Phantom of the Opera – Iron Maiden
This excerpt represents the core rhythm in Iron Maiden's 'Phantom of the Opera' – from their debut, self-titled album (1980). In the first measure, drummer, Clive Burr, played alternating eighth notes between the ride cymbal and snare drum over a four-on-the-floor pulse. In the second half of measure 2, the bass drum and crash cymbal sound together for 3 quarter notes. The musical term for grouping eighth notes into 2s and 3s to create a simple polymeter is 'hemiola'.
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