Rhythm & Meter

Triplet

Definition

A triplet is a group of three equal notes played in the time normally taken by two of the same kind, marked with a 3. Three triplet eighth notes, for example, fill one quarter-note beat.

A triplet squeezes three notes into the space of two. Three triplet eighth notes take the time of two ordinary eighth notes, which is one beat in 4/4. A triplet is marked with a small 3 over or under the group, with a bracket when the notes are not beamed together. It is the most common kind of tuplet.

Common kinds of triplet

Eighth-note triplet: three eighths in one quarter-note beat, counted "1-trip-let, 2-trip-let".
Quarter-note triplet: three quarters in the time of two beats. Each note lasts two-thirds of a beat, so the notes cut across the beat.
Sixteenth-note triplet: three sixteenths in the time of one eighth note, half a beat.

A triplet group can also mix values or include rests, as long as it adds up to the same total. A quarter note plus an eighth note under a 3, for example, gives the long-short rhythm behind swing.

Two examples in 4/4. The first, on a treble staff: eighth notes C5 D5, an eighth-note triplet E5 F5 G5 marked 3, quarter notes A5 G5; then two eighth-note triplets F5 E5 D5 and C5 D5 E5 and a half note C5. The second, on a grand staff: three bars, each with three quarter-note triplets under a bracket marked 3 followed by a half note: C5 D5 E5 then F5; E5 F5 D5 then B4; C5 E5 D5 then C5. The counts 1, let, trip and 3 are printed under each bar. The left hand plays quarter notes C3 E3 G3 E3, then G2 D3 G2 D3, then C3 E3 and a half note C3. — Top: two straight eighth notes on beat 1, then an eighth-note triplet on beat 2 (1 & 2-trip-let); bar 2 has two triplets in a row. Bottom: quarter-note triplets, three notes spread evenly over beats 1 and 2 against the left hand's steady quarter notes. Counted in triplet syllables, they fall on 1, let and trip.

How to count triplets

Say a three-syllable pattern evenly on each beat: "1-trip-let, 2-trip-let", or a word such as "straw-ber-ry". The key is that all three notes are the same length and the first lands exactly on the beat. Practice switching between eighth notes and triplets against a steady metronome click: "1 & 2 &, 1-trip-let 2-trip-let".

For quarter-note triplets, count eighth-note triplets across two beats ("1-trip-let 2-trip-let") and play on every other syllable: on "1", on the "let" of beat 1, and on the "trip" of beat 2.

Triplets and compound meter

A triplet borrows the three-part division that is normal in a compound meter such as 6/8. In 6/8, three eighth notes fill a beat on their own, with no 3 needed. In 2/4 or 4/4 the 3 is needed to show that three notes are sharing a beat meant for two.

Work through Triplets, then write triplet counts in Write the Counts 3: Triplets & Ties.

Common questions

How do you count triplets?

Say "1-trip-let, 2-trip-let", one even syllable per note, with the number landing exactly on the beat. Any three-syllable word works, as long as the syllables are equal.

What is a quarter-note triplet?

Three quarter notes played in the time of two beats. Each lasts two-thirds of a beat, so only the first one lands on a beat. Count eighth-note triplets ("1-trip-let 2-trip-let") and play on every other syllable.