How do I play the triplets which seem to be indicated for the intro to Have You Ever Seen the Rain here?
I can't seem to get a fluid down-up-down going. Any advice, other than practising? (I'm still trying, by the way.)
Thanks,
Shady
Take care,
Casey
Triplets are tough and, yes, require practice. Part of the practice, though, is simply in getting the feel. A lot of people use continual alternating down-up-down, and then up-down-up for a second triplet, but many people feel more comfortable starting each triplet with a down. So if you were doing two triplets in a row, it would be down-up-down, down-up-down.
The thing is, that to do it this way you have to not be smooth. In order to start the second beat with a down, you've got to put a quick up in between. It's kind of like putting a skip in your step to stay in step with someone when you're marching and you see you're on the wrong foot.
A good exercise for studying is to play sequential measures of different beats. One measure of quarter notes, then a measure of eighth notes, a measure of triplets and then a measure of sixteenth notes. When you're comfortable switching effortlessly between measures, then mix up the order of the measures. The idea is to work yourself up to the point that you can get yourself so that you can play one measure of four beats and have each beat be a different type - beat one being a quarter note, beat two being two eighth notes, beat three being three triplets and beat four being four sixteenth notes. Again, when you can then mix and match the individual beats at your will, you've gotten there.
Hope this helps and good luck. You should be able to handle it with some (hate to say it) practice.
Peace
How do I play the triplets which seem to be indicated for the intro to Have You Ever Seen the Rain here?
I can't seem to get a fluid down-up-down going. Any advice, other than practising? (I'm still trying, by the way.)
Thanks,
Shady
Just a technical point in addition to David's explanation of how to play them: Those aren't triplets. Assuming a quarter note beat, it starts with two sixteenth note strums (down - up) of the pick up measure leading straight into the first quarter note down strum of the first full measure. (da da DAAA)
Count it as:
and a /1 2 and 3 and 4 AND/---
That last AND is an accented up strum tied over to the first beat of the next measure creating syncopation.
