Music Theory Colloquium: Scott Hanenberg, theory faculty

Drum Patterns in Irregular Grooves

Most popular music with drums is in quadruple meter, and drum patterns like the backbeat are so common that listeners can reliably hear a song’s meter by listening to the drums. But how do listeners make sense of popular music in irregular meters, and what patterns do drummers play in metrically irregular grooves? This presentation suggests answers to these questions. Based on my analysis of over 300 songs in irregular meters, I share the most common patterns and confront the most common sources of ambiguity. Sometimes a consistent beat or subdivision is emphasized, helping the listener to keep the count. Sometimes the snare drum stretches or compresses what could have been a common-time backbeat groove. Some grooves are polymetric, presenting multiple beat groupings in different textural layers. Come listen to how the drums shape irregular grooves in music by Tori Amos, Tool, Vanessa Hudgens and others. 

Ticket Information

Admission is free and open to the public.