28/05/2026
Today I was thinking back to the moment triplets first found their way into the Stringbabies books.
They weren’t in the original version at all. One day, during a Stringbabies cello lesson with a 5‑year‑old, I drew a triplet shape on the whiteboard (no noteheads, nothing fancy), tapped it out, and said, “This is called ti‑ri‑li.” We both repeated the rhythm together and then she said it on her own with complete accuracy..
So I asked whether she’d like to put a Ta (crotchet) before it or after it. No problem. Then I added a Te‑te (two quavers). Still no problem. Meanwhile, the same rhythm would have made me break out in a cold sweat not so long ago!
That little moment changed everything. I realised I needed to rework the Stringbabies books to include triplets — and much more. Only later did I recognise it as a perfect example of the Gradual Release of Responsibility model: I do – we do – you do.
That little spark led me down a path of syncopation, 6/8 time, and eventually to “Jimmy Giraffe”.
A lovely reminder that children are far more open, capable, and musically intuitive than we adults sometimes imagine. They absorb what we can often overcomplicate.
