4:3 polyrhythm

What it means

A 4:3 polyrhythm means four evenly spaced attacks happen in the same amount of time as three evenly spaced attacks. In this article, read 4:3 as four over three: the 4-note layer stretches across the time span of the 3-note layer.

If the 3-side is your main pulse, the 4-side creates a cross-rhythm that does not land on every beat. Both layers meet again at the start of the next cycle.

How the layers line up

The easiest way to see 4:3 is to divide the whole cycle into 12 equal parts. Twelve works because both 4 and 3 divide evenly into it.

Across those 12 small subdivisions, the 3-layer lands every 4 subdivisions. The 4-layer lands every 3 subdivisions.

If you are in 3/4 and the quarter notes are the 3-layer, the 4-layer can be felt as four equal notes spread across the bar. With sixteenth-note counting, those four attacks land on 1, a of 1, and of 2, and e of 3.

In that 3/4 example, the full 4:3 cycle lasts one bar. Both layers reset together on the next 1.

How to count or clap it

Start by counting three beats with four sixteenth-note subdivisions per beat:

1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a

Clap the 3-layer on the beat numbers:

1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a

Then clap the 4-layer on every third sixteenth-note subdivision:

1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a

Use the written count to understand the placement, then return to feeling two independent layers: three steady pulses and four even cross-pulses.

How it feels

4:3 feels like a smooth four-note shape stretching across a three-beat frame. The first attack is stable because both layers line up. The middle attacks create tension because they fall between the main beats. The final resolution feels satisfying when the cycle returns to the next downbeat.

Compared with 3:4, the math uses the same 12-part grid, but the felt reference changes. In 4:3, you are usually treating the 3-layer as the frame and hearing four equal attacks across it. In 3:4, you usually treat the 4-layer as the frame and hear three equal attacks across it.

Where musicians use it

Musicians use 4:3 in drum grooves, fills, improvisation, progressive rock and metal, jazz phrasing, contemporary classical music, electronic production, and hand percussion. A drummer might keep a 3-beat phrase in the feet while playing four evenly spaced accents with the hands. A guitarist or pianist might accent four notes across a bar of 3/4 to create forward motion.

Producers may use 4:3 by placing four evenly spaced samples, chords, or filter accents over a three-beat loop. The effect can be subtle if the groove remains clear, or dramatic if the 4-layer is loud and repeated.

Common confusions

4:3 polyrhythm vs 3:4 polyrhythm: In this glossary, 4:3 means four evenly spaced attacks over three pulses. 3:4 means three evenly spaced attacks over four pulses. They use the same 12-part grid, but the felt reference changes.

Polyrhythm vs polymeter: A 4:3 polyrhythm fits both layers into the same cycle, so they resolve together at the next downbeat. Polymeter means different meters run at the same time, such as one part in 4/4 and another in 3/4, often with barlines that only line up after several measures.

Polyrhythm vs subdivision: Counting the 12-part grid is a subdivision tool. The musical effect comes from hearing two different groupings inside that grid: 4 equal attacks and 3 equal attacks.

Polyrhythm vs tempo change: The tempo does not have to change. The main pulse can stay steady while the 4-layer creates a different internal rate.

Practice with a metronome

1. Set the metronome to a comfortable tempo, such as 60 bpm. Let each click be one beat of the 3-layer.
2. Count one bar of 3/4 as 1 e and a 2 e and a 3 e and a. Clap only on 1, 2, and 3.
3. Keep the click steady and clap the 4-layer: 1, a of 1, and of 2, and e of 3.
4. Tap the 3-layer with your foot while clapping the 4-layer with your hands. Make sure both land together on the next 1.
5. Switch roles: clap the 3-layer and speak the 4-layer. Say ta on the 4-layer positions: 1, a, and, and e in the pattern above.
6. For a harder version, set the click to only the first beat of each 3-beat cycle. Keep the full 4:3 pattern steady until the next click.