Rhythm reading lessons › Lesson 11 of 19
Three quick notes in the time of an eighth.
A sixteenth-note triplet fits three notes into the space of two sixteenths, which is half a beat. It is the same shape as an eighth-note triplet, played twice as fast.
Keep the three notes even and land the next note exactly on the beat or the "&". Say "1-trip-let &-trip-let" slowly before you clap.
| Figure | Count | Kodály syllables |
|---|---|---|
| Sixteenth triplet + eighth | 1-trip-let & | tri-o-la ti |
| Two sixteenth triplets | 1-trip-let &-trip-let | tri-o-la tri-o-la |
Sixteenth-note triplets have two beams and a small 3. Three of them last as long as one eighth note, so six fit into a quarter-note beat. When all six are played in a row they are often beamed together and marked with a 6. That group is called a sextuplet.
Keep the eighth-note count "1 & 2 &" going and fit a quick "trip-let" after whichever half of the beat holds the triplet: "1-trip-let &" or "1 &-trip-let". The eighth notes are the anchor. If the triplet makes the following "&" or the next beat arrive early or late, slow down until it lands on time.
They are too fast to clap, so tap with alternating hands or with the F and J keys. Start at 50 to 60 BPM. Play the figure with one triplet per beat until it is even, then the figure with two.
You will meet them in drum fills and in written-out ornaments, where they sound more like a flourish than like three separate notes.