Quiz #18 - Tuplets

Tuplets

Tuplets in music are rhythmic groupings that divide a beat or measure into an irregular number of notes, differing from the standard subdivision. Common examples include triplets (three notes in the time of two) and quintuplets (five notes in the time of four). They allow for rhythmic flexibility and are often marked with a number over the group of notes.

Here are some examples of tuplets:

Be careful to differentiate tuplets from regular note-groups! A tuplet is a rhythmic grouping that doesn't follow the standard subdivision of the beat. Normally, beats divide evenly—like quarter notes splitting into two eighth notes, or eighth notes splitting into two sixteenth notes. But a tuplet squeezes in more (or fewer) notes than usual. For example, a triplet fits three notes where there would normally be two, and a quintuplet fits five notes where there would normally be four or three. You can spot a tuplet by looking for a number written above or below a group of notes.

Here are some examples of note-groups that are not tuplets: