Waiting for Mr. Triangle:  Drum Composition Example
Multicultural Mathematics
Rachel Hall

Waiting for Mr. Triangle MIDI file
abc file

time signature = 7 beats per measure
tempo = 350 beats per minute

abcdrums entries.

Voice 1:  Hi-Mid Tom     %%  100  %%  A47 d
Voice 2:  Closed Hi-Hat  %%  100  %%  B47 d
Voice 3:  Low Floor Tom  %%  100  %%  C47 d
Voice 4:  Short Whistle  %%  127  %%  z28 ((dzz)8  d z10)2 (z7 H z7 H z7)2 z6 F z7 FF z7 FFF z7 FFFF H z7 H z7  EH z6 EH z6 EH
Voice 5:  Open Cuica     %%  127  %%  z28 ((dzzz)6 d z10)2 (z7 z7 H z7 H)2 z6 G z7 GG z7 GGG z7 GGGG z7 H z7 H  DH z6 DH z6 DH
Voice 6:  Open Triangle  %%  127  %%  (z7)47 d
 

Pattern A:  dzzdzdz
Pattern B:  zzdzdzd
Pattern C:  dzzdzzz
Pattern D:  zzdzzzdz
Pattern E:  dzzddzzd
Pattern F:  dddzz
Pattern G:  zzzzd
Pattern H:  zddddzd
 

Rhythm cycle.  This cycle has a length of one measure = 7 beats.
 
Hi-Mid Tom X     X   X  
Closed Hi-Hat     X   X   X
Low Floor Tom X     X      

Tihai ending pattern.  The tihai is based on this pattern.

EH:  dzzddzzd zddddzd

This pattern has length 15.  To find the gap length g, we solve the equation 3*15 + 2*g = 1 (mod 7).  The smallest value of g that makes this equation true is 6, since 3*15 + 2*6 = 57 = 1 (mod 7).

So EH z6 EH z6 EH  has duration = 1 (mod 7).