How to play 3 against 2: the 3:2 polyrhythm step by step
By Asztalos Levente Updated 3 min read
To play 3 against 2, split the cycle into six equal counts. One hand plays on counts 1, 3 and 5 (the three), the other on counts 1 and 4 (the two). Together they sound on 1, 3, 4 and 5, a rhythm many players remember with the phrase "nice cup of tea".
Three against two is the first polyrhythm most musicians learn, and the one you will meet most often. Once you can hear it as a single rhythm instead of two competing ones, every other ratio gets easier.
Count it in six
Both 3 and 2 divide evenly into 6, so count the cycle as six equal counts. The three lands on every second count, the two on every third.
| Count | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The three | ● | ● | ● | |||
| The two | ● | ● | ||||
| Together | ● | ● | ● | ● |
Count “1 2 3 4 5 6” evenly and clap on 1, 3, 4 and 5. That is the composite rhythm of 3:2: long, short, short, long.
Say it before you play it
A phrase with the same shape is the fastest way to lock in the composite rhythm. The most common one is “nice cup of tea”: “nice” on 1, “cup” on 3, “of” on 4 and “tea” on 5. Say it over and over at a steady speed until it sounds like a groove, not a sentence.
Step by step with two hands
- Tap the two on your left knee, counting “1 2 3 4 5 6” out loud. Taps fall on 1 and 4.
- Stop. Tap the three on your right knee while counting. Taps fall on 1, 3 and 5.
- Play both together, still counting. On count 1 both hands hit at once.
- Replace the counting with “nice cup of tea”.
- Swap hands, so the right plays the two and the left plays the three.
If one hand starts copying the other, go back a step and slow down. Most of the work is keeping each hand perfectly even on its own.
How it looks in written music
If the two is your beat, the three is a set of quarter-note triplets spanning two beats. In 6/8 against 3/4 you get the same relationship: two dotted-quarter beats against three quarter-note beats. Recognizing it on the page helps you spot it in pieces you already play.
Practice it with a metronome
Set the beat (the two) to a slow tempo and let a metronome play both layers with different sounds, so you can hear whether you are drifting. Then mute the three and keep playing it yourself, and after that mute the two. Finally switch your attention: feel the three as the beat and the two as the layer over it.
The polyrhythm trainer on this site does all of this in your browser. In the MetronomeLab app, open the Polynomes tab, set the Ratio to 2:3 (the app lists the beats first) and give each pulse its own sound; the rotating circle shows both layers, so you can see the next note coming. 3:2 is part of the free version.
Next steps: 3 against 4, or read what a polyrhythm is for the bigger picture.
Try it: 3:2
BPM is the speed of the 2-beat layer, the pulse you would tap your foot to.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 against 2 the same as a hemiola?
They are closely related. A hemiola is the 3:2 relationship at the level of bars: two bars of three beats phrased as three groups of two, or the other way round. A 3:2 polyrhythm puts both layers on top of each other at the same time.
Which hand should play the three?
Either. Start with whichever feels natural, usually the dominant hand on the three, and once it is steady swap hands. Being able to play it both ways is what makes it usable in real music.
What tempo should I start at?
Slow enough that you can count all six counts out loud without rushing, often around 50-60 beats per minute for the two. Speed it up only when the rhythm feels relaxed.
