Article by Naomi Oliphant
t is best if students do not to attempt the rhythmic coordination
of two-against-three until they clearly understand duple and triple subdivisions
of a beat. A metronome is essential for helping to establish a
steady beat, and verbalization of the rhythmic pattern is very beneficial
as students work to grasp two-against-three. By isolating and clapping the
two-against-three pattern before adding the notes, students facilitate their
security with this rhythm.
I begin my introduction of two-against-three by asking my students to clap a number of bars of 4/4 meter with duple subdivisions of the beat while saying 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and.
Without changing the speed of the beat, I ask students to clap a number of bars of triplet eighths using the syllables tri-pu-let.
When the duple and triple subdivisions are exact, students are ready to move on to the next exercise which combines the two subdivisions. Retaining the 4/4 meter, I have my students clap alternating bars of duple and triple subdivisions. You might try either of these examples:
It may take a number of tries before students can achieve perfectly
even subdivisions as they alternate the bars. Many students fall into the
trap of failing to slow down the speed of the subdivided notes when changing
from triplets to duplets. For the first few times, I find it helpful to
clap and verbalize along with my students, strongly emphasizing the beats.
When they are able to move evenly from duplets to triplets, it is time to introduce two-against-three. I try to make it easy for my students to comprehend this by explaining that the smaller figure fits into the larger one. Often, students put the second note of the duplet with the third note of the triplet, rather than fitting the duplet's second note between the second and third notes of the triplet.
Students will have greater success with two-against-three if they understand the mathematical proportions of the pattern rather than learning the rhythmic pattern by ear. While explaining to students how to combine simple and compound subdivisions of a beat, I have found it helpful to assign six sixteenth notes to each part, with the triplet eighths subdivided into two sixteenths and the duplet eighths subdivided into three.
From this diagram, students can clearly see how the two parts fit together. Many students will recognize that the rhythmic pattern sounds like quareter, two-eighths, quarter. I have found such phrases as come butterfly, not difficult, old rattletrap useful in imitating the rhythmic pattern of two-against-three. Be sure to have students tap the pattern with two hands on a table top before returning to play the pattern on the keyboard.
Technology can be a very useful tool in teaching two-against-three. Frequently when teaching a piece such as Debussy's first Arabesque, I will have students use my Roland MT-200 sequencer/sound module and digital keyboard. After a student has recorded the right hand triplets on Track One of the sequencer, we "quantize" the triplets, a technology tool which evens out or corrects minor rhythmic inconsistencies. It is wise to have the student play along a number of times with the perfectly even triplets.
The next step is to record the left hand duplet eighths on Track Two and again quantize for evenness. When playing back Tracks One and Two together, adjustment of the tempo to a very slow speed will allow the student to hear the exact placement of the two-against-three rhythm pattern. Muting of the left hand track, and vice versa, will allow the student the opportunity of learning to fit the left hand correctly into the right hand. It is also helpful if the student plays hands together along with Tracks One and Two, or records hands together on Track Three and then plays all three tracks together, listening for rhythmic exactness.
1997 bio
NAOMI J. OLIPHANT, chair of the Keyboard/Vocal Performance Department at the University of Louisville, is an active solo and chamber music performer. Recipient of the University's 1994 Distinguished Teacher Award, she is active as a lecturer, adjudicator, and master class leader, and has just completed her term as 2nd Vice President of the Kentucky Music Teachers Association.
Click for Constance Kotis' 1997 article answering this same question
Back one page for Marvin Blickenstaff's 1997 reply to this question