A gap or hole is an object missing from a pattern that is otherwise the same as another pattern that uses more objects. In siteswap notation, a gap (a beat with an empty hand) is a 0. Patterns with gaps (e.g. 55550) can be used as exercises to prepare for the full patterns (e.g. 5).
55550 ~ Four Ball Siteswap
5 ball cascade with a gap by Robert Wood
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4 ball synch fountain with a gap |
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4 ball wimpy pattern with a gap |
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5 ball cascade with a two consecutive gaps (3 ball flashes) |
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5 ball cascade with a two nonconsecutive gaps (3 ball snake) |
Sometimes if an object is removed from a siteswap to make a gap pattern, the new pattern takes more beats than the original pattern before it repeats. The notation for 534 without the ball that is always thrown as a 3 (504) is a period 3 sequence like the original pattern, but removing any of the other balls results in the period 9 pattern 534034530.
Variations[]
Siteswaps similar to basic patterns with gaps but with an object held in the hand during the pause (a 2) instead of having an empty hand (a 0):
- 42
- 552
- 6662
- (6,6)(6,2)
- (6x,6x)(6x,2)*
- 77772
- 888882
- (8,8)(8,8)(8,2)
- (8x,8x)(8x,8x)(8x,2)*