Triplet
A triplet is three notes played in the time of two of the same value, marked with a small 3 above or below the group.
It is how music borrows a different subdivision for a moment. Three triplet eighth notes fill exactly one quarter-note beat, so the beat does not change — only how it is divided.
How To Spot Triplet
Look for a small 3 over a group of notes, usually with a bracket or a beam holding the group together.
Find It In Thirty Seconds
Say "tri-pl-et" evenly on one beat, tapping the beat with your other hand. Then play the triplet in the music the same way.
Open any piece of sheet music on this site and do it now. Reading is a recognition skill, and recognition is built by finding things, not by reading about them.
Related Topics...
How to Read Sheet Music: Learn how to read sheet music using interactive lessons from Chordzy. Or browse our various reading music topics.
Music Notation Glossary: Every symbol on a page of piano music, explained in one sentence each — clefs, note values, rests, accidentals, dynamics and repeat marks.
Eighth Note: An eighth note is a filled note head with a stem and one flag, and it lasts half a beat in common time. Two of them fill one quarter-note beat.
Quarter Note: A quarter note is a filled-in note head with a stem, and it lasts one beat in common time.
Time Signature: The time signature is the pair of numbers after the clef. The top number says how many beats are in each measure; the bottom says which note value gets one bea…
More in This Section
Whole Note: A whole note is a hollow note head with no stem, and it lasts four beats in common time — a full measure of 4/4.
Whole Rest: A whole rest is a small filled rectangle hanging below the fourth line of the staff. It means silence for a whole measure.