Chords for The Bowed Triplet - FREE Irish Fiddle Lesson by Kevin Burke
Tempo:
116.45 bpm
Chords used:
A#
F#
F#m
A
Bm
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[D#] [G]
[A#]
So I'm going to talk for a while now about the different techniques and embellishments that you might hear in an Irish tune.
One item that I'm often asked about is usually called the bored triplet.
Whether it's actually a triplet or not, that's questionable.
It's three notes, but they're not even.
And usually a triplet suggests three notes of the same length.
I've written down here a typical bow of a reel, the silver spear.
[F#] And it starts with two notes and then this group of three, [A#]
which is designated a triplet.
Now the slur mark underneath, again, is kind of contradictory because it's three notes the same.
I think the slur is designated a group, not actually a slur.
We could take that away, that slur indication, and it wouldn't change anything at all.
But you'll often see that slur included.
So the three notes here are all the same, three A's.
And as I said, it's not really a triplet.
It's a shake of the bow.
It's probably more accurate to say that the first two notes are shorter and the third one is longer.
So this might be a more accurate way of writing it.
But the conventional way is the way it was up there first.
So how it sounds [F#m] is,
[A#]
and the way I usually play it, is the two notes in front of it I slur together in an up bow.
Then the triplet itself is down, up, down.
We'll take away this slur because it's a little confusing.
And then sometimes I slur coming out of the triplet.
The slur before the triplet I do almost every time, like 99% of the time.
I'm not comfortable if I don't have time to put that slur in, to the point where if I don't have time to put the slur in, I won't put the triplet in.
Now that's not 100% true, but it's pretty close to 100%.
[C#] Whereas the slur coming out of the triplet is probably 50-50.
Half the time I do slur and half the time I don't.
So in this passage I would slur the F sharp and the A in an up [F#] bow.
[A]
Then down, up, down for the triplet.
And then I might keep going [E] for the next two notes.
[A#] [F#]
[A#] [F#m]
[A#] [F#m]
[A#] [F#m] [A#]
Now maybe [F#m] I want slur out of the triplet and I would play
[A#] [F#m]
[A#]
[F#] So that's an option.
But for me, the slur at the beginning is not really an option.
I don't feel comfortable doing the triplet unless I've got that preparation step, if you like.
[A#] I need to get prepared for the triplet by playing at least one quarter note [A] length of a stroke.
Usually it's two eighth notes, but sometimes it's a long note length.
[F#m]
[A#] So physically, when I do the bow triplet, I have a really relaxed hold of the bow.
In fact, I'm barely holding it at all.
I almost let go entirely.
I rely on the fiddle to hold up the bow.
If you took away the fiddle, the bow would fall down.
Because I'm barely holding it.
It's the fiddle that's supporting the bow at that point, not my hand.
I could almost take my fingers off.
And then this thing inside my arm, whatever that is, that muscle or tendon, tightens.
And it causes this to shudder.
And I know how much to tighten the arm to make it shake the right number of times to execute the triplet.
And if you watch,
[A#] I don't know if you can see it on the screen, but you should notice that little thing [F#] tightens every time I play the triplet.
[A#]
So, that's what's going [F#] on with my arm.
It tightens here, but it [A] stays very, very relaxed here.
No [Bm] grip on the stick at all.
Almost to the point where I'm letting go of the stick.
[D] I play with a [Em] very loose hold [A] of the stick anyway.
[D] But [F#] when it's time to play a triplet, [A#] my hold on [Em] the bow [A] lightens up even [B] more.
[F#m] So that's how [D] I execute these bow triplets.
So have fun with that.
[F#] Hope you enjoy it.
[Bm] [F#] [B]
[Bm]
[F#m]
[B] [A] [Bm]
[G] [A]
[A#]
So I'm going to talk for a while now about the different techniques and embellishments that you might hear in an Irish tune.
One item that I'm often asked about is usually called the bored triplet.
Whether it's actually a triplet or not, that's questionable.
It's three notes, but they're not even.
And usually a triplet suggests three notes of the same length.
I've written down here a typical bow of a reel, the silver spear.
[F#] And it starts with two notes and then this group of three, [A#]
which is designated a triplet.
Now the slur mark underneath, again, is kind of contradictory because it's three notes the same.
I think the slur is designated a group, not actually a slur.
We could take that away, that slur indication, and it wouldn't change anything at all.
But you'll often see that slur included.
So the three notes here are all the same, three A's.
And as I said, it's not really a triplet.
It's a shake of the bow.
It's probably more accurate to say that the first two notes are shorter and the third one is longer.
So this might be a more accurate way of writing it.
But the conventional way is the way it was up there first.
So how it sounds [F#m] is,
[A#]
and the way I usually play it, is the two notes in front of it I slur together in an up bow.
Then the triplet itself is down, up, down.
We'll take away this slur because it's a little confusing.
And then sometimes I slur coming out of the triplet.
The slur before the triplet I do almost every time, like 99% of the time.
I'm not comfortable if I don't have time to put that slur in, to the point where if I don't have time to put the slur in, I won't put the triplet in.
