Understanding 12/8 Time Signature - Music Theory for the Rest of Us!

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  • Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025

Комментарии • 131

  • @ThomasDeLello
    @ThomasDeLello Год назад +24

    In the blues, this is called "Shuffle time". They very often will tie tie the first two triplet eighth notes to create a heart beat effect.

    • @kevinbentler4860
      @kevinbentler4860 Год назад +1

      Dazed and Confused

    • @ThomasDeLello
      @ThomasDeLello Год назад +4

      @@kevinbentler4860 A triplet has three notes. Trip-Ah-Let... Trip-Ah-Let... Trip-Ah-Let... Now tie the first two notes of the triplet into one tone, you get: Trippp-Let... Trippp-Let... Trippp-Let... See...??? A heartbeat...

    • @evanever
      @evanever 10 месяцев назад +3

      @@ThomasDeLelloI think he's referencing the Led Zeppelin song of that name which is in 12/8 time.

    • @MikeErlindson
      @MikeErlindson 2 месяца назад

      Texas Flood

  • @NeverduskX
    @NeverduskX 3 года назад +12

    Those counting methods really helped me grasp the beat.

  • @MooreBass
    @MooreBass 3 года назад +7

    Oh yeah, that was good! I was trying to learn Etta Jame's At Last on the bass which 12/8 and I was getting out of time. This really helps! Thanks!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад

      So glad this video was helpful to you. What a great song choice!

  • @rafaelgomez1989
    @rafaelgomez1989 3 года назад +2

    *** LOVE HOW SIMPLE you EXPLAIN with a RELAXING VOICE TONE you have ..LOVE IT....NEW SUB ...HERE !!!!!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад +1

      Thanks for the kind words!

  • @christinaewing4545
    @christinaewing4545 Месяц назад

    Excellent description!! Thank you so much for helping me understand this time signature. I'm playing Gesu Bambino for Christmas in a saxophone trio.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Месяц назад

      Wow, I bet that will sound great!

  • @samuelenochlarbi8293
    @samuelenochlarbi8293 3 месяца назад

    Amazing lesson! You did an amazing work simplifying 12/8 time signature for easy understanding.

  • @lattelover5471
    @lattelover5471 4 месяца назад

    Thank you for this video! I recently struggled to transcribe a song I heard on RUclips, for which there is no sheet music. I thought it was in 4/4 time with triplets on each beat -- now I know I should have written it in 12/8 time!!!!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  4 месяца назад

      I'm so glad this video was helpful to you!

  • @narcisosanz8137
    @narcisosanz8137 3 года назад +13

    This is actually so helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад +1

      I'm so glad it helped. Thanks for letting me know!

  • @markdowling5000
    @markdowling5000 2 года назад +1

    Thank you. It was a very helpful presentation. I was having a difficult time understanding how I was going to count to 12 every measure on a song that I was learning. Now, I at least understand how to count and where to place the emphasis.

  • @RockStarOscarStern634
    @RockStarOscarStern634 2 года назад +8

    The easiest way to think of it would be as a Common Time Signature (4/4 Time) with 8th Note Triplets on each beat. Alan Billingsley did a neat arrangement of "can't help falling in love" which is written in a 12/8 time signature. The tempo says Doo-Wop (feel in 4).

  • @musicallytallentedsheep9390
    @musicallytallentedsheep9390 9 месяцев назад

    this was genuinely so helpful, as i needed to use this information for a new series i'm making!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  9 месяцев назад +1

      I'm so glad to hear that! Happy creating!

  • @timothygoebel1427
    @timothygoebel1427 4 месяца назад

    ‘Sea of love’ oldies song is in this time. Thank you for posting this.

  • @johndalton9090
    @johndalton9090 Год назад

    Great video, thank you. This explains the song titled “The faster we go the rounder we get” commonly known as The Other One by The Grateful Dead

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      Oh, interesting! I'll have to give that song a listen

  • @babismousikos
    @babismousikos 2 года назад +2

    Excellent explained ! Lot of thanks :