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[askaguitarpro]

Have any of you out there ever come up with a "better" way to audibly describe the difference between 3/4 time signature and 6/8?

[Fretsource]

askaguitarpro, on 29 July 2011 - 03:28 PM, said:

Have any of you out there ever come up with a "better" way to audibly describe the difference between 3/4 time signature and 6/8?

I usually explain it by comparing a waltz (3/4) to a jig (6/8). I don't go as far as actually performing both dances to illustrate the difference but I explain that, in theory, 3/4 is 3 quarter note beats to the bar and 6/8 is 2 dotted quarter note beats to the bar.
A bar in 3/4 containing 6 eighth notes will have different notes stressed than a bar containing 6 eighth notes in 6/8 - like this:

In 3/4 > EeEeEe
Strong stress on beat one, lesser stress on beats 2 & 3 and no stress on the eighth notes following each beat

In 6/8 > EeeEee
Strong stress on beats one and two (which coincides with the 1st and 4th eighth notes)

When you listen to any of those Irish di diddly diddly jigs which are in 6/8 you can naturally clap One - Two - One - Two - those being the two dotted quarter note beats per bar. You can't do that with a waltz.