Now that's not 100% true, but it's pretty close to 100%.
[C#] Whereas the slur coming out of the triplet is probably 50-50.
Half the time I do slur and half the time I don't.
So in this passage I would slur the F sharp and the A in an up [F#] bow.
[A]
Then down, up, down for the triplet.
And then I might keep going [E] for the next two notes.
[A#] [F#]
[A#] [F#m]
[A#] [F#m]
[A#] [F#m] [A#]
Now maybe [F#m] I want slur out of the triplet and I would play
[A#] [F#m]
[A#]
[F#] So that's an option.
But for me, the slur at the beginning is not really an option.
I don't feel comfortable doing the triplet unless I've got that preparation step, if you like.
[A#] I need to get prepared for the triplet by playing at least one quarter note [A] length of a stroke.
Usually it's two eighth notes, but sometimes it's a long note length.
[F#m]
[A#] So physically, when I do the bow triplet, I have a really relaxed hold of the bow.
In fact, I'm barely holding it at all.
I almost let go entirely.
I rely on the fiddle to hold up the bow.
If you took away the fiddle, the bow would fall down.
Because I'm barely holding it.
It's the fiddle that's supporting the bow at that point, not my hand.
I could almost take my fingers off.
And then this thing inside my arm, whatever that is, that muscle or tendon, tightens.
And it causes this to shudder.
And I know how much to tighten the arm to make it shake the right number of times to execute the triplet.
And if you watch,
[A#] I don't know if you can see it on the screen, but you should notice that little thing [F#] tightens every time I play the triplet.
[A#]
So, that's what's going [F#] on with my arm.
It tightens here, but it [A] stays very, very relaxed here.
No [Bm] grip on the stick at all.
Almost to the point where I'm letting go of the stick.
[D] I play with a [Em] very loose hold [A] of the stick anyway.
[D] But [F#] when it's time to play a triplet, [A#] my hold on [Em] the bow [A] lightens up even [B] more.
[F#m] So that's how [D] I execute these bow triplets.
So have fun with that.
[F#] Hope you enjoy it.
[Bm] [F#] [B]
[Bm]
[F#m]
[B] [A] [Bm]
[G] [A]
Key:
A#
F#
F#m
A
Bm
A#
F#
F#m
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [D#] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [A#] _
So I'm going to talk for a while now about the different _ _ techniques and _ _ embellishments that you _ might hear in an Irish tune.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
One item that I'm often asked about is usually called the bored triplet. _ _ _ _
Whether it's actually a triplet or not, that's questionable.
It's three notes, _ but they're not even.
_ And usually a triplet _ suggests three notes of the same length. _
I've written down here a typical _ _ bow of a reel, the silver spear.
_ [F#] And _ _ it starts with two notes and then this group of three, [A#] _
which is _ _ designated a triplet.
Now _ _ the slur mark underneath, _ _ again, is kind of contradictory because it's three notes the same.
I think the slur is designated _ a group, _ not actually a slur.
We could take that away, that slur indication, and it wouldn't change _ anything at all.
But you'll often see that slur included.
_ So the three notes here are all the same, three A's.
And as I said, it's not really a triplet.
It's a shake of the bow. _
_ _ _ _ It's probably more accurate _ to say that the first two notes are shorter and the third one is longer.
So this might be a more accurate way of writing it.
But the conventional way is the way it was up there first.
So how it sounds [F#m] is, _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ and the way I usually play it, _ is the two notes in front of it I slur _ _ together in an up bow. _
_ Then the triplet itself is down, up, down.
_ We'll take away this slur because it's a little confusing. _ _ _ _
And then sometimes I slur coming out of the triplet. _ _ _ _ _
The slur before the triplet I do almost every time, like 99% of the time.
I'm not comfortable _ if I don't have time to put that slur in, to the point where if I don't have time to put the slur in, I won't put the triplet in.
Now that's not 100% true, but it's pretty close to 100%.
[C#] Whereas the slur coming out of the triplet is probably 50-50.
Half the time I do slur and half the time I don't.
So in this passage I would slur the F sharp and the A in an up [F#] bow.
_ [A] _
_ Then down, up, down for the triplet. _ _ _
And then I might keep going [E] for the next two notes.
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
[A#] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ [A#] _ _ _
_ Now maybe [F#m] I want slur out of the triplet and I would play_ _ _ _
_ [A#] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#] _ _ _ _ So that's an option.
But for me, the slur at the beginning is not really an option.
I don't feel comfortable doing the triplet unless I've got that _ preparation step, if you like.
_ [A#] I need to get prepared for the triplet by playing at least one quarter note [A] length of a stroke.
Usually it's two eighth notes, but sometimes it's a long note length.
[F#m] _ _ _ _ _
_ [A#] So _ physically, when I do the bow triplet, I have a really _ _ relaxed hold of _ _ the bow.
_ In fact, I'm barely holding it at all.
I almost let go entirely.
I rely on the fiddle to hold up the bow.
If you took away the fiddle, the bow would fall down.
