Quarter note triplets

[oystein]

Hi,
I am looking for an execise or method to improve my quarter note triplets. My eight note triplets also sucks but I've been working on them a lot lately and made a step forward. I have trouble counting and playing 1/4 note triplets or playing them against the metronome.
Any good idea will be appreciated.

Oystein

[VTDB]

One thing I did when I was working out sub-divisions like that was to practice them while I was walking. Basically you just walk and, in your head, sub-divide the beat (aka: your feet). So with a quarter note triplet: if you're starting out on your right foot everytime you take a step with your right foot you start a new set of triplets. Right foot step (tri-p-let) Right foot again (tri-p-let).

[jazzbassnerd]

A quarter note triplet is every other eighth note in a eighth note triplet. ie. You can subdivide quarter note triplets and the subdivision will equal eighth note triplets.

Maybe you can practice eighth note triplets really slow playing three notes in between each metronome click (triplets) and then play the same "speed" and put the metronome on twice as fast so you can hear the rhythmic rub. This might be easier with one of those programable metronomes (which also could subdivide eighth note triplets too).

Hope this helped.

[TomGale]

Cut the tempo in half and take them in one big beat. I remember Bernstein's West Side Story's "America". Take it one to the measure - one big beat for the first 6/8 measure and one big one for the quarter note triplet in the second bar. In my "Melodic Foundation Studies", I approached it from eighth note triplets and the next measure, tying the first and second, third and fourth,. etc. That's works too.
Tom Gale
ASODB.com