To understand the theory about FIVES and how you can learn to play them and hear what they sound like I will explain briefly how I teach them to my students. Being a drum teacher, I explain from a drummers perspective – but the theory is easily adapted for guitarists (up- and downstrokes) or bassists (index and middle finger). You get the overall idea.

Starting with quintuplets (famous examples of fives appear in Chopin’s sonata in C minor and Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony) would be a good idea – count five hits per beat. Drummers have many alternative stickings for quintuplets, but let’s settle for left-right-left-right-left right-left-right-left-right. Use a metronome when you are practicing this and it’s also a good thing to use your voice to really get it into your system. Try saying DA LA PI KO LA when practicing fives.

When you are comfortable with this we move on to the 5 against 2. Use the same pattern as above, but now accent every alternate note RlRlR lRlRl All right-hand hits are now accented. There you have the fundamental five-against-two sound. Play only the accents as soon as you are comportable with this – and there you have it.

5 against 4 is a bit more hard and takes a bit longer to learn. Let’s go back to the quintuplets again and use the same rlrlr lrlrl rlrlr lrlrl. The difference this time is that we accent every alternate hit with the right hand: RIGHT-left-right-left-RIGHT left-right-left-RIGHT-left right-left-RIGHT-left-right left-right-left-RIGHT-left. That’s 5 against 4! This can be hard to hear in slow tempos. When fluent in this, play only the accents.

Now have a great time with those polyrhythms, and by all means – go surprise your drummer!

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