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20.3: Simple Meter Super Duplets

  • Page ID
    340594
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    Duplets vs. Super Duplets

    Duplets occur when we have two even sounds on a beat. In simple meter, we are familiar with these as two eighth notes on each beat. Super (compound) duplets take two sounds and cover three beats. As we did with compound triplets, the easiest way to think about these is to break them into smaller pieces to help visualize and hear where these sounds occur.

    If we break a measure of simple meter into duplets on each beat, we can more easily line up where the super duplet will sound.

    Bottom staff showing eighth notes. Top staff showing compound duplet lining up every third eighth note

    In this graphic, you can see the three pairs of eighth notes that subdivide each of these beats. The quarter note duplet on the upper staff (super duplet) lines up and sounds on every third eighth note. This rhythm would sound the same if these were written as dotted quarter notes, but that does not fit the beat units for this meter (3/4).

    Counting

    If we are to count this example out loud, the most accurate performance of the super duplet will be to count the subdivision of the eighth notes. Counting each half beat, we would say, "1-and 2-and 3-and." In this case, we would clap or tap on "1," and "and" (of 2). We might think of this as "1 and 2 and 3 and."

    Bottom staff showing eighth notes. Top staff showing compound duplet lining up every third eighth note with counts included


    This page titled 20.3: Simple Meter Super Duplets is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lauren C. Sharkey.