Since a few of my students are studying this composition, I decided to make a video addressing the triplets against eighths dualism.
In Debussy’s Arabesque No.1 there are measures where triplets in the treble are juxtaposed with eighths in the bass, and in reverse.
When practicing the composition, I first disassociate the part each hand is assigned, and play straight eighths in the bass, and separately triplets in the treble. (You can also find places where a stream of triplets are in the bass and count through those with an awareness of their rhythmically rolling character against eighths played above them)
In any case, it’s valuable to count through each part of a particular section as I’ve demonstrated in the video.
Sometimes a measure is introduced with a quarter divided into two eighths followed by a stream of triplets in the treble. You can count “one and,” through the first beat as in measure 6, and then intone triplet counting by using syllables for the beats remaining, two-de-lee, three-de-lee, four-de-lee, etc. or count straight triplets to the fourth beat.
When considering the interaction of both hands, you can use a crutch by observing at what point in the score, the hands come exactly together and where otherwise a note would be inserted between part of a triplet figure. It can happen with a left hand eighth note falling between the first two notes of a triplet in the right, or the same can occur between the last two notes of a triplet where an 8th is inserted. (In some places the triplet figure occurs in the bass, while the eighths are above) The player has to carefully examine the juxtaposition of eighths and triplets in each hand as the dualism is played out in the course of the whole composition. The middle section in A Major has a sparse occurrence of the rhythmic dualism between the hands and it occurs on the downbeats of three measures.
Note insertion practice between hands can be counter-productive if the accommodation distorts the smoothness and rolling nature of a triplet. So it’s best to be as non-mechanical as possible in this phase of learning. Don’t allow part of the triplet to wait too long for an inserted note. If you can imagine a triplet stretched out and not boxed into a small space, it will be helpful. (Triplets feel like broadened quarter notes. I think expansion, not crowding in three notes into the space of a beat)
After this prescribed note insertion practice, it’s best to try to free up the flow of music in tempo increments so you get to a point where both hands are flowing naturally and with fluidity. This whole process involves patient, step-by-step, mindful practicing with relaxed arms and supple wrists.
RELATED:
https://arioso7.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/piano-instruction-debussy-arabesque-no-1-video/
