Popular Post tmarps 217 Posted May 2, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted May 2, 2018 Hey there - Recently, whilst perusing my way through some John Williams tunes, I’d begun to put together a collection of where Williams highlights dark, brooding triplets played by his string section. My (tiny) collection ranges thus so far: (2:53) (0:43) I was wondering how many of you guys noticed how occasionally this idea is used, and whether any more examples of this string pattern are out there and used by Williams that you know of? I know there are because I’ve heard them from other soundtracks, just forgot to note down every time I went “Ah! String Triplets!” The general idea Williams employs with these triplets is to have them staccato with a few slurs here and there between notes to give it super driving momentum. Happy Listening! Not Mr. Big, SteveMc, looohhk and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post karelm 2,903 Posted May 2, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted May 2, 2018 This is one of my favorite sections and full of triplet strings: Ludwig, SteveMc and Loert 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbellamy 6,272 Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Ludwig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datameister 2,037 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 Ah, one of my favorite Williams devices. Never seems to get old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted May 3, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted May 3, 2018 Nice idea for a thread! Williams sure loves his 6/8 scherzo-type passages, in fact it's probably one of his most easily identifiable action tropes. Common stye features include loping dactylic (long-short-long) rhythms (more common at slower tempi), octave coupling (can sometimes span up to 5 octaves) and a free interchange between 3-3 and 2-2-2 subdivisions of the meter. Loert, Ludwig, karelm and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artguy360 1,843 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 There needs to be a rule against not using timestamps in videos. Anyways, this is definitely one of the most common Williams-isms. A similar stylistic touch JW uses again and again in his action music is the kind of churning brass as heard here in the Attack on Jakku Village cue until 3:26 or so: Bayesian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loert 2,510 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 11 hours ago, karelm said: This is one of my favorite sections and full of triplet strings: This is the first excerpt I thought of when seeing this thread. What I like most about this is how Williams transitions from legato to staccato at the beginning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,903 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 3 hours ago, Loert said: This is the first excerpt I thought of when seeing this thread. What I like most about this is how Williams transitions from legato to staccato at the beginning. This is one of the all time best action cues JW has ever composed. It is just so full of dynamism, perpetual motion, virtuoso writing, musicality... Loert 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,040 Posted May 3, 2018 Share Posted May 3, 2018 I also love it when Williams mixes triplets into duplet-passages...with his sense of flow, I think Williams would make an interesting rapper. Sharkissimo and karelm 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,322 Posted November 27, 2019 Share Posted November 27, 2019 Wow! Thanks to this thread I learned what "string triplet" actually is. Thank you! Bellosh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellosh 3,398 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 Sooo weird this thread got bumped. On my way home from work I decided to listen to The Empire Strikes Back (one of my favorites to put on during the holiday season) and was listening to 'Attacking a Star Destroyer'. My favorite bit in the cue is @1:10... would this be considered a string triplet? I've always been blown away by this part. If not, no worries, still a wonderful moment. ins 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmarps 217 Posted November 28, 2019 Author Share Posted November 28, 2019 10 hours ago, Bellosh said: Sooo weird this thread got bumped. On my way home from work I decided to listen to The Empire Strikes Back (one of my favorites to put on during the holiday season) and was listening to 'Attacking a Star Destroyer'. My favorite bit in the cue is @1:10... would this be considered a string triplet? I've always been blown away by this part. If not, no worries, still a wonderful moment. Defo weird that this thread got bumped - but anyway, yeah. that is a string triplet, anywhere you can hear a strong sense of "1,2,3, 1,2,3" in string instruments I guess - he uses it often to drive things along and I think it's a great technique. He also swaps it for triplets in the brass at 1:26 which he likes to do often as well!!! Creates an epic sound. Think of it as the strings setting up an unsettling background idea with the audience feeling that the triplets are there but not actually knowing. Then, the already set-up triplet idea comes to the forefront in the brass for an almighty payoff. Epic stuff. Bellosh and Fabulin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,510 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 . tmarps 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmarps 217 Posted November 28, 2019 Author Share Posted November 28, 2019 haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Stu 15,495 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 Don't underestimate the slow-tempo triplet, though. It can add a feeling that is both stately and rhythmically interesting to any melodic line. Listen to the low strings here in "With Malice Toward None". You can hear a string triplet at 3:09 and 3:13. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fabulin 3,510 Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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