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How to Play Piano Triplets

tripletsA triplet is a cluster of three notes that are played within the given length of two (2) of its note-type. One example would be: within the amount of time needed to perform two (2) eight-notes of the normal length (sometimes called "straight eighths"), an eighth-note triplet is then heard.

Since triplets are slashed into threes, a rhythm can then be created. Subdividing a half or a quarter notes into three equal units rather than two can make the triplets a little puzzling. However, the moment you get the hang of it, reading and playing them wouldn't be so hard anymore. Another term for the triplet is triola.

To begin with, here are two examples that can demonstrate how easy it is to read and play when they are imagined in three quarters. The very first example features a melody in a 3/4 time. If the entire musical phrase is then shrunk into one single bar of four quarters, then the third bard starts to appear as one triplet.

They may sound exactly the same, but remember that each bar in the first example has been subdivided into three (3) beats, whereas the each quarter note in the second example was subdivided into three (3).

Quarters are usually subdivided into two (2) eighths. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner; it's not difficult to play the rhythm. What is important here is that you practice piano with a metronome. Moreover, dividing the quarter into three (3) equal eighths rather than two (2) eighths is also possible.

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half notesSometimes we may see other sorts of triplets: A triplet of a quarter can then mean that you must play three equal quarters rather than two (2) quarters over a half note. Another sort would be: a triplet of half notes conveys that rather than playing two (2) half notes, you should perform three (3) over a whole note.

Furthermore, rather than playing two (2) sixteenth notes over one (1) eight note, then there are three (3) now. Triplets are also possible to be singled out as a line shaped like an arc, a bracket, or sometimes just the no. 3. Nevertheless, all these marks have the same meaning.

A lot of musical notes neatly slash out a beat by some two (2) factors. But then again, a piano composer would want to divide a beat into more than two (2) eighth notes, however less than four (4) sixteenth notes every now and then. This therefore means performing three (3) notes per beat, hence a triplet.

The most popular triplet pattern is called the eighth-note triplet which looks highly similar to three beamed eighth notes. To easily stop such triplets, composers then add a tiny number 3 above, and sometimes below, the beam. A common variety on this particular triplet pattern is called the quarter-eighth triplet that is similar to a quarter note as well as an eighth note although with a tiny bracket and also a number 3.

In counting triplets, simple tap your foot and say words with the right count of syllables. Making triplets with the use of other note values are also possible, however playing them might not occur unless you jam with your drum circle.

Always remember though that with whatever triplet rhythms, 3 = 2: three (3) quarter-note triplets are equal to two (2) quarter notes (two beats), and three (3) sixteenth-note triples are equal to two (2) sixteenth notes (half a beat). Equally play three (3) notes every time you normally play two (2) notes of the exact same value.

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