6/8 time signature
6/8 has six eighth notes in each measure, grouped in two beats of three. You can count "1 2 3 4 5 6" slowly, but you feel it as two beats: ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six. Each beat is a dotted quarter note.
The 6/8 time signature confuses many beginners, because it looks like it should have six beats and it does not feel that way. Play a lullaby or an Irish jig and you will notice a rocking swing in two big steps, with each step cut into three small ones. That is 6/8, the classic compound meter.
What does 6/8 mean?
The top number 6 means six counting units in each measure. The bottom number 8 means the eighth note is that unit. So a measure holds six eighth notes, or the equivalent in longer notes: a dotted quarter note is worth three eighths, a quarter note is two, and a dotted half note is six.
| Note | Eighth notes | Position in 6/8 |
|---|---|---|
| Eighth note | 1 | One count |
| Quarter note | 2 | Counts 1 to 2 |
| Dotted quarter note | 3 | One whole beat |
| Dotted half note | 6 | A full measure |
Why do you feel only two beats in 6/8?
The six eighth notes form two groups of three. Each group is one beat, and each beat is a dotted quarter note. Beat 1 starts on the first eighth note and beat 2 starts on the fourth. Because each beat divides into three (instead of two as in 3/4), 6/8 is called a compound meter. Because there are two beats, it is a duple meter. So we say it is compound duple.
Compare it with 3/4. Both measures are as long as six eighth notes, but in 3/4 you feel three beats of two, and in 6/8 two beats of three. The difference is in the grouping and the accents.
How do you count 6/8?
There are two accepted ways to count it, and teachers sometimes disagree about which to teach first.
- Count all six eighth notes: "1 2 3 4 5 6," with stronger accents on 1 and 4. This works well at slow tempos and for learning the notes.
- Count two beats: "1 and a 2 and a," or just "1 2," with each beat a dotted quarter note. This works better at fast tempos, where counting six numbers would get tangled.
Many musicians use a third version, "ONE-la-li TWO-la-li," which names the three parts of each beat. Pick the one that helps you stay steady. They all describe the same rhythm.
What are the common rhythms in 6/8?
A few patterns appear again and again. The first is two dotted quarter notes, which gives you a plain two-beat pulse. The second is a quarter note followed by an eighth note, written twice, which gives a skipping feel: long-short, long-short.
What are some examples of music in 6/8?
Irish and Scottish jigs are in 6/8 or related compound meters. "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" is usually written in 6/8, and the carol "Silent Night" is often notated in 6/8 as well, with a gentle rocking motion. Many sea shanties, barcarolles (boat songs) and lullabies use it. Because editors sometimes write the same tune in different meters, you may find a given song printed in 6/8 in one book and 3/4 or 12/8 in another.
6/8 compared with 3/4
A quick test: say "ONE-two-three FOUR-five-six" and then "ONE-and TWO-and THREE-and." The first has two pushes, the second has three. Music that feels like the first is 6/8, and the second is 3/4. Some pieces, such as the song "America" from West Side Story, alternate the two feels measure by measure, a trick called hemiola or cross-rhythm. That is a good thing to listen for once you are comfortable with both.
How do you practice 6/8?
- Tap two big beats with your foot, left hand or a metronome set slowly.
- Say "1 2 3 4 5 6" with your voice, leaning on 1 and 4.
- Clap the six eighth notes while your foot taps only on 1 and 4.
- Play a scale up and down in groups of three notes, one group per beat.
- Add the dotted quarter notes, then the quarter and eighth pattern.
Practice tip: write the note groups in threes when you copy out rhythms, and beam them that way. If the eighths are beamed in threes, you can see the two beats at a glance, which is the reason 6/8 music is written that way.
The next step along the same road is 12/8, which has four beats of three. If you want the full picture of simple and compound meters, read time signatures.
Check yourself
1. How many eighth notes are in one measure of 6/8?
Answer: Six. The top number is 6 and the bottom number 8 names the eighth note.
2. How is 6/8 usually felt?
Answer: Two beats. The six eighths are grouped as two groups of three.
3. Which note is one whole beat in 6/8?
Answer: Dotted quarter note. It equals three eighth notes.
4. Which eighth notes get the main accents when counting 1 2 3 4 5 6?
Answer: 1 and 4. Those start the two groups of three.
5. Which kind of meter is 6/8?
Answer: Compound duple. Two beats, each divided into three.