Because I'm barely holding it.
_ _ _ It's the fiddle that's supporting the bow at that point, not my hand.
I could almost take my fingers off.
_ And then _ _ this thing inside my arm, whatever that is, that muscle or tendon, _ tightens.
And it causes this to shudder.
And I know how much to tighten the arm to make it shake the right number of times to execute the triplet.
_ And if you watch, _
_ [A#] _ I don't know if you can see it on the screen, but you should notice that little thing [F#] tightens every time I play the triplet.
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ So, that's what's going [F#] on with my arm.
It tightens here, but it [A] stays very, very relaxed here.
No [Bm] grip on the stick at all. _
Almost to the point where I'm letting go of the stick.
[D] _ I play with a [Em] very loose hold [A] of the stick anyway.
[D] _ But _ [F#] when it's time to play a triplet, [A#] _ my hold on [Em] the bow [A] lightens up even [B] more.
_ _ [F#m] So that's how [D] I execute these bow triplets.
So have fun with that.
[F#] Hope you enjoy it.
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ [A] _ _
_ _ _ [D#] _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [A#] _
So I'm going to talk for a while now about the different _ _ techniques and _ _ embellishments that you _ might hear in an Irish tune.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _
One item that I'm often asked about is usually called the bored triplet. _ _ _ _
Whether it's actually a triplet or not, that's questionable.
It's three notes, _ but they're not even.
_ And usually a triplet _ suggests three notes of the same length. _
I've written down here a typical _ _ bow of a reel, the silver spear.
_ [F#] And _ _ it starts with two notes and then this group of three, [A#] _
which is _ _ designated a triplet.
Now _ _ the slur mark underneath, _ _ again, is kind of contradictory because it's three notes the same.
I think the slur is designated _ a group, _ not actually a slur.
We could take that away, that slur indication, and it wouldn't change _ anything at all.
But you'll often see that slur included.
_ So the three notes here are all the same, three A's.
And as I said, it's not really a triplet.
It's a shake of the bow. _
_ _ _ _ It's probably more accurate _ to say that the first two notes are shorter and the third one is longer.
So this might be a more accurate way of writing it.
But the conventional way is the way it was up there first.
So how it sounds [F#m] is, _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ and the way I usually play it, _ is the two notes in front of it I slur _ _ together in an up bow. _
_ Then the triplet itself is down, up, down.
_ We'll take away this slur because it's a little confusing. _ _ _ _
And then sometimes I slur coming out of the triplet. _ _ _ _ _
The slur before the triplet I do almost every time, like 99% of the time.
I'm not comfortable _ if I don't have time to put that slur in, to the point where if I don't have time to put the slur in, I won't put the triplet in.
Now that's not 100% true, but it's pretty close to 100%.
[C#] Whereas the slur coming out of the triplet is probably 50-50.
Half the time I do slur and half the time I don't.
So in this passage I would slur the F sharp and the A in an up [F#] bow.
_ [A] _
_ Then down, up, down for the triplet. _ _ _
And then I might keep going [E] for the next two notes.
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ _
[A#] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ [A#] _ _ _
_ Now maybe [F#m] I want slur out of the triplet and I would play_ _ _ _
_ [A#] _ _ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _
_ [A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#] _ _ _ _ So that's an option.
But for me, the slur at the beginning is not really an option.
I don't feel comfortable doing the triplet unless I've got that _ preparation step, if you like.
_ [A#] I need to get prepared for the triplet by playing at least one quarter note [A] length of a stroke.
Usually it's two eighth notes, but sometimes it's a long note length.
[F#m] _ _ _ _ _
_ [A#] So _ physically, when I do the bow triplet, I have a really _ _ relaxed hold of _ _ the bow.
_ In fact, I'm barely holding it at all.
I almost let go entirely.
I rely on the fiddle to hold up the bow.
If you took away the fiddle, the bow would fall down.
Because I'm barely holding it.
_ _ _ It's the fiddle that's supporting the bow at that point, not my hand.
I could almost take my fingers off.
_ And then _ _ this thing inside my arm, whatever that is, that muscle or tendon, _ tightens.
And it causes this to shudder.
And I know how much to tighten the arm to make it shake the right number of times to execute the triplet.
_ And if you watch, _
_ [A#] _ I don't know if you can see it on the screen, but you should notice that little thing [F#] tightens every time I play the triplet.
[A#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ So, that's what's going [F#] on with my arm.
It tightens here, but it [A] stays very, very relaxed here.
No [Bm] grip on the stick at all. _
Almost to the point where I'm letting go of the stick.
[D] _ I play with a [Em] very loose hold [A] of the stick anyway.
[D] _ But _ [F#] when it's time to play a triplet, [A#] _ my hold on [Em] the bow [A] lightens up even [B] more.
_ _ [F#m] So that's how [D] I execute these bow triplets.
So have fun with that.
[F#] Hope you enjoy it.
_ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [Bm] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ [F#m] _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ [A] _ _ _ [Bm] _
_ _ _ [G] _ _ _ [A] _ _