3 on 2

[CDS814]

hey,
I understand how 3 fits into 2, im just having trouble keeping the triplet even. I have a tendency to make the middle note of the triplet too long while waiting for the "and" of the 2. Any exercises that i could use to correct this habit? thanks

[bernhard]

The secret of playing 3 against 2 (or any other polyrhythm) is to get the hands to play independently yet co-ordinated. Easier said than done, since both hands want to do the same thing. The important point is that you should not follow the approach of “this left hand note goes with this right hand note”, or in other words, you should not “wait” for the”and”. There are several ways to approach it.

1.      This is the most important. Can you hear the rhythm pattern in your mind? If you cannot, you will be relying on the sound you are producing on the piano to inform you. But since your fingers don’t know what to do (they are expecting instructions from your mind), most likely you will get the wrong sound in your mind. Then it becomes a vicious circle. The best way to get the sound in your mind is to write the passage on a notation program that plays the score back to you (there are several: Sibelius, Personal Composer, Finale). Then listen to it set at a slow tempo, until you memorise what it sounds like. You will be surprised how much the fingers comply once the mental image is clear.

2.      Start playing one hand, say, the right hand, and no matter what the left hand does, strive to keep the right hand going right on time (use the metronome if it helps). Then “drop” the notes of the other hand one at a time, making sure that the ”dropping” of note by the left hand does not interfere with the movement of the right hand. You don’t need any exercise for this (although there are plenty). It is better to work on the section of your piece that has the pattern. Or you could invent your own exercise (for instance, use the harmonic progression of the Bach Prelude in C from WTC 1 and play it as 3 RH against 2 LH). Or simply play CDE on the right hand and CG on the left (then invert hands).

3.      Use a sentence to help: “Hot cup of tea” is well known. Start by tapping the rhythm on a table with the hands – right hand taps 3, left hand taps 2: right hand and left hand together (Hot), then just the right hand (cup), then the left hand (of) and finally the right hand (tea). The rhythm is slow-quick-quick-slow. Your aim is to get the hands to do their rhythms independently, and yet co-ordinated. Once you figure it out, go to the piano and do it with the exercises in 2 above.

This is a bit like riding a bicycle. You will fall at first, but it is surprisingly easy to get the knack, and once you can do it, you will always be able to do it.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[OlderGuy]

I have a simple trick for 3-on-2.  Do the tapping with your left and right index finger on the table.
Start with an even slow pace of alternating 1-on-1
like this:
l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r   and so on
keep doing this for a while.
Suppose the left will do the 3 and right the 2.
Note that in the above sheme of l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r-l-r
when the r is up (u) the l is down  (d).
that is:
left:   d-u-d-u-d-u-d-u-d
right: u-d-u-d-u-d-u-d-u

To make a 3-in-2 out of   this you simple make a d instead of u each time:

left:   d-D-d-D-d-D-d-D-d
right: u-d-u-d-u-d-u-d-u

D is here where you altered the the up position for down.
+
This works for me.  Peter

[Piazzo22]

The attack of the keys on 3 vs 2 is:

8th  16th  16th  8th :// (repeat)

RH   - - -        RH   - - -
LH    LH        - - -        LH


That´s LH 3 on RH 2. Practice slowly the pattern only with one finger for hand, to hear the rythm of the attacks.