RHYTHM BACKING TRACKS:

TRIPLE METER GROOVES

 

Triple Meter:
Waltz
Oom-pah-pah
Trip-uh-let
1 - 2 - 3

 

You get it.

Triple meter tends to have a lovely lilting kind of feel to it. In most styles of music there is far less in triple meter than in quadruple, however there is still a lot. And it feels great to play it. Really understanding triple meter also makes it much easier for you to play in compound meters and to play in swing time (more on those elsewhere!)
 

 

So this page is for sharing some cool and useful grooves in triple meter. 

 
You need to have good rhythm - good time - to play music well. You need to feel it to play it, you need to count it to feel it, you need to know it to count it. 

 

 

TRIPLE GROOVES  

Rhythm Backing Tracks in Triple Meter

 

Each groove starts out at its most basic. However variations are a part of all drum playing, so after the first 8 or 16 bars you will here two types of variation:

  1. Variations within any measure
  2. Fills at the end of a group of four, eight, or sixteen measures

Below are play-along videos for several different triple meter grooves. Each is played at several different speeds. 

 

Triple Groove number 1 

Meter: Triple Simple

Time Signature: 3/4

How you count it: “1 2 3”

Main Pattern, Variations & Fills: Very simple, with the hi-hat playing the beat and doing not much else. However the downbeats alternate: Beat one is the kick drum in one measure, and the next measure beat one is a snare drum. 

 

That means that this pattern is TWO measures long. It's a common structure for triple meter grooves and it's cool b/c once you get the hang of hearing and expecting it, it makes it easier to keep track of where you are.

 

This main pattern is the “source material” for the groove. You can always hear it. Variations every 8 or 16 measures, just use different tones and combinations, with an occasional added hit of one of the drums. Fills are super simple.

 

 

A nice grid:

1. Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter Groove 1 - 110BPM

 

2. Rhythm Backing Track in Duple Meter Groove 1 - 120BPM

 

3. Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter Groove 1 - 140BPM

 

4. Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter Groove 1 - 160BPM

 

Triple Groove number 2
Our Light Miles

This pattern and its variations are based on Our Light Miles by Iron & Wine. It's a lovely song, very mellow, and you will notice that there are actually very little drums in it. About half way through there's a section where the drums come in; after that they come and go. The playing is subtle and effective. A cool trait of this is that when the drums depart, you get a chance to ‘fill in’ the beat with your inner ear, and of course with the other instruments which are playing. Try it!

 

Meter: Triple Simple

Time Signature: 3/4

How You Count It: “1 2 3”

Main Pattern, Variations & Fills: Again a very simple pattern, similar to Triple Groove number 1, but in this the beat is played on the ride cymbal. The downbeats alternate as above also, with kick drum for one measure, snare drum for the next.

 

 

A nice grid:

 

1. Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter - Groove 2 - 106BPM

 

2. Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter - Groove 2 - 121BPM

NOTICE: This is the original tempo for Our Light Miles

 

3.Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter - Groove 2 - 138BPM

 

4.Rhythm Backing Track in Triple Meter - Groove 2 - 158BPM