Musical Traits of Contemporary Classical Music: Rhythm

In a previous blog entry, we discussed how contemporary classical music took many of the ideas from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods and applying them to new pieces, creating rich harmonies but with fewer restraints than ever before.

Composers have followed a similar theme with rhythm, using increasingly complex and varied rhythms at one extreme and extreme simplicity of rhythm and melody at the other. Shifting time signatures are a feature, with additional beats added for more drama or to emphasise and an element of the melody. In some cases, an ostinato or riff is given its personality by an odd time signature change or an asymmetrical meter as well as what notes make it up.

Composers deploy plenty of other rhythmic ideas, such as polyrhythms and polymeters. A polyrhythm is the simultaneous performance of two or more contrasting rhythms that are not easily taken from a single meter. A common polyrhythm is using triplets against normal notes such e.g. three triplet crotchets against two normal crotchets. This creates a ‘three against two’ effect, adding complexity, tension and interest.

Whilst Polyrhythms use subdivisions of the same amount of time Polymeters use different length phrases that have the same pulse. A Polymeter is the simultaneous use of two or more different time signatures (or meters) at the same tempo, creating a complex layering of rhythms. One instrument could be playing a pattern in 3/4 with another playing a pattern in 4. Every 12 beats these two patterns will overlap.

You can see this compositional process in a variety of pieces but Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite Of Spring’ shows it most effectively. Stravinsky would use units called ‘cells’ to create rhythmic complexity and seeming chaos. Stravinsky’s use of cells is a fundamental feature of his compositional style which he adapted for different pieces. A cell is a small identifiable musical idea, be it a cluster of pitches or a rhythmic pattern (a similar concept to a leitmotif) that is repeated, varied, manipulated and layered to construct a larger musical form. So instead of a single regular pulse, Stravinsky uses these independent rhythmic units (called cells) and changes time signature regularly making the rhythm feel both unpredictable and primal.

---

Explore More from Nick Pike

Nick Pike is a London-based composer, pianist, saxophonist, producer, and educator with over 15 years of professional experience. His music blends neoclassical piano with jazz, funk, and contemporary influences, drawing comparisons to Ludovico Einaudi, Yiruma, and Ólafur Arnalds. Alongside original compositions, Nick offers music services including scoring for film, TV, and advertising, piano and saxophone recording, arranging for strings and horns, and professional mixing and production.

Music & Albums – Original releases from solo piano to orchestral scores.

Services – Composition, recording, arranging, and production for artists, media, and brands.

Contact – Get in touch for lessons, commissions, or collaborations.