Help! Master Studies Accented Triplets

[Avendesoran]

I have a really really really hard time feeling some of these exercises as actual triplets!

all the exercises that place an accent on the middle note of a triplet I can only feel as 3/4 and not 4/4 triplets

Examples
Exercise 4
R L L -- L R L -- L L R -- L R R -- L R R -- R L R -- R R L -- R L L

The sticking and the accenting is actually very easy if you think of it as 3/4 it's just
R L L L -- R L L L -- R L R R -- L R R R -- L R R R -- L R L L

So I can get away with the exercise by just playing it feeling as 3/4 but playing the 4/4 triplets to a click with this kind of accenting is just beyond me at any mid tempo and higher.

Similar exercises I have a problem with are #20, #24(this one isn't as bad because in moves back into a triplet feel on the 4), #25, & #35
Any advice is appreciated

[spinupspindown]

You could try feeling/singing an accent on the first note of each triplet without actually playing that accent with your hands. I tried it just now, works for me.

[jeffwj]

What you are dealing with are cross-rhythms. In this case the accents form a polyrhythm of 3 against 4. You NEED to feel the quarter note. Feeling it in 3/4 time will not help you if you were to play that rhythm with other musicians who are feeling the quarter note.

Count out loud. Tap your foot on all quarter notes - and count "1 trip - let, 2 trip - let, etc...

Eventually you will get the feel of it. You can also try exercises like playing eighth notes and accenting every third hit. That is a rhythm that is used in many different styles.

Jeff

[Avendesoran]

You could try feeling/singing an accent on the first note of each triplet without actually playing that accent with your hands. I tried it just now, works for me.

I tried that and I thought I had it and even though I was counting it right as I played it I couldn't feel the quarter note pulse.

What you are dealing with are cross-rhythms. In this case the accents form a polyrhythm of 3 against 4. You NEED to feel the quarter note. Feeling it in 3/4 time will not help you if you were to play that rhythm with other musicians who are feeling the quarter note.

Count out loud. Tap your foot on all quarter notes - and count "1 trip - let, 2 trip - let, etc...

Eventually you will get the feel of it. You can also try exercises like playing eighth notes and accenting every third hit. That is a rhythm that is used in many different styles.

Jeff

I'm gonna try the foot tapping on the quarter pulse tomorrow. This is probably one of the most frustrating set of exercises... It's no fun at all but I really want to feel it!

thanks for the advice

[lochday]

I tried that and I thought I had it and even though I was counting it right as I played it I couldn't feel the quarter note pulse.
I'm gonna try the foot tapping on the quarter pulse tomorrow. This is probably one of the most frustrating set of exercises... It's no fun at all but I really want to feel it!

thanks for the advice

Use a metronome and set it to a quarter note pulse so that you can hear (and feel) the quarter note pulse.

Just play quarter notes first : R - L - R - L (one two three four)

Then play 8th notes R L - R L- R L - R L (one and two and three and four and) count loudly accenting the Rs (with your voice and on the drum).

Then the triplets where every quarter note has three hits equally placed within the length of the quarter note :

First do what jeffwj said but accent only the first hit of every triplet until you can feel the quarter note pulse.

Then do the same but no accent at all on the drum , just accent with your voice while counting. Be careful to divide the quarter notes into 3 equal notes. Count loud , still accenting only the quarter notes (first hit of the triplet):
Rll - Rll - Rll - Rll
or
Rlr - Lrl - Rlr - Lrl

Only after doing this you can work on displacing accents and play phrases.

Hope this help.

[Boomka]

I tried that and I thought I had it and even though I was counting it right as I played it I couldn't feel the quarter note pulse.


I'm gonna try the foot tapping on the quarter pulse tomorrow. This is probably one of the most frustrating set of exercises... It's no fun at all but I really want to feel it!

thanks for the advice

Slow down and count. Another thing to try: play 1 or more bars of triplets with the accent on the beat between bars of the exercises.