are you making these 6/8 mistakes?

Are You Making These 6/8 Mistakes?

Learn more: http://eartra.in/a16

http://eartra.in/a16

6/8 is a popular time signature in music.

• It seems simple enough: six eighth-note beats per bar.

• However, musicians often struggle to recognise or play 6/8.

• There are six common mistakes with 6/8 which you can learn to avoid.



Mistake 1: Ignoring it.• 6/8 is actually one of the most common time

signatures in popular music.

• We tend to assume pop and rock is in 4/4, but 6/8 comes up surprisingly often too.

• Many musicians struggle to count or play 6/8.

• The theory can also be confusing, especially comparing with 3/4 or 2/4.



Mistake 2:Not knowing how to count it.

• There are two different ways you can count a 6/8 time signature.

• Count as 6 eighth note beats.

• Count as 2 dotted-quarter note beats.



Mistake 3:Confusing 6/8 with 2/4

• You can count both 2/4 and 6/8 as two beats per bar

• In 2/4 you subdivide each beat into two parts ("1 and, 2 and")

• In 6/8 you subdivide each beat into three parts ("1 and ah, 2 and ah")



Mistake 4:Confusing 6/8 with 3/4

• You can count both 3/4 and 6/8 as six eighth notes.

• In 3/4 you subdivide each of three beats into two eighth notes ("1 and, 2 and, 3 and")

• In 6/8 you subdivide each of two beats into three eighth notes ("1 and ah, 2 and ah")



Mistake 5: Not spotting 6/8• Songs in 6/8 have a lilting waltz feel, a bit like 3/4.

• Does it sound like a waltz where all the bars are in pairs?

• Does it sound like 6 beats to a bar where the first and fourth are emphasised?

• Does it sound like 2 beats to a bar but each beat sounds a bit like a triplet?



As a musician you must be familiar with 6/8 time.

• Study examples and practice playing in 6/8.

• If you like writing music, try creating something in 6/8.

• Soon you will have internalised the feel of 6/8 and it will be easy to recognise by ear in future.




Learn More and Listen to 6/8 Song Examples




are you making these 6/8 mistakes?

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