Rhythm explained Daniel Laberge

Rhythm exercise 3-1

The ternary master figure - Three eighth notes

Figures used in rhythm exercise 3-1

Graphic representation

Graphic representation of a ternary beat

The ternary beat division

Ternary rhythm covers all what the binary has left aside, or about 4% of music.

Humans seem to be fundamentally binary beings.

The ternary division is misunderstood. Very often, it is written as binary.

Ternary bars are unfortunately called "compound time signatures", confusing everyone.

Ternary music is found in close to a quarter of classical music and the vast majority of jazz and blues.

Part of the incomprehension surrounding ternary rhythms comes from triplets.

Triplets are occasional ternary beats encountered in binary music.

Triplet in binary music

Triplets are only found in binary music

Triplets are grouped with brackets and crowned with a 3.

It is important to understand that triplets are exceptional beats in binary music.

A whole piece of music cannot be in triplet rhythm; that would be badly identifying ternary music.

Triplets

Reading and writing ternary rhythms

The rhythm notation system is based on a binary relation between the figures.
One whole note equals two half notes, one half note equals two quarter notes, ...

Binary organization of rhythm figures

Binary organization of rhythm figures

This system was adapted for ternary music;
Three eighth notes are used to represent a ternary beat.

Ternary beat; three eighth notes

Ternary beat.
Each eighth note lasts 1/3 of a beat.

Dotted figures are used for durations of one beat and more.

Rhythmic values adapted for ternary music

Rhythmic values adapted for ternary music

Waltzes are representative of the confusion around ternary music.

All waltzes are ternary.

In fact, most of them have four beats per bar.

The popular saying goes that waltzes have three beats and it is wrong.

When people count 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, ..., they are doing the ternary division since they place their foot on each 1.

The mix-up comes from the fact that waltzes have always been badly notated.

Waltzes are accelerated 3/4 time "minuets", so that each bar becomes one beat.
Waltzes are written in 3/4 time with the mention "Tempo di valse" placed at the top of the sheet music. This tells the musicians to consider each bar as a single ternary beat.

Waltzes don't have 3 beats; they are ternary.

How to perform

 the ternary division

A: Count 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, aloud, making sure you space the numbers equally, be curt and precise.

How to perform the ternary division

B: Beat your foot on number 1 only.

How to perform the ternary division

C: Say Ta, Ta, Ta, instead of 1, 2, 3.

How to perform the ternary division

Audio renditions

BELOW

Scrolling score players
Non-scrolling score players

STEREO FIELD

STEREO FIELD

Beat your
foot!

RECOMMENDED

Beat your foot

Exercise 3-1
Tempo 80 bpm

Exercise 3-1
Tempo 110 bpm

Exercise 3-1
Tempo 140 bpm

Exercise 3-1
Complete score

Tempo 80

Tempo 110

Tempo 140

Score of rhythm exercise 3-1

A complete overview of rhythm

Rhythm explained
Figures used in rhythm exercise 3-1
Binary organization of rhythm figures
Rhythmic values adapted for ternary music
Scrolling score players
Non-scrolling score players
STEREO FIELD
Beat your foot
Score of rhythm exercise 3-1
Rhythm explained