More on Triplets
In lesson 4 you learned the various placings of eighth notes both within a beat and within a bar. With triplets, there are three possible places within each beat that either a note or a rest may occur. When playing swing rhythms, the notes occur on the first and third parts of the triplet.
The following examples demonstrate some other important rhythm figures derived from triplets. All of these rhythms are common in any song that swings, so it is essential to be familiar with them. Remember to count as you play the following examples and try to memorize each one.
Once you have memorized these rhythms, Try using them to play your scales and arpeggios. This next example demonstrates the F Blues scale played with the rhythm from example 87.
Here is an A7 arpeggio played with the rhythm from example 87.
As with eighth note rhythms, the next step is to play these short rhythm figures between different pitches to create riffs, and eventually to improvise with them. The following examples demonstrate riffs and lines created from combinations of the rhythms from this lesson and the previous lesson. Try making up some of your own set rhythms and begin improvising on different pitches. Experiment!
