Triplets

[Susanne]

I've just (finally) started to go through Dick Mile's EC tutor and I'm trying to learn the concertina reel. There are some triplets on a D note there, there are no other notes involved but D notes.

How do you play this triplet? By simply pushing the button very fast? I can't do that smoothly but it may just take some practice. Or do you push/pull the bellows fast in order to play the triplet?

[RatFace]

How do you play this triplet?

 

Change fingers. For example, the D one-octave and a bit above middle-C (left hand side on English) you could play a triplet with fingers:

 

1-2-1

or

2-1-2

 

depending on the notes that come before and afterwards. This is _the_ way to play repeated notes - it may be hard at first but with a bit of practice you'll find it's _far_ easier than using the same finger, and you gain real control over the rhythm.

 

One way of practicing is to play scales in triplets (or twos, or fours etc). I used to do this silently whilst listening to the Archers on the radio...

 

When you get the hang of it you can also use 3 fingers - for me not too hard on the right side, but tricky on the left. The main reason for this is that it fits certain rhythms - for example in this tune in the second half the repeated notes (e on right side - second line of the tune) are played 1-3-2-1. I recorded it whilst messing around many years ago and it can be heard here. I fluff it up on the first time of the B part... but I nail it the other 3 times

 

In Windows Media Player you can slow down the speed by pressing ctrl-shift-s