Does Jazz Use Triplets?
Yes, jazz extensively uses triplets. They are a foundational element of the genre's rhythmic character.
Triplets as the Core Jazz Feel
According to the reference provided, "triplets are the underlying. Feel or rhythm within jazz". This statement highlights the crucial role triplets play; they aren't just an occasional rhythmic device but form the very basis of how rhythm is felt and interpreted in jazz music.
In many instances, what might be notated as straight eighth notes in classical music is performed with a "swing" feel in jazz, which is essentially based on a triplet subdivision of the beat.
How Triplets Manifest in Jazz Rhythm
The triplet feel influences various aspects of jazz performance and composition:
- Swing Feel: The characteristic swing rhythm is often explained as taking a beat and dividing it into three parts (a triplet), with the first part being longer than the second (often like a dotted eighth followed by a sixteenth, but felt as the first two parts of a triplet tied together, followed by the third).
- Rhythmic Underpinning: Instruments like the drums (ride cymbal pattern), bass, and piano frequently play patterns that are either explicit triplets or patterns that imply a triplet subdivision.
- Melodic Phrasing: Soloists and melody players use triplets to create rhythmic drive, tension, and expressive phrasing in their improvisations and themes.
The reference specifically mentions playing a scale in triplets as a demonstration of this underlying feel, indicating that melodies and harmonic lines are often conceived and executed within this rhythmic framework.
In essence: While jazz musicians use a variety of rhythmic figures, the triplet subdivision serves as the rhythmic pulse or "grid" that defines the swing feel, making it indispensable to the genre.
