Counting triplets

[garetanne]

can a triplet only have two notes?

Trying to do my theory homework and it's just not making sense

[counterpoint]

Of course 

When there is a pause, or one of the two notes is double as long as the other 

[keypeg]

Is this where there are two notes with a 3 over them?

[guendola]

A triplet has the duration of three triplet notes and that is the duration of one note of the next longer value. So a triplet of eighths has a duration of one quarter. The duration can be filled with notes or pauses. If there is a group of two notes with no pause in a row of triplets, it is possibly not a triplet (sorry, I don't know the proper English word for two notes over a triplet) but "normal" notes. This often happens in one hand while the other hand is playing triplets.

Furthermore, you can (in a triplet of eighths) bind two notes and make it a quarter or divide a note and make it shorter notes (total duration must be the same of course).

[gerry]

can a triplet only have two notes?

Trying to do my theory homework and it's just not making sense

Study hard and someday you'll be able to play Brahms

[keypeg]

Um, this is getting too tangled up.

First: you have two basic kinds of time: simple and compound.

Simple time is 3/4, 3/8, 2/4, 2/2, 4/4 etc.  It means that you have 2, 3 or 4 beats to a measure, with the top number telling you how many beats, and the bottom number telling you which note is counted fro the beat.  So in 3/4 time there are 3 beats each the duration of a quarter note.  In 3/8 time there are 3 beats, each the duration of an eighth note.

You can have triplets in simple time.  You will see that bracket thing above three notes, and the three of them will take up the space of the next slower note value.  So if you have three quarter notes, three of them will fit into one half note duration.  That's like what guendola was saying.

Compound time is 6/8, 6/4, 9/8, 12/8 etc.  The top number is 6, 9, or 12.  they are all multiples of three.

Compound time goes in pulses and beats.  6/8 time has two beats, and three pulses in a  beat.  the pulses are eighth notes, and there are three of them. (1+1+1) + (1+1+1).  Each group in the brackets is one beat.

9/4 time has three beats, with quarter-note pulses. (1+1+1) + (1+1+1) + (1+1+1) adding up to three groups of 3 quarter notes.

The pulses in compound time are triplets.

Sometimes in compound time you will see two notes with a bracket thingy over them, and a number 2 above them.  It sort of becomes (1+1) = 3.    Those two notes are played in the space of time that the triplets occupy.  Could that be your theory question?

[garetanne]

Ok... here are a couple of examples of what I'm dealing with

The instructions tell me to add a triplet sign where it is needed to make the bars fit their time signatures.

so, a measure in 4/4 time shows a dotted 1/2 note, a quarter note and an eight note.... does the "triplet" consist of the last two notes?

another shows 2/2 time with 3 1/2 notes

and a third in 3/8 time shows 2 16th notes, a 16th rest a dotted 8th not and a 16th - that one leaves me clueless

[wotgoplunk]

Ok... here are a couple of examples of what I'm dealing with

The instructions tell me to add a triplet sign where it is needed to make the bars fit their time signatures.

so, a measure in 4/4 time shows a dotted 1/2 note, a quarter note and an eight note.... does the "triplet" consist of the last two notes?

Yes, you would be correct. The last two notes are where the triplet bracket goes. You have to make it fit so there's the correct number of beats in the bar. Even though the bracket is over a quarter and and eighth, there is still actually 3 eighth notes there. Just two have been consolidated into one note.

another shows 2/2 time with 3 1/2 notes

Again, keep in mine your objective is to fit three notes of a certain time value, where two notes of that time value would usually fit.

and a third in 3/8 time shows 2 16th notes, a 16th rest a dotted 8th not and a 16th - that one leaves me clueless

For this one, it's another bracket over two notes, except this time, one is a rest. In this case, a rest acts just like a note. Once you have that, it'll be easier to see where it goes.

[garetanne]

thanks for the help!

I think I've got it now. 
The whole two notes for a triplet just wasn't computing.