Question about triplet notation

Help me out here would ya.

A crochet equals 2 quavers. Or for you americans, a quarter note equals 2 eighths. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

We also know that a crochet can equal 3 quavers, i.e, 3 quaver triplets. A 4/4 bar can hold 12 quaver triplets,
(1 an a-2 an a-3 an a-4 an a). If we want to make a 4/4 bar of crochet triplets, we know it can hold 6 crochet triplets. We get each new crochet from every 2 of the quaver triplets. What seems odd to me is that we've established a crochet is worth 3 quavers here, yet we're now saying only 2 quaver triplets are worth a crochet. How do you explain that to a student? Or me! In fact, thinking about it now, since a 4/4 bar holds 4 crochets, how do you explain 6 crochets, ( crocher triplets) in a 4/4 bar? It's like, I've always known how to read and play these things, no problem. But when trying to explain it, it made me stop and think, wtf, now this doesn't seem to add up, lol.

I guess it would make more sense to call the quarter note triplet a half note triplet, since there are two full quarter note triplets in a bar of 4/4 (just as there are two half notes in a bar of 4/4).

I never really thought about it.

If your student asks, just hit him with a ruler and say, "Do as I say, not as I do," or something.

Um. I think you're calculating this the wrong way around. You keep calling an eighth note triplet "three eighth notes." It isn't. It's an eighth note triplet, which isn't the same as three eighth notes.

The basic rule is that a triplet of any note value occupies the same "space" as two regular notes of the same value.

When a note of any value is "tripleted" it effectively has only 2/3 of its normal duration. It's the musical duration of the note that's important and determines its equivalent in other notes, not just the number of "note heads".

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 15, 2004 06:21 PM: Message edited by: moosetication ]</font>

Thanks for the replies. Moose, I believe everything you said. I'm not 100% sure though that this makes it clearer to me as to my original question. You may have answered it and I've overlooked it. [img]confused.gif[/img]

Ah skip that, I'm just being thick. I think I do actually understand what you said now.

A crotchet doesn't equal three quavers Rudy. Quavers and triplets aren't the same thing. That's why we write a '3' above the grouping - to show that it's a triplet and not three quavers. We're simply subdividing each crotchet - the value of the crotchet stays the same.
It's like in a bar of 4/4 we can subdivide the crotchet into quavers, triplets, 5's 7's or whatever, but the pulse or length of the crotchet will remain the same. Just think of it like fractions.

Don't think of what each 'new crotchet' or crotchet triplet is worth, but how it is grouped. You are right in saying that the new crotchet triplet is made from each alternate triplet, but again, the '3' above each set of crotchet triplet shows us how it is grouped. So logically, half of 12 (alternate triplets in a bar) will be 6. These 6 new beats are grouped in 3's and called crtotchet triplets


Hope this helps.

[img]confused.gif[/img] [img]wink.gif[/img]

Nice one me ol' dazzle [img]biggrin.gif[/img]

Don't forget that a dotted quarter note = three eighth notes.

I agree with Jon..... Use the 3 Stooges/Moe approach. Slap your student upside the head or something and say "Pay attention!!! Now shut up and play already!!". "Buddy Rich never asked those questions!!"

Damn it, reading this just made me forget all my music theory... that is some confusing stuff with the UK terminology...

Nice explans, Dazzo [& moose [img]wink.gif[/img] ]

LMAO WecklsMechanic, matricks [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 17, 2004 03:36 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

Quote:

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Originally posted by matricks:
... that is some confusing stuff with the UK terminology...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You're telling me. When I decided to teach myself to read a while back, I skipped all that horrible UK terminology. All the material I use comes from the US anyway.

Why add an extra layer of difficulty? If I want to make it harder, I can take my glasses off...

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ October 17, 2004 09:33 PM: Message edited by: Dazzler ]</font>

The crochet, quaver kind of makes as little sense as the quarter, eigth note system - which seems to me to only make sense in
4/4.

Having said that, when you try to figure things out, sometimes you realise that things make sense because you just have done it for so long...... [img]graemlins/thinking.gif[/img]