4.4 – Exercises 6 – 8: Line Analysis

Ex. 6 – This exercise introduces 16th-note triplets.

A 16th-note triplet is just like an 8th-note triplet, only twice as fast: six notes inside one beat instead of three.

You might think that’s too fast for your level, but don’t worry.
In this example, you’re simply running up and down a short chromatic pattern using four fingers,
so everything is already right under your hand.

One extra thing that 16th-note triplets let us do is start the triplet on an offbeat, and that’s exactly what we’ll practice here. You’re going to start these triplets on the “and” of two and the “and” of four.

Ex. 7 – This is a variation on Example 6.

In this four-bar loop, there’s only one 16th-note triplet.

At first, it might look easier, but because there’s more space between phrases, it actually becomes harder to place that single triplet exactly in time.

Ex. 8 – And now comes the final challenge.

There are no notes before the 16th-note triplet comes in, which means you’ll need to feel the “and of four” precisely.