Contents
4. Triplets
The musical grid is typically divided into even numbers such as 4, 8, and 16, but odd divisions are also available, with the most typical being the division into thirds.
Triplets in Drums
This is a very common pattern, where a triplet grid fill-in at the end of the basic even-numbered grid creates a strong accent that captivates the listener’s ear.
In this manner, rhythmic notes played with a subdivision of three are literally called Triplets.
“Good Times Bad Times” is one of the signature songs by the hard rock band Led Zeppelin, and it’s also known for its iconic use of triplets. This video shows the drum play in sheet music, and the notes marked with “3” indicate triplets. You can see in this song how triplets serve as a great spice, adding excitement to the music.
Triplets in Melodies
Triplets are so ear-catching that they are also used to accentuate melodies.
“The Sun” by Maroon 5 utilizes triplets in the chorus part (0:48-).
The persistent repetition of triplets becomes a hallmark of this song, making the melody memorable.
“Part of Your World” is another great example. The chorus part is mostly made up with triplets! Especially the lyrics “Up where they walk, up where they run”, emphasized with triplets, conveys her longing for the world above more vividly. Rhythm deeply intertwines with the expression of emotions.
There is also a way to use triplet subdivisions as the foundation of the song rather than just as accents, but this is a bit more advanced, so I will introduce it in Chapter II.
Prominent Use of Triplets
Sometimes, triplets are used not just as a local accent but as the fundamental rhythm.
In Debussy’s “Arabesque No. 1”, the regular even grid and the triplet grid intermingle to create a beautiful piece.
Triplets in Rap Flows
Also in rap, flows based on triplets are one of the fundamental techniques, commonly used when you want to create variation from an even grid.
Triplets as Basic Grids
There are several other rhythmic styles that use triplets as the basic grid. You can find them in African and Irish folk music, as well as in blues, jazz, boom bap, and EDM, among various other genres.
These songs feature techniques that we haven’t yet introduced, such as the rhythm known as “shuffle” and the metre “6/8 time”. However, the priority is to first learn the basic techniques based on even subdivisions of rhythm. We’ll cover these triplet rhythms in Chapter II.
Summary
- Rhythms can be roughly categorized by its subdivision. Rhythms in 1/8 grid are “8th Beats”, those in 1/16 grid are “16th Beats”.
- The subdivision of a rhythm can be defined by any instruments. Mostly by high and light sounds such as hihats, ride cymbals, shakers or tambourines, but not limited to them.
- Decorative sounds played at a lower volume compared to the main rhythm are referred to as “Ghost Notes”.
