quintuplet

A quintuplet, a type of tuplet, is a group of five notes, which – in simple meter – fits into the length of four of its note-type. In compound meter, five notes take the place of three:

• In 4/4 time (simple meter), eighth-note quintuplets span four normal eighth-notes (♫ Listen).
• In 6/8 time (compound meter), quintuplets span the length of three eighth-notes (♫ Listen).

► View notation for the above examples


For clarification, the quintuplet may be designated a ratio, such as 5:4 or 5:3: Five notes for every four or three, respectively.