Lesson 5: Two Against Three

When a westerner listens to African music, there is something a bit unsettling or uneasy about the music. Upon careful examination, you might realize that what you hoped was a steady beat is actually two or more different beats flying through each other as if they were ghosts. You can't tell which one is more important. The very foundation of the music seems to be called into question.

Ah, but this uncertainty becomes the new foundation. And after listening to this music and playing it, you begin to feel at home in the criss-crossing multi-rhythms.

The simplest multi-rhythm is called "2 against 3". At the fifth kalimba klub, only Jim Gates arrived. We worked on some pretty cool stuff, though, and this is some of it.

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View tablature for simple Two Against Three.

Listen to the simple Two Against Three.

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View tablature for 2 against 3 on the alto kalimba.

Listen to this more complex example of Two Against Three.