Tuplets
Tuplets are no different from regular rhythmic values since they
describe how many notes of that duration sum together to create a
whole-note duration. Triplet eighth notes are represented with
the number 12 because twelve of them equal a whole-note duration.
quintuplet sixteenth notes are represented as 20 since 20 of the
equal a whole-note duration.
Extended Rhythm representation
Note durations that do not divide the duration of a whole note into an integer
number of equal pieces (when also accounting for augmentation dots), must be encoded in an
extended **recip representation. This system is understood by VHV and
Humdrum Extras, but not in the classical
Humdrum Toolkit (see rscale for
using extended rhythms with the Humdrum Toolkit).
Example extended rhythms include triplet whole notes. 3/2 of a
triplet whole note fill the duration of a regular whole note, so
it is represented by the string 3%2. Another way of conceptualizing
this is to flip the numbers in the rhythm string, noting that a triplet
whole note is 2/3rds of a whole note:
Notice the 1%2 rhythm in the last measure. This represent a
double whole note, since 1/2 of the double whole note is equivalent
to a whole note. 0 is a special code equivalent to 1%2, 00 is equivalent
to 1%4 (a long) and 000 is equivalent to 1%8 (a maxima). It
is probably best to use the zero-system for breves, maximas and
longs, reserving extended rhythms for readability and use
%-based descriptions more complicated rhythmic cases.