Time signatures messing with my weird ears

[kodacolor]

3/4 verses 6/8

So, the '4' and the '8' means that when it's a '4' then the 1/4 note gets a whole beat and when it's a '8' the 1/8 note gets a whole beat...right?  Well, if it does it still doesn't help me because note and reading music are not my forte.  I can't imagine that right off the top of my head because I'm not near any sheet music.

I'm having trouble telling these times apart.  3/4 is waltzy.  6/8 I only know of because I have a Yamaha with 6/8 beats on it. 
To me 3/4 and 6/8 are very close.  The drummer at the church I go to plays very well in 6/8...or is it 3/4?  Gurr.

IMO, they sound really close but they're used for different genre's of music.  How can I tell them apart when I hear them other than by basing it on what genre I'm listening to?

[SoundofJoy]

It depends upon which song is using it. " The Battle is Not Yours" is in 6/8 timing also " Encourage Yourself" is in 6/8 timing. The old traditional gospel songs was centered around 6/8. The Hymnals also have more songs built around both 6/8 and 3/4 timing. "Great is thy Faithfulness" is based on 3/4 timing.

[kodacolor]

It depends upon which song is using it. " The Battle is Not Yours" is in 6/8 timing also " Encourage Yourself" is in 6/8 timing. The old traditional gospel songs was centered around 6/8. The Hymnals also have more songs built around both 6/8 and 3/4 timing. "Great is thy Faithfulness" is based on 3/4 timing.

I think I get it.  When you said "Great is Thy Faithfulness" that helped put 3/4 into perspective.  I still need a little help on 6/8 because it sounds like...nvm. 

EX:

Before you wrote your response here's how I would count "Encourage Yourself".

1 2 3  1 2 3  1 2 3  1    2  3  1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 
Some   times  you   have  to en cou   rage  yourself

That's incorrect, right?

So it should be counted as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4    5  6  1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 
Sometimes   you   have to en cour  age  yourself

Is that correct?

[T-Block]

I'm not a big fan of 3/4 and 6/8 time myself.  To get it straight in your head, do this little exercise:

3/4: one two three, one two three, etc.

now, using same tempo as above, do this:

6/8: one & two & three &, one & two & three &, etc.

So, you see by counting 6/8 as small subdivisions of 3, it relates quite well to 3/4 time.  All it is is the notes in 3/4 split in half.

EX:

Before you wrote your response here's how I would count "Encourage Yourself".

1 2 3  1 2 3  1 2 3  1    2  3  1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 
Some   times  you   have  to en cou   rage  yourself

That's incorrect, right?

So it should be counted as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4    5  6  1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 
Sometimes   you   have to en cour  age  yourself

Is that correct?

Actually, you could use either method.  I think the reason why 6/8 would be used over 3/4 here is so that the number of measure numbers gets decreased when writing out sheet music.  3/4 time would have twice as many measures as 6/8.

[Fenix]

I always thought that 6/8 songs should be faster than 3/4 songs. Am i right?

[betnich]

I always thought that 6/8 songs should be faster than 3/4 songs. Am i right?

6/8 is usually (but not always) faster. Think 'Micky Mouse' march or many 19th-century hymns (Love lifted Me). And triple (123) time, dotted quarter notes subdivided into three eighth notes, like 9/8, 12/8 -

one   two   three  four
123   456   789   10,11,12

3/4 - three quarter notes in duple rhythm (2 eighth notes)-

one   two   three
1 +   2 +    3 +

[Steelpulz]

A song like "Encourage Yourself" can be counted in 3/4 or 6/8. It doesnt make a difference if you are not reading a chart. That being said, I prefer to count it in 6/8 because that is how the phrasing flows. For example, the phrasing for the word "Sometimes" in the beginning of the song flows better in 6/8 than 3/4. Also, for some srange reason, it is much easier for my to transcribe a song in 6/8 than 3/4 or 4/4 even. That's weird to me.

[kodacolor]

Thanks guys!   

[T-Block]

I always thought that 6/8 songs should be faster than 3/4 songs. Am i right?

It seems faster because there are more notes, but they are essentially the same if u focus on the the big 3/4 pattern.

Also, for some srange reason, it is much easier for my to transcribe a song in 6/8 than 3/4 or 4/4 even. That's weird to me.

I'm a 4/4 man myself, LOL.

[Docdb04]

I tend to like the 6/8 timing more so than the 3/4 timing.  The way I figure it out is that the 6/8 timing has a longer swing than the 3/4 timing. 

"Create In Me", by Donnie McClurkin and "Give Me A Clean Heart", are in the 6/8 timing.  I heard someone mention the 9/8 and the 12/8 timing.  I have never played anything in a 12/8 timing, but Kirk Frankin's, "Caught Up" is in a 9/8 timing, as well as "Your Grace and Mercy", by Frank Williams (Mississippi Mass Choir).

When you have a drummer that plays in a 6/8 timing, his/her snare drum will, for the most part, fall on the 4th beat.  If he/she plays in a 3/4 timing, then the snare will fall on the 2nd and 3rd beat, or just the 3rd beat.  In a 9/8 timing the snare will probably fall on the 7th beat.   

6/8 and 3/4 are very similar as someone stated.  Which is why you can have a drummer play a 6/8 timing beat, with a 3/4 song.  For example, "I Call You Faithful", by Donnie McClurkin.  The song is written in 3/4, but the drummer plays a 6/8 timing.

One more little trick that I found to work frequently, is that if you count the beats, while the person is singing or song is being played, your beats should be consistant.     

Hope this helps,
God Bless.     

[Konrade17]

The difference between 3/4 and 6/8 timing is how the beats are grouped. This affects how the song is felt. If they're used correctly 3/4 and 6/8 shouldnt be interchangeable as they are two distinctly different meters. (unless theres, like, meter mixing on pirpose to make the song sound cool, or to accent notes that usually arwnt accented) In 3/4 the beat is the quarter note felt simply as 1,2,3,1,2,3 etc. 6/8 time however is felt in "2" with a triple pattern within two larger beats. These beats are dotted quarter notes and the triplet feel comes from the 3 individual eighth notes that are within these dotted quarters. Even though the meters definition 'technically' means that there are 6 beats in every measure in this case it really only solidifys the fact that there are 6 8th notes, not that each individual 8th should be counted, as the quarters are in 3/4. The best examples I can think of for each are "a change is gonna come" (which is very much in 6/8) and "my country tis of thee" which is in 3/4.  Hopes this helps somewhat idk.

[T-Block]

WOW, that was a great answer Mr. Konrade17. It sure did help me understand it better.