Bagpipe Triplets
A triplet is a group of three notes played evenly in the time that two notes of the same value would normally take. Triplets add momentum and a rolling quality to bagpipe music and are particularly common in reels and hornpipes.
How Triplets Work
In 2/4 or 4/4 time, a triplet of quavers (eighth notes) is played in the time of two quavers. The three notes are given equal duration and are separated by grace notes. On the bagpipe, each note in the triplet must be clearly articulated — which means a crisp grace note between each pair of notes.
Playing a Triplet
Example: triplet on D — E — F:
- Play D
- Grace note (High G) into E
- Grace note (High G) into F
All three notes should be equal in length, and the two grace notes should be equally brief and equally clean. The most common error is rushing the triplet so that the first note is too short and the third is too long.
Triplets in Reels
In reel time (4/4 cut time), triplets are frequently used to fill a two-beat space with three notes, creating a characteristic surge in the melody. The notes involved are often a rising or falling scale passage.