. , * , . , * , . , * , . , * ,|
|O O O O   O P   O   P   O   P  |
 r l r l   r l   r   l   r   l