Septuplets

[RiCeVeRyDaY]

I'm having a real hard time learning to find a comfortable way to count this beat. How do you guys count it?!?!

[Imperial Star]

thats 7's right?
I count it gene-a-lol-a-bridge-a-da. Just pick a word with 7 sylables
I cant really count it past 60 bpm. You just know how they sound and feel

[Chippy569]

break it down to 2's and 3's. there's a couple patterns.


1-2 1-2 1-2-3

1-2 1-2-3 1-2

1-2-3 1-2 1-2


the underline is for the accent

[The Mites]

It's not a beat, it's a subdivision. In theory it should be no harder than any other number.

In theory.

Best way to start feeling how to slice a beat seven ways is to start with an open time line of notes and start accenting your landmarks. I'll elaborate.

Start with single strokes.

R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L

Now add the bass drum or stepped hi-hat in unison with the first note of every group of seven.

Hands|R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R L |
.Feet|O - - - - - - O - - - - - - O - - - - - - O - - - - - - |

Keep this going whilst speeding up and slowing down. It should be a matter of minutes before your ears relax into how these odd subdivisons sound.

This is the same for fives, nines, elevens, ect.

[Harrow]

The easiest way to learn this is to play a pattern in 4/4 with bass/hihats and accent every fifth stroke in unison with your foot. Remember since it's an odd grouping the hands will alternate and if you are playing it properly the accent will ALWAYS fall with the beat of the bass/hihats. Would look something like this I guess -

------------------>--------->---------->
Snare |R L R L R L R L R L R L R L R
Bass |o--------o---------o----------o
Hats |----------o--------------------o

[Harrow]

Oh yeah I just realized this was groupings of 7 not 5...but it's basically the exact same thing, just change the accents to match the pattern.

[Retarded Chipple]

I count them "go to university"


|go-to-u-ni-vr-sa-tee-go-to-u-ni-vr-sa-tee|
|R--L--R--L--R--L--R--L--R--L--R--L--R--L-|


The "Go" falls on the quarter note.

Like so (top line is quarter note click, bottom line is sticking for 7's):



|X-------------X-------------X-------------X-------------|
|R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-|

[jiashen]

I do ta-ka-di-mi-ta-ki-ta, based on konokol. It's not really what the counting was intended for, but I just needed some syllables to say, so there.

http://www.vicfirth.com/features/steve_smith_PASIC05.html

[NewMetman]

not so much a way of counting, but the one thing that helped me pick up how to play septuplets properly was listening to Rush's song Natural Science. The one part played in 7/8 is basically septuplet playing by the bass and guitar

[RiCeVeRyDaY]

Ya, i think finding a 7 syllable word helped the best. I'm doing better counting this beat, but I can't mix it up with other rhythyms, meaning I'm not sure if i'm actually hitting 7 notes in a beat when i incorporate other rhythyms, how can i keep better track of this record myself?

[ItComes]

You should be able to feel groups, not rely on counting them. Practice learning the feel of different groupings. The notes fly by far too fast to count in any playing context.

With a click play 1 beat of each grouping or use a check pattern to run through them.

For me it was easiest to just think of 7's as slightly slower 32nds, for 9's I think of 32nds with alternating hands if that's not too confusing.

[joe_04_04]

Its not too confusing at all