Tuplet
A group that divides a duration into equal parts not normally allowed by the metre
Related
A tuplet divides a duration into a number of equal parts that the metre does not normally allow, such as a triplet, quintuplet or septuplet, and is marked with a number and a bracket. It changes the proportion, not the duration: a triplet replaces two parts with three equal ones but still fills the same span.
In compound metre, duplets and quadruplets appear to divide a dotted beat into two or four. Tuplets crossing beats or bars should show their span; performers find a common denominator, then place each note proportionally.
A triplet does not mean "play faster": it means three equal parts instead of two, and its speed follows from the total duration. A tuplet is not free rhythm either: its proportions are strict. Nested tuplets, such as five within a triplet, must be subdivided again.
Sources
- 定义、记谱与比例参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Tuplet"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.