What are they?

Additive rhythms are rhythms played one after another in a cycle. So e.g. alternating 3/4 with 4/4 is additive. Sometimes you have a more irregular pattern such as a few bars of 3/4 now and again in the middle of a piece in 4/4. That's a mixed meter, the more general term. You could say that additive rhythms are an especially regular form of mixed meter.

These are common in many traditions. Some take it much further, such as Indian music elaborating the idea into long cycles of rhythms that repeat over and over the same way each time, including cycles of polyrhythms as well.

Flamenco rhythms are based on the Additive rhythm 6/8 + 3/4.

Use these videos as a resource

You can use any of these videos as a resource for your own website or wikis, or make more of them yourself - see Add videos like these to your own site

Play these rhythms and animations at any tempo with Bounce Metronome

You can use Bounce Metronome Pro to practise these and many more rhythms at any tempo, including changing tempo. To find out more see Additive Rhythms under the Pro metronome.