69 Sight Singing Instructions

Sight Singing: Triplets in Simple Meters, Duplets in Compound Meters

1. When an (undotted) note value is divided in two, we can express it using the following divisions and subdivisions.

2. To divide the same note value in three, we use the same note value as for the duple division, but we write three of them and indicate that the division is a triplet by means of a triplet symbol, “3,” like this:

3. Conversely, we can divide a dotted note value in 2 by means of the duplet symbol, “2,” like this:

4. In both cases, a tip for successfully performing these divisions of the beat is to make sure your conducting is very steady. Train yourself to switch your mental subdivision instantaneously between duple and triple.