Triplet Rhythms (Guitar Lesson BC-155) Guitar for beginners Stage 5

This is Stage 5, Lesson 5 of Justin's Beginner Guitar Course.

This video explains triplet rhythms which we need to check out before looking at shuffle strumming patterns.

The Justinguitar Beginners Guitar Course, a series of over 100 lessons on guitar for beginners. Text support is on the web site and also in a proper old skool paper book which can be ordered from the web site of your local music store :)

Taught by Justin Sandercoe.

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Have fun :)

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Now, what we're talking about
in this lesson today is 'triplets'.

And a 'triplet' is when we divide a beat
into three instead of two.

So far we've always been talking about
having this idea of having a beat.

Which is 1, 2, 3, 4.

And we've talked about dividing it in half.

Which gave us our 'and'.

So if we had...

I'll tap on the guitar here:

Hopefully, you can pick that up clearly

So, here's your beat:

1,

2,

3,

4.

We had:

1 and,

2 and,

3 and,

4 and.

That was

a pretty

nice

easy

count.

And we just

divided

each

beat

by half.

So, you know:

1 and,

2 and,

3 and,

4 and.

But we can also divide that beat
each time into three.

So we'd have:

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

It's really important
that you get the idea

that a beat doesn't just divide in half.

It can divide actually by any number.

Very commonly into three,
which is triplets,

into four,
which is called sixteenth notes.

Fives you can do,

sixes and sevens is possible,

but they're a little less common.

We're not going to be dealing
with them for some time.

The thing I want
you to get used to

is the idea of a triplet

and the count for a triplet.

So, with triplets ...

I've seen a few books and stuff

try to get people to count it:

Trip-a-let,

Trip-a-let.

Which is just horrible on the tongue

and you lose the count then.

It's really important that,

when you're counting along with music,

that you are saying:
1 and 2 and

3 and 4.

It's the 1-2-3-4 that's really valuable,

because it helps you know
where you are in the bar.

Especially in the beginner's stage,
until it becomes instinctive.

So, with triplets,
we count them:

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

So, something I just want you to practice.

We're not going to be strumming these triplets,

because... they're kind of awkward to strum,

and we don't tend to use full triplets
for strumming very often.

It's possible,

just definitely not on a beginner's course.

So, what we are going to be doing
is just counting it.

So what I want you to do
is just strum on 1

and count your triplet.

So, if you just pick a G chord, say.

I want you to go:

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let,

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

And get used to the count of it
in your mouth.

Cause we're gonna be using
it for some scales

and we're gonna use it
in our next lesson,

for this kind of a blues shuffle rhythm.

Which is very cool,
I'm sure you'll like it.

But first of all, you really need to
get this idea of a triplet

really clear in your mind.

So, make sure the big deal here
is the counting of it.

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

Good exercise,
if you wanted to,

would be to put your metronome on

and practice going like:

1 and,

2 and,

3 and,

4 and.

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

1 trip-let,

2 trip-let,

3 trip-let,

4 trip-let.

1 and,

2 and,

3 and,

4 and.

So, practicing dividing
each beat just vocally:

doing "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and"

and then:
"1 trip-let, 2 trip-let, 3 trip-let, 4 trip-let,"

but keeping the 1, 2, 3 and the 4
exactly aligned with the beat.

It's quite tricky,
it's good fun.

Have a go at that,

practice up speaking your triplets

Practice feeling it, tapping it,

Just strumming on 1,
not strumming the whole triplet yet.

And then I'll see you for the next lesson,

where we're actually going to turn this triplet

into a bit of a blues groovy rhythm.

So, I'll see you for that some time real soon.

Bye bye.