Definition
An irregular group (tuplet) fits into a duration a number of notes different from the “natural” one: the triplet puts 3 notes in the space of 2, the quintuplet 5 in the space of 4, the sextuplet 6 in the space of 4, the septuplet 7 in the space of 4 (or 8). In compound meter the duplet puts 2 notes in the space of 3. Notation (dots, ties, numerals) is covered in the theory card “Dots, double dots, ties and irregular groups”; here we look at rhythmic and production use.
Durations at 120 BPM (one quarter note = 500 ms)
| Group within the quarter note | Notes | Duration of each |
|---|---|---|
| Eighth notes | 2 | 250 ms |
| Eighth-note triplet | 3 | 166.7 ms |
| Sixteenth notes | 4 | 125 ms |
| Quintuplet | 5 | 100 ms |
| Sextuplet (sixteenth-note triplet) | 6 | 83.3 ms |
| Septuplet | 7 | 71.4 ms |
| Thirty-second notes | 8 | 62.5 ms |
Moving from one row to the next within the same fill creates a “continuous” acceleration: this is the principle of the roll that seems to speed up without changing BPM.
Uses in the groove
- Eighth-note triplets: shuffle, 12/8, blues, gospel; in the pop ballad, piano arpeggios in triplets give a sense of 6/8 within the 4/4.
- Quarter-note triplets (3 notes over 2 beats): slow down the perception; used in “heavy” fills and in vocal melodies that “float.”
- Sixteenth-note triplets / sextuplets: trap hi-hat rolls, fast rock and metal fills, gospel drum ornaments.
- Quintuplets and septuplets: fusion and prog color; in electronic production they are used for “unquantized” hi-hat rolls, sequencer ratchets and glitch.
- Duplets in 6/8: make the 6/8 momentarily duple (implied hemiola).
Trap hi-hat rolls
Rolls are built by mixing resolutions within one or two beats:
- sixteenths → sixteenth-note triplets → thirty-seconds → back to sixteenths.
- Pitch: raise or lower the roll's notes by 1–12 semitones (ramp up/down) for the typical “cascade” effect.
- Velocity: crescendo or diminuendo within the roll; accent on the first note of the group.
- Pan: small L/R movements on each note of the roll to widen it.
In FL Studio: Piano Roll with snap “1/6 beat” (sixteenth-note triplets), “1/2 step” (thirty-second notes); for quintuplets/septuplets raise the project's PPQ resolution and use snap “None,” or use the Piano Roll's “Chop” function setting the number of divisions. Many producers also use the “note repeat” of a controller or of plugins.
Irregular groups in the melody
- A quarter-note triplet in the melody over a duple accompaniment gives a “spoken,” free effect (very R&B and pop ballad).
- Quintuplets and sextuplets in vocal flourishes (runs) are almost never exact: they must be felt as gestures, not as a grid.
Example in A minor (trap, 140 BPM)
Bar on Am with 808 on A1: hi-hat in sixteenth notes; in beat 2 a roll of sixteenth-note triplets with pitch +2 semitones, in beat 4 a sextuplet followed by four thirty-second notes in crescendo that lead into the 1 of the next bar (new 808 note or crash); the snare stays on 3 (half-time). Melody (pluck) in quarter-note triplets over F – G to “open up” the pre-chorus.
Common mistakes
- Rolls in every bar: the effect wears out. Use them as punctuation (end of phrase, before the snare).
- Quintuplets quantized to a sixteenth-note grid: they become wrong sixteenths.
- Irregular groups that clash with the tempo-synced delay: check the repeats.
Exercise
- Program a one-bar fill that passes through eighth-note triplets, sixteenths, sextuplets and thirty-seconds (one beat each) at 100 BPM.
- Create 4 different hi-hat rolls for a trap beat and assign them to different points of the 8-bar phrase.
- Sing a melody in quarter-note triplets over an Am – F – C – G progression at 90 BPM.
Connections
“Dots, double dots, ties and irregular groups”, “Polyrhythms”, “Drum rudiments for programmers”, “Rhythm in rap”, “Fills and transitions”.