How do I play this triad (?) in 4/4 time? (pic included)

[jnanasakti]

Per the above image, I'm not sure how to play the 3 tied notes. Since it is 4/4 time, my assumption is that each set of notes gets 1 beat, but it's not clear to me.

The first set of 3 tied notes is BGB and since there is a tie to the first B in these 3 notes from first B in the section, I guess I would just hold the B and play GB in the 2nd Beat.

However, the second set of 3 tied notes doesn't make sense to me? How do I play the BG,AF,GE in one beat? If that's even correct.

Thanks

Andrew

[samasap]

Hi

The notes highlighted, with the 3 above them are indicating to you that you need to play these as a TRIPLET RHYTHM. What I mean by this is that ONE CROTCHET BEAT, is divided into THREE....So therefore they will be played faster so it is a QUAVER RHYTHM they are asking of you, so this will mean you need to play THREE QUAVERS  instead of what would normally be TWO, in the time of ONE BEAT. If you have the song on a cd, maybe listen to this, so you can hear how this section goes....This well help you get the beat of this.
The first note that is tied and that is part of the TRIPLET RHYTHM, again is a QUAVER, so although its tied, you will play this as a half beat rhythm the same as the other two notes in the TRIPLET GROUP.

Hope this makes sense.
Let me know if you want any further help...Maybe go onto you tube and see if you can find a version of this on there.

[timothy42b]

When in doubt, cheat.

Type it into Noteworthy Composer (or similar) and hit play.  

Listen, listen, listen.

Also, when confused by a tied note, play it through without the tie, sounding each note, to get the timing. 

[nystul]

Basically triplets (the 3 under a group of 3 notes) mean that you will have 3 equal subdivisions of some unit that is normally not split in 3.  In this case that unit is one beat, so each of those eighth notes must only last 1/3 of a beat.

I want to say something further about the style of this piece.  This might be a bit confusing, and you may want to ignore it if it doesn't make sense right now.  If you listen to this record, you will notice that *every* beat is subdivided into 3 equal parts.  The song has a very smooth flow to it.  But if you play the rhythms on this sheet music literally as they are written, it will be very choppy like a tango or something.  This is not really the intention of the music.  It should flow smoothly with the rhythm of those triplet eighth notes.  So for example, the first pattern in the left hand.  In a classical piece you would hold the dotted eighth note for the length of three sixteenth notes, and then you play the sixteenth note.  But in this song, you could make the dotted eighth note only last the length of 2 triplet eighth notes, and then make the sixteenth note the length of 1 triplet eighth note.  So your supposedly sixteenth note is now the same length as the triplet notes in the next beat.   This is a shuffle pattern, and it is very common in American pop music.  Even if you see just a group of 2 eighth notes in this piece, they should probably have that same pattern (the first one being held twice as long as the second).

[jnanasakti]

Hi

Yes, this makes sense. I now understand that the 1 out of 4 beats in the measure should be split into 3 equal beats for these notes, and as you say played fast. Thanks for the terminology as well.

Andrew

Hi

The notes highlighted, with the 3 above them are indicating to you that you need to play these as a TRIPLET RHYTHM. What I mean by this is that ONE CROTCHET BEAT, is divided into THREE....So therefore they will be played faster so it is a QUAVER RHYTHM they are asking of you, so this will mean you need to play THREE QUAVERS  instead of what would normally be TWO, in the time of ONE BEAT. If you have the song on a cd, maybe listen to this, so you can hear how this section goes....This well help you get the beat of this.
The first note that is tied and that is part of the TRIPLET RHYTHM, again is a QUAVER, so although its tied, you will play this as a half beat rhythm the same as the other two notes in the TRIPLET GROUP.

Hope this makes sense.
Let me know if you want any further help...Maybe go onto you tube and see if you can find a version of this on there.

[jnanasakti]

Yes, that makes sense about what you say further. I guess playing the music in smooth flow, which may not be explicit in the sheet music, is what a seasoned piano player will be able to understand and do...in time .

Basically triplets (the 3 under a group of 3 notes) mean that you will have 3 equal subdivisions of some unit that is normally not split in 3.  In this case that unit is one beat, so each of those eighth notes must only last 1/3 of a beat.

