Ὁ Πενταμετρικὸς Κύκλος – The Pentametric Cycle
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Rhythm generator

The cycle as a drum pattern. Each step n plays the drum assigned to its residue H(n), and silence is a rest. A period of 25 steps does not fit evenly into bars of 4, 8 or 16, so the pattern drifts against the beat and only lines up again after many bars, like a slow phase.

Click any cell to switch a drum on or off for your own variation.

Which drum for which residue

Why it phases

The cycle repeats every 25 steps, while music is usually counted in groups of 4, 8 or 16. Since 25 and 16 share no common factor, the pattern starts on a different beat of the bar each time it comes round, and only returns to its starting position after 25 bars of 16 steps (400 steps). With the palindrome of 50 steps against bars of 16, it takes 25 bars as well (lcm 50, 16 = 400).

The MIDI file uses the General MIDI drum channel (10), so any drum machine or DAW will play it with its own drum sounds.