TRIPLETS
Triplets are notes that fill 1/3 of a beat. Most often, a beat is divided into two equal parts, called duple time.
Duple means two parts. Eighth notes and sixteenth notes are made up of units of two parts to fill beats, so they are duple.
Triplets are utilized when a composer wishes to fill a unit of time by grouping 3 notes evenly within one beat.
Triplets can occur within other beat combinations too, but for now, let’s learn the basic TRIPLET.
Each individual triplet note fills 1/3 of one quarter note beat.
The three notes of the triplet are played evenly in the time of one quarter note.
Triplets are indicated by placing the number 3 near the beam. Most often there is also a bracket, which helps bring visual attention to the notes, however the bracket is optional.
Triplets can be counted as TRI-PO-LET.
Any 3 syllable combination can help you determine 3 equal sub-divisions within a beat.
To make it easier to perform triplets evenly, you can think:
PUP-PY-DOG, KIT-TY-CAT, or simply TRI-PO-LET.
Meet Cal Universal Language Rhythm Notation Music Staff Origins of the Staff
Rhythm Laboratory Notation Parts Note Heads Stems Beams Flags Note Construction
Common-Time Measures Bar-Lines Counting in Common-Time Whole, Half and Quarter Notes
Ties Dots Time-Signatures Q’s Rhythm Review Time-Signature Rules Beat Accent
Down-Beat and Up-Beat Conducting Patterns Cut-Time Common-Time Beat Emphasis
Three-Beat Measures Note Values Rhythm Workouts The ‘Cycle’ Note Equivalents
Counting Sub-Divisions “If You Can Say It, You Can Play It” Author’s Story Sub-Division Lingo
Quarter Notes with Eight Notes Adding Sixteenth Notes Notes Sharing Beams Beam Awareness Pointers
Triplets Triplet Workout Compound-Time Compound-Time Workout Music Rests
Rest and Note Equivalents Whole Rest Half Rest Quarter Rest Eighth Rest Sixteenth Rest
Dotted Rests Q’s Rest Review Process of Sub-Division Relating Rests to Notes Rhythm Exam Prep
Level 1 Rhythm Exam Level 2 Rhythm Exam Level 3 Rhythm Exam
Rhythm Laboratory Notation Parts Note Heads Stems Beams Flags Note Construction
Common-Time Measures Bar-Lines Counting in Common-Time Whole, Half and Quarter Notes
Ties Dots Time-Signatures Q’s Rhythm Review Time-Signature Rules Beat Accent
Down-Beat and Up-Beat Conducting Patterns Cut-Time Common-Time Beat Emphasis
Three-Beat Measures Note Values Rhythm Workouts The ‘Cycle’ Note Equivalents
Counting Sub-Divisions “If You Can Say It, You Can Play It” Author’s Story Sub-Division Lingo
Quarter Notes with Eight Notes Adding Sixteenth Notes Notes Sharing Beams Beam Awareness Pointers
Triplets Triplet Workout Compound-Time Compound-Time Workout Music Rests
Rest and Note Equivalents Whole Rest Half Rest Quarter Rest Eighth Rest Sixteenth Rest
Dotted Rests Q’s Rest Review Process of Sub-Division Relating Rests to Notes Rhythm Exam Prep
Level 1 Rhythm Exam Level 2 Rhythm Exam Level 3 Rhythm Exam