Septuplet
A group of seven notes played in place of a regular division.
What it means
A septuplet is a group of seven notes of equal duration played in the span of time that regularly corresponds to a different, usually even number of notes, such as four or eight.
Like other irregular groupings (triplet, quintuplet, sextuplet), the septuplet belongs to the so-called tuplets, in which the actual number of notes deviates from the number expected by the meter.
In the notation
A septuplet is notated with a bracket or slur over the seven notes that belong together, marked with the numeral 7 indicating the number of notes in the group.
Musical use
Septuplets appear mainly in virtuosic, often Romantic or Impressionist piano music, where they produce a flowing, slightly irregular sound quality that deliberately stands apart from the regularity of even note groupings, as well as in modern compositions with a complex rhythmic language.
Because seven is an odd prime number, a septuplet cannot be broken down by simple halving into smaller even units, which makes its execution technically more demanding than, say, a group of four.
The septuplet should be distinguished from the sextuplet, which fits six rather than seven notes into the same span and, since six is an even number, can more easily be divided into two groups of three, and from the triplet, the simplest and most common of these irregular groupings.
Performance practice
Practice a septuplet first very slowly, organizing the seven notes internally into an uneven but consistent subdivision, such as 4+3, rather than trying to count them mechanically. Increase the tempo only once the group flows evenly and without hesitation.