Example 26 - I'm not hearing sequence of 4 triplets

TeleLP

Blues Newbie
I just got this lesson series (as well as soloing without scales) and am enjoying and learning from both, but...

In the Box 1 melodic patterns lesson, where Griff is playing a sequence of 4 in triplets time, I am hearing the metronome but I am not hearing the notes in time with the click on the beat. Actually I am hearing the timing until around 7:40, where Griff is almost done ascending the scale and then beginning the descent. I am not sure why I am losing my sense of it, but I have listened to this passage a number of times and having the same issue each time. Yet I can distinctly hear the time correctly when Griff plays both 8ths and 16ths all the way through.

Also it seems the feel of triplets and 16ths is the same and only differs in context of the time (one-and-a vs one-e-and-a)

Please help me to get over this hump... Thanks!
 

mountain man

Still got the Blues!
Triplets and 1/16th should be different. If you play triplets for the entire measure you will only play 12 notes. If you play 1/16th notes for the entire measure you will play 16 notes. I found when I was counting those exercises in that course that the triplets were challenging every time because they had an odd number number of notes between each foot tap. The 1/16th notes has an even number so the rhythm was easier. Take it slow to get it right!! Good luck! :thumbup:
 

TerryH

Blues Newbie
The challenge for me is that in example 24-5 the notes seem to be naturally triplets whereas in example 26-7 they seem to be naturally eighths or sixteenths, just by their nature. It’s almost an effort of will to count over them correctly. I’m still not there yet. I imagine Griff has done this deliberately to make sure we really nail the timing.
 

HotLks

Blues - it's in me and it's got to come out.
Hang in there Terry! Maybe this will help. I do this when I'm having timing/counting problems. It's from the pdf version of the lessons which I edit with the Comment feature > Add Text:

I just noticed that I have an error in the attachment and have pulled it back for correction.

This one is correct:

upload_2016-9-19_12-54-50.png
See you down the road! :thumbup:
 
Last edited:

HotLks

Blues - it's in me and it's got to come out.
Terry -

Please look at the last measure. The staff I uploaded had an error in the counting of the last measure.

I've now corrected it. The last measure count should be: 1&a2&a3&a4&a.

Sorry for any confusion.

See you down the road! :thumbup:
 

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
Maybe I can help you out.

First go back to the 8th notes and combine each group of 4 notes into a longer group of 8 and, for now, actually count the measure as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.

This way the first group starts on beat one on the 5th fret of string 6 and fits exactly in one measure, the second group starts on the 5th fret on beat one on string 5 for a complete measure, then string 4, then string 3, then string 2. (You are playing an 8 note sequence starting from each string 6 5 4 3 2.)

But, when you get to string 2 in measure 5, you only have the first 4 notes of the pattern on beats 1&2! (I actually draw a line dividing the measure.) I call it the “turning point”, where you change from going up to going down. This is where you will mostly likely get confused in any of the exercises, so I always mark it.

So a new 8 note descending pattern starts in the middle of the measure on beats 3&4. As you descend you have a new 8 note pattern that always starts on the next lower string on beat 3 in the middle of a measure. You will end with only 4 notes starting from the 5th string.

Why all this bother?

Now look at the triplets.

The first measure has the same 8 note pattern and only half of the
next (=12 notes). So beats and measures are going to be at different places in the pattern when counting in 3's rather than when counting in 4's or 8's.

So, now think of measure 1 as a 12 note pattern played in 3s rather than 4’s.
Now each measure has a complete 12 note pattern rather than an 8 note pattern.

In 3 measures you play the entire ascending pattern of 36 notes (3x12). In 8th notes you played 4 and 1/2 measures which is also the same 36 notes (4 1/2 x 8).

But now the ascent ends at the end of a measure and the descent starts at the beginning of the next. The "turning point" is at the end of a measure. Three measures up and 3 measures down in 6 measures.

In 8th notes the turning point was in the middle of a measure and the complete pattern took 9 measures.

Now you start back down on beat one of measure 4.

This is the sticky part.

When you listen to Griff play triplets, you can easily hear the new 12 note sequence in 3’s going up, but as soon as he starts back down your ear shifts over to 4’s (or the 8 note pattern). (When you look at the slurs in Ex 27, they actually start out connected in 2's!).This also happened to me when I first started. It is very hard, at first, not to hear the 4 or 8 note pattern when coming back down.

I actually get lost if I try to count “correctly” i.e. 1 and a 2 and a, etc.

So I count simply 123,123,123,123.

My advice.

Treat it just as you would when learning a new solo, one measure at a time.

Without
a metronome, as slowly as needed, practice only the descending pattern as follows:

Start with the triplets in measure 4 only. This is where you start back down (The "turning point").

1)Play the first 3 notes only. Count 1 2 3. Repeat. Repeat . Repeat....
2) Play the second tripllet only. Repeat.........
3) Do the same for the 3rd and 4th triplet.
4) Play the first 2 triplets, pausing in between. Repeat several times.
5) Play the first 3 triplets, pausing in between
6) Play the whole measure, pausing between the triplets.
7) Slowly play the whole measure without pauses, still counting 123, 123, etc

Once you get the feel for the new pattern you can practice counting "correctly".

Go through each of the remaining measures playing each triplet with a pause in between.

Practice each triplet and each measure slowly until you get a "feel" for it when you put it all together.

When you put it all thgether, you actually hear/feel a whole new “melody” coming back down than when going up.

That’s the whole idea behind “melodic sequences”. They aren’t meant to be used just as an exercise. Playing various scales using differnet sequences can open up new melodic ideas when soloing.
 
Last edited:
Top