Thanks to @[email protected] for the links!
Here’s a link to Caltech’s press release: https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/thinking-slowly-the-paradoxical-slowness-of-human-behavior
Here’s a link to the actual paper (paywall): https://www.cell.com/neuron/abstract/S0896-6273(24)00808-0
Here’s a link to a preprint: https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.10234
This is timely as I’m actually new to drumming and teaching myself some basic polyrhythms right now. I’m definitely not capable of actively counting both rhythms at the same time. I’ll count one, play it until I’m not really thinking about it anymore, then play the other one on top of it. After awhile, my arms and legs will just go, my brain isn’t actually counting the rhythms individually but it hears the combined rhythm, basically I just memorize until the point that the polyrhythm syncs up and repeats. I didn’t use them, but there’s also a lot of common “phases” for learning these basic polyrhythms, like “pass the bread and butter” for 3 and 4, again just a tool to let the mind think of one funky rhythm rather than two basic rhythms played at once. Technically, they’re the same rhythm, but the first is easier to conceptualize
Look up Pete Magadini on YouTube. He’ll explain how to do this. You really must start by being able to count 2 over 3 (or 4 over 6, same thing). Tap out 6 on one leg and 4 on the other, using the “cheat” that everyone learns (i.e., playing in one meter only). This is not yet a polyrhythm. Then COUNT OUT LOUD, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4-5-6, alternating, several measures, while your hands continue to tap out both counts. This is how you internalize polyrhythms.
Also, learn Afro-Cuban rhythms. Those are claves of African origin and many are polyrhythmic. If you want to take it to the extreme, study Virgil Donati, man is sick.