I want to say something further about the style of this piece.  This might be a bit confusing, and you may want to ignore it if it doesn't make sense right now.  If you listen to this record, you will notice that *every* beat is subdivided into 3 equal parts.  The song has a very smooth flow to it.  But if you play the rhythms on this sheet music literally as they are written, it will be very choppy like a tango or something.  This is not really the intention of the music.  It should flow smoothly with the rhythm of those triplet eighth notes.  So for example, the first pattern in the left hand.  In a classical piece you would hold the dotted eighth note for the length of three sixteenth notes, and then you play the sixteenth note.  But in this song, you could make the dotted eighth note only last the length of 2 triplet eighth notes, and then make the sixteenth note the length of 1 triplet eighth note.  So your supposedly sixteenth note is now the same length as the triplet notes in the next beat.   This is a shuffle pattern, and it is very common in American pop music.  Even if you see just a group of 2 eighth notes in this piece, they should probably have that same pattern (the first one being held twice as long as the second).

[jnanasakti]

Interesting, I may take up use of this software in the future, thanks for the reference.

When in doubt, cheat.

Type it into Noteworthy Composer (or similar) and hit play.  

Listen, listen, listen.

Also, when confused by a tied note, play it through without the tie, sounding each note, to get the timing. 

[stevebob]

What you're calling "triads" are triplets.  In this example, each group of three triplet eighth notes (quavers) has the duration of one quarter note (one crotchet).

I recommend counting the right hand entirely in triplet meter (ONE-and-uh TWO-and-uh THREE-and-uh FOUR-and-uh) and visualizing the tied notes as written out in the first measure here:



Please note that the line used to tie notes (i.e., prolong duration) indicates a tie only if it connects two consecutive notes notehead-to-notehead and the notes are the exact same pitch.  If the line connects two consecutive notes that are different pitches or if it encompasses more than two notes, it indicates a slur.  (When the line encompasses a larger group of notes representing a distinct musical statement, it's referred to as a phrase mark.)

[stevebob]

double post

[gyzzzmo]

If the 3 was a 4 instead, you'd play it as a 16th. Also, you could place a 2 under each normal 8th flag

[bella_brito]

I can't figure out how to play some triplets on the piece I'm currently studying. Should I post my doubts here or create a new thread?

[pianowolfi]

I can't figure out how to play some triplets on the piece I'm currently studying. Should I post my doubts here or create a new thread?

Mi es igual. Just post it.

Tripletophagus 

[bella_brito]

Ok. I'm having trouble with some bars of the 1st piece from the Villa-Lobos suite, A Prole do Bebę I.

It's 2 against 3, and I can play it HS with no problem, but I don't know how to fit the apoggiaturas in tempo.

[pianowolfi]

There are these accentuated quarters in the right hand: these should fall exactly in the middle between the second and third triplet quarter of the left hand. The appogiaturas need to be played very shortly before them, after the LH second triplet note, very close to the accentuated note in the right hand. You might practise them first as if the appogiaturas were at the same time with the accentuated notes, as chords, then break them into appogiatura and thumb note. Or you might practise them first playing only the thumb notes. Actually I would prefer this way, to make sure that the 2 against 3 is really exact and the appoggiaturas, which you will add later, would come slightly before the thumb notes of the right hand.

[jcabraham]

Hi

The notes highlighted, with the 3 above them are indicating to you that you need to play these as a TRIPLET RHYTHM. What I mean by this is that ONE CROTCHET BEAT, is divided into THREE....So therefore they will be played faster so it is a QUAVER RHYTHM they are asking of you, so this will mean you need to play THREE QUAVERS  instead of what would normally be TWO, in the time of ONE BEAT. If you have the song on a cd, maybe listen to this, so you can hear how this section goes....This well help you get the beat of this.
The first note that is tied and that is part of the TRIPLET RHYTHM, again is a QUAVER, so although its tied, you will play this as a half beat rhythm the same as the other two notes in the TRIPLET GROUP.

Hope this makes sense.
Let me know if you want any further help...Maybe go onto you tube and see if you can find a version of this on there.

Crochet? Quaver? hemidemisemiquaver? How many pints in a hogshead? It's true we're divided by a common language.

[stevebob]

Crochet? Quaver? hemidemisemiquaver? How many pints in a hogshead? It's true we're divided by a common language.

For me, the British terminology for note durations was the most easily understood element of that post.