This month we’re going to make the switch to 8th-notetriplet rhythms. Within the sets of three notes, we’re first going to get into the three available two-note groupings. I’ve found that the best way to count triplets is “one-trip-let, two-trip-let, three-trip-let, four-trip-let.” With that, the three possible two-note groupings are “one-trip,” “two-trip,” and so on. Then, when we move it back, there’s a rest on the downbeat (“rest-trip-let”), and then it loops back around to “one-(rest)-let,” “two-(rest)-let,” and so on. After those first three variations, we’ll do separate exercises for the last two two-note groupings, which occur when you isolate every other 8th-note triplet over two counts. These end up being quarter-note triplets and upbeat quarternote triplets. As usual, the exercises will focus first on the broken-up rhythms played as accents among taps, and then we’ll play the same rhythms with the spaces in between left open. Instead of a […]

June 2014 Issue