Irish Jig Triplets /// Mandolin Lesson

[@MrJkilloran]

Thank you for the explanation and the demonstrations. I'm a long time guitar player learning to love all things tenor, and those who master the triplets really bring an authenticity to the music. I'm gonna work on them. Thanks again.

[@douglasculhane3657]

Really clear explanation with great examples and exercises. I have been working on this for a while and this video is very helpful. Starting to get it. Thank you for this and all of the other great work that you do.

[@chaslaurie]

Just discovered your band on Spotify. Nice stuff!

[@ChristineJump]

I’ve recently inherited my fathers mandolin, and want to thank you for your very comprehensive lesson! I’m subscribing and look forward to learning how to play this fine instrument with your guidance.

[@jamesbrown8766]

Interesting with the different thickness picks. I thought your triplets were a little cleaner and more refined with the thinner pick, but the overall tone was rounder and more enjoyable with the thicker pick. (Just my opinion.) I always enjoy your videos. They are always interesting, informative, enlightening, and fun. Awesome video - thanks!

[@brucesteele3052]

I use a pick with rounded edges to help get through triplets. Pointy ends can get hung up on double strings.

[@ОлегБобров-в7ъ]

Thank you very much for your work. It was very helpful. I will be very happy to see more of these lessons. Accompanying to Irish tunes would really do. I hope it is modest enough to specify like this. One more time thank you for informative, interesting, encouraging videos!

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad you enjoyed this one! Planning to do some more Irish lessons around St. Patrick's Day this year.

[@pluckinstrings]

Great video! My channel has a lot of these Irish tunes and it is really tough to get a good triplet sound. Especially during that good ol 6/8 DUD DUD time signature!

[@vincejerrison]

This is brilliant - such a clear explanation. Thanks.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamescannon1750]

Or, Enda Scahill from tenor banjo calling triplets on one note a "treble" vs. involving different tones to be a "triplet", for some difference in terminology distinction. Great explanation and exercises here!

[@arbor8591]

You make great videos thanks! I'm still practicing the duddud technique and stopped playing all the jigs I was playing the wrong way until I have it down (up down)!!

[@johncochran5509]

Thanks for this, David. I have my head around triplets in reels, but I've had some trouble thinking through how to place them into that DUD DUD jig picking pattern. You breaking it down to various parts of the measure (and discussing pick directions for each) helped a lot. You've got a gift for teaching.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Glad to help! Happy picking!

[@water_violin]

Cool! On the Irish fiddle the neighboring note triplet is often played percussively as well… in fact, whether you go up one note (like 1st finger to 2nd finger) or a third (like 1st finger to 3rd finger, etc) is less important, even if you have multiple musicians playing in unison! An even more challenging version is what is sometimes called a ‘turn’ and involves *both* neighboring tones in a sort of double-triplet, taking up 3 eighth notes worth of rhythm (like 1st finger to second/third finger on sixteenth notes, 1st finger to open on sixteenth notes, and back to 1st finger for the last eighth note). I bet you could use the same technique on the mandolin, modified just a bit. Also, and idk if it’s entirely transferable from fiddle to mandolin, but one of the easiest ways to spot a beginner (even an accomplished one) playing Irish fiddle is if they play the rhythm, articulation (bowing, slurs), ornamentation, etc the same every time they play a sequence in a piece. Really accomplished Irish fiddle players will often change it up every repeat to keep it fresh and it makes a big difference, so even varying from a down bow to an up bow or a turn to a double stop makes a difference!

[@harpbaby1]

Just started adding mando backup to my harmonica videos. Been wanting to add this technique. Thanks David! My favorite was on the 6th note.

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Rock on!

[@chaslaurie]

Thanks!

[@bonenfant96]

The first commandement of Irish music: 'Thou shall not cheat and do triplets as they should be done'.

[@Izzynemelow]

Great lesson, as usual, David! Those are very doable ornaments for one note, i.e., on one string. Most jigs I know change notes/strings within the jig triplet. Tossing in those ornaments while also changing strings or even notes on the same string is another whole problem for me. Advice?

[@saoirsecameron]

Another type of triplet I’ve heard is a pentatonic triplet, like the passing tone triplet but skipping over one of the passing tones to the next note in a pentatonic motif.

[@andylewis6831]

@david Benedict Mandolin That was a great video.. thank you!! But why is this traditionally called a "triplet" if essentially the ornamented note is split into 2 not into 3? This has been very confusing to me.. But I think this makes sense thank you!!

[@mandolinogfolkemusik4818]

Thanks for a good lesson. Some of it is quiet challenging. And I think it gets really challenging when the triplest moves over more strings. Do you have any tips for that?

[@tinytim2504]

High five for pointing out that the name refers to something that's not rhythmically a triplet. Haha the first time I heard that term, the guy never mentioned it, and was almost wondering what he was doing teaching music for a bit until I realized "triplet" was the name of the ornament. 😅

[@DavidBenedictMandolin]

Yeah! Surprised I don't hear many other folks talk about that in Irish music. Glad it was helpful!

[@johnjones4129]

My ‘ead ‘urts…..