Ex. 1 is inspired by the 9/8 groove in “Jambi,” which essentially consists of three layers. For the most effective way to feel this combination of rhythms, play along with the song, or use a multi-track recorder and create a bar of 9/8 that contains the kick drum hitting three dotted quarter-notes, splitting the bar evenly in thirds. Then mute that part and record the high part (bass guitar 1), a martial flurry of 16th- and 32nd-notes that really drive the 9 in the 9/8 forward. Once you have that down, try playing the figure in bass guitar 2 on top of it. You’ll notice that the dotted eighths split the bar evenly into six notes, resulting in 6 inside of 9. Now add the kick drum back in, play it again, and you’ll feel the tension of your dotted eighths pulling against the kick drum’s dotted quarters, all while the fast flurry in 9 glides overhead, or 3 inside 6 inside 9. Now, as Justin would say, you’re making a cake!
The difficult passage in “Rosetta Stoned,” where drummer Danny Carey floats a snare drum in six over Justin’s five, inspired Ex. 2. The example itself is in 6/8, but the bass is phrased in 5/16 all the way through. Here’s the rub: The snare drum hits on beat five of every 6/8 bar, and the game is to catch every single snare hit, even if the 5/16 bass pattern of eighth-note/dotted eighth-note doesn’t line up with it. You have to break away from the pattern for a brief, crazy 16th-note and then jump back in quickly. This occurs on beat five of bar 1, as well as beat five of bars 4 and 5. Easy? Not so much. But it feels good when you lock it in.