In this lesson we'll see how to combine this hand movement notation with the better known SiteSwaps. Of course, this may be a bit of a problem if you're not already familiar with SiteSwaps, but you don't need to worry. SiteSwaps will be explained as we go along, so you can pick up those bits that are necessary. If you decide after reading this lesson that want to know more about Siteswaps, contact us and we'll send you a gentle introduction to them.
In the meantime, let's get on with seeing how they can help us write descriptions of other patterns. We'll start by giving a quick overview of SiteSwaps. If you already know all about SiteSwaps then feel free to skip the boxed section below, although it can't do you any harm just to make sure that we've got it right!
+--------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | Basic Siteswaps ... | | | | 1. only describe patterns with a fixed, even rhythm, | | 2. only describe patterns that alternate hands, | | 3. don't describe multiplex or synchronous patterns, | | 4. don't describe hand movements or exchange types, | | 5. only describe patterns with exactly two hands. | | | | In SiteSwaps, consecutive throws are described by a sequence | | of numbers, and these numbers are then interpreted to give a | | juggling pattern. Not all sequences correspond to juggling | | patterns, but we we won't go into the how and why of the | | sequences here. All we'll do is mention how to interpret | | the numbers, because that's enough for our purposes here. | | | | 1. For any number from 3 onwards ... | | Imagine juggling that many balls in either a cascade | | or fountain. The kind of throw you are now imagining | | is the kind of throw this number represents. | | | | 2. For the number 2 ... | | Imagine holding a ball for one beat. | | | | 3. For the number 1 ... | | Imagine transferring a ball from one hand to the | | other. It's also known as a "shower throw." | | | | 4. For the number 0 ... | | This is having an empty hand for one beat. | | | | Here are some example, all done with three balls and | | "patched in" to a three ball cascade. | | | | ... 3 3 3 4 2 3 3 3 ... | | ^^^ Juggle a three ball cascade. Then do | | a fountain-like throw from one hand | | and pause with the other for a beat. | | You can wave that ball around if you | | like, but you don't have a lot of | | time. | | | | ... 3 3 3 5 2 2 3 3 3 ... | | ^^^^^ Juggle a three ball cascade. Then do | | a single high throw and wait for it | | to come down. If you get the height | | of the high throw right you'll have | | a wait of exactly two beats. | | | | ... 3 3 3 5 5 5 0 0 3 3 3 ... | | ^^^^^^^^^ Start with a three ball cascade. Do | | three high throws, leaving you with | | two empty hands. When the balls all | | come down you can resume your | | cascade. | | | | ... 3 3 3 4 4 1 3 3 3 ... | | ^^^^^ Start with a three ball cascade. | | Then from one hand do a fountain- | | like throw, and immediately from the | | other hand do the same. You have one | | ball left, so transfer it across. | | Strangely, you can now carry on with | | the cascade without breaking rhythm. | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+OK, that's the overview of SiteSwaps. How can we combine them with the state transition diagram? Let's look at a specific example, the weave. One hand, say, the left, holds a ball and never throws it. The other hand, the right hand, does two balls in columns. The SiteSwap for this is simply "42", one hand always throwing balls back to itself, the other hand always holding a ball. What about the hand movements?
Well, here is the full analysis of the pattern. Again, take time to check it, firstly for your own understanding, but also because we may have made a mistake!
Here is the sequence of states with the SiteSwap of the throw underneath ...
... -+-> Ur -o-> Ul -o-> Lr -+-> Ll -+-> Ur -o-> ...
4 2 4 2 4
And here is the diagram.
As you can see, the arms
###### ###### cycle through four different
# Lr # -+-> # Ll # states, and the SiteSwap of
###### 4 ###### the throw has been added to
^ | 2 the diagram. Once again, we
| + have a clear and unambiguous
o | description of a juggling
| 2 v pattern.
###### ######
# Ul # <-o- # Ur # However perhaps we can do
###### 4 ###### better.
Our basic idea here has been to add to the diagram the
SiteSwap value of the throw being made. The main problem
we're starting to run into is the fact that we have to write
down the entire diagram each time, and adding things to it
makes it just that little bit more awkward. Can we come up
with something a little easier to deal with, easier to write
down, easier to interpret, and less space-consuming?
Yes we can, and that's the subject of the next lesson.
Go to Lesson 12
Back to Lesson 10
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