Triplets

[Willfortney]

Anyone know a good technique for learing triplets? I have been trying to practice this over and over but I just cant seem to get them quick and smooth enough.

[ba55i5t]

Well, when I was learning triplets I found it a lot easier to say it aloud while I was playing. To me, sixteenth and eighth notes are much easier to play because they are direct subdivisions. Triplets take a feel to them, whether it be eighth note triplets, or quarter note triplets.

I just advise sitting down with a metronome doing some open string exercises and saying trip-l-et aloud while doing them.

[El-Bob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHy-OVlijsQ

is this what you mean by triplets?

[saxnbass]

Do them slowly with a metronome. Just have a metronome clicking at 4/4 and ||: play one measure quarter notes, one measure triplets, one measure eighth notes, one measure triplets :||

Do it a sitting with quarter note triplets, then go back after a little while and do it with eight note triplets. Then vary the speed a bit from time to time so you really get the hang of it.

[Willfortney]

Thanks for the replies. I suppose just like learning to play, adapting a new technique will take time and practice. El-Bob, not quite the triplet I was referring to, more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7I-bko-M5M

This guy is really good. Most of his demos are pretty short but the sound sweet.

[Jazz Ad]

Try left hand slap.
Slap the string with the thumb, then with the left hand, then with the thumb again.
Pretty easy to learn, it just takes practice to become fast.
Triplets solely with the thumb take a bit longer to master. It's hard to get 2 rebounds.

[El-Bob]

Originally Posted by Willfortney

Thanks for the replies. I suppose just like learning to play, adapting a new technique will take time and practice. El-Bob, not quite the triplet I was referring to, more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7I-bko-M5M

This guy is really good. Most of his demos are pretty short but the sound sweet.

ok, that guy's awesome, sorry but that's a bit beyond me

[trasser]

I had a real hard time learning to play triplets my self, and what taught was this:
Tap every beat (slowly!) with your foot. Then, count the 1/8's. If you can do that, move on and count the triplets a loud by saying: one-trip-let, two-trip-let, three-trip-let, four-trip-let, one-trip-let etc . Get it?

[AmazingGracePlayer]

OPEN HAMMER PLUCK.

[Willfortney]

Originally Posted by trasser

I had a real hard time learning to play triplets my self, and what taught was this:
Tap every beat (slowly!) with your foot. Then, count the 1/8's. If you can do that, move on and count the triplets a loud by saying: one-trip-let, two-trip-let, three-trip-let, four-trip-let, one-trip-let etc . Get it?

Ah, very nice. I think this will help immenesly!
Thanks!

.

[BullHorn]

Wow, that guy really is playing amazing. I need to learn how to do that.

[saxnbass]

He's good. Wonder if he's a TBer...

I'm kinda diggin' that Bass Clef tattoo on his hand.

[iamlowsound]

Weird I have never thought about playing triplets before. They were one of the first things I remember learning when I started playing and I use them all the time in my playing. So much that I annoy my drummer, because he can't kick triplets.

lowsound

[ryco]

Great little bass line groove he's got goin' on!

So the triplets he's hittin' are dead note pops, rollin' off one per finger (i-m-r) in a lifting/rolling manner?

Really sounds trick!! Good player!

[Bassist4Life]

Originally Posted by Willfortney

Anyone know a good technique for learing triplets? I have been trying to practice this over and over but I just cant seem to get them quick and smooth enough.

Triplets are just 3 notes against 1 beat. It helps to say/count against a steady beat. That goes along with the, "If you can say it, you can play it" theory.

Words that could help:
Ham-bur-ger, ham-bur-ger, ham-bur-ger, ham-bur-ger
Ras-ber-ry, ras-ber-ry, ras-ber-ry, ras-ber-ry
Straw-ber-ry, straw-ber-ry, straw-ber-ry, straw-ber-ry


Sounds silly, but it works.

I'm a public school orchestra director and it works like a charm when students are having a difficult time with their rhythms.

1. We tap our foot to keep a steady beat while saying the words in rhythm.
2. Then, we tap our foot and clap the rhythm while we say it.
3. Then, we tap our foot while we clap the rhythm (and think the words).
4. Then, we tap our foot while we pluck the rhythm on a neutral pitch on our instruments.
5. Then, we tap our foot while we pluck the rhythm using the pitches in the music.

We don't always need to go through all these steps. This works when we're having trouble getting a particular passage to sink in.

[the_fooj]

If your trying to slap tripleets, I find it's a lot easier if you do it like Victor Wooten. You do two hits with the thumb, and then a pop. The two thumb hits are a down and then up. If takes a whileto get used to it, but I find myself using it a lot in my playing.

heres a pretty good video demonstrating it (he shows the triplets at around 1:00) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iF4GY...elated&search=

[Bassist4Life]

If you're trying to get your slap technique together, try this:
The Slap Bass Welcome Center

Joe

[playerofthebass]

Originally Posted by Willfortney

Thanks for the replies. I suppose just like learning to play, adapting a new technique will take time and practice. El-Bob, not quite the triplet I was referring to, more like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7I-bko-M5M

This guy is really good. Most of his demos are pretty short but the sound sweet.

After watching the video, I noticed that throughout the entire riff there wasn't a single triplet in the whole thing. True, he is playing three notes, but they are 16th notes with rests added. Triplets are supposed to be three notes evenly distributed throughout one beat. For example, if you tap a steady tempo with your foot and say aloud with each step "1,2,3,2,2,3,3,2,3,4,2,3,1,2,3..." then the first number in every set of three numbers represents the beat in a standard 4/4 meter and the second and third represent the second and third notes in the triplet respectively. If you do this first slowly and gradually speed up the tempo, playing triplets almost becomes second-nature. Hope this helps.

[ryco]

^^ Good catch, potb! It is a cool embelishmant anyhoo

[Erick Lam]

There are triplets in the riff, 16th note triplets.