Triplets

[PianoMan]

Okay, there are waaay too many messed up sheets on this site for this to go any farther. Triplets are a good thing when used properly. If a sheet is composed mainly of triplets, it has the wrong time signature.

When Finale takes apart a Midi, it automatically puts it in 4/4 time.  If it is made up mostly of triplets, then you need to multiply the time sig by 3/2, hence 12/8 time.

What that does is it takes triplets and turns them normal, and it takes normal notes and makes them dotted.

Songs with this problem that I can think of off the top of my head:
Coins of the World (iDOWN's Submissions)
Lon Lon Ranch
SMW Ending
Before it was removed, Kid Icarus Medley (Which I fixed to 12/8 time)

[pumpy_heart]

I would agree you, but sometimes this is not the case.
I know of a couple of sheets that have a triplet versus couplet time thing going. Meaning, one hand plays triplets while the other plays the normal beat. Triplets should and must be allowed in this way.
Dotted notes are sometimes better than triplets, sometimes worse. Just depending on the situation.

[Beethoven II]

And notice my song is not in 4/4 time.

[Palagerini]

hm... so if a song has alot tripletts then it needs to be in 12/8? so a song like this?

http://www.mediafire.com/?0trmgevy9xm

so then what would the tripletts be? and what would a quater note be? or wait would a quater note turn into a dotted quarter note? because 1/4 times 3/2 = 3/8 which is one beat and half?

[iDOWN]

Ah. I never realised that. Thanks for the tip. I'll fix it asap.
I'll need a sheet in 12/8 first. :/
I'll get to it after I finish my arrangement I'm working on right now.

[pumpy_heart]

If a song rarely uses triplets, it doesnt need to be in 12/8. But if it uses it quite frequently, it should be in 12/8

[iDOWN]

Yes, he said that. "Coins of the World" is basically all triplets. [Sorry if you weren't talking to me.]

[PianoMan]

pumpy_heart: I understand, but I haven't seen a sheet like that in a while. This site seems to have more of a problem with triplets with triplets than dotted notes.

Beethoven II: Still, multiply by 3/2; hence 9/8 (Your sheet isn't as bad as some, though)

Palagerini: Yes, triplets would be normal and quarters would go to dotted quarters. However, I'm not so sure about this one. It depends on what lines you use when you arrange it. It could go either way... Like pumpy_heart said.

iDOWN: Cool. You're much less stubborn than many on this site.

[Brian]

There's finally someone who understands 12/8. The super mario world ending utilizes 12/8 as its time signature in the first part. You'll see a lot of triplets there. It just so happens that I corrected someone on the time signature with casino night zone from sonic 2. That one is in 12/8 as well. As for Lon Lon Ranch, the time signature for this is 3/4, not 9/8. The left hand is the only part that plays triplets while the right hand is playing according to the 3/4 time.

Tempo marking is also important as well. In 12/8, do not use a quarter mark, but rather a dotted quarter mark since each beat is composed of a dotted quarter note.

Too bad for some of you midi arrangers who depend on midis XD

[iDOWN]

iDOWN: Cool. You're much less stubborn than many on this site.

Haha. Yeah.
Some people just don't know how to take critisism. They see it as an insult, but all it really is is a oppotunity to make an improvement. :3

[Beethoven II]

There's finally someone who understands 12/8. The super mario world ending utilizes 12/8 as its time signature in the first part. You'll see a lot of triplets there. It just so happens that I corrected someone on the time signature with casino night zone from sonic 2. That one is in 12/8 as well. As for Lon Lon Ranch, the time signature for this is 3/4, not 9/8. The left hand is the only part that plays triplets while the right hand is playing according to the 3/4 time.

Tempo marking is also important as well. In 12/8, do not use a quarter mark, but rather a dotted quarter mark since each beat is composed of a dotted quarter note.

Too bad for some of you midi arrangers who depend on midis XD

And who better to ask than Brian?  

[PianoMan]

There's finally someone who understands 12/8. The super mario world ending utilizes 12/8 as its time signature in the first part. You'll see a lot of triplets there. It just so happens that I corrected someone on the time signature with casino night zone from sonic 2. That one is in 12/8 as well. As for Lon Lon Ranch, the time signature for this is 3/4, not 9/8. The left hand is the only part that plays triplets while the right hand is playing according to the 3/4 time.

Tempo marking is also important as well. In 12/8, do not use a quarter mark, but rather a dotted quarter mark since each beat is composed of a dotted quarter note.

Too bad for some of you midi arrangers who depend on midis XD

Oh yeah. That's another one.

[CH Winter]

Though triplets and other hybrids (sextuplet, heptuplets, so on) can be a hassle, they can be used for an entire song. I just played Minuet in C minor III for my grade 8 RCM and it is entirely triplets in the right hand with a 3/4 time signature. It really depends on the left hand for it to matter whether it should be triplets or not.

Btw, yes I did just sign up, so that's why you don't recognize my name.

[Sir Awesomesauce]

I just realized I had this problem with an arrangement I'm making. Is there a way with the free version of Finale to change the entire song's time signature?

[PianoMan]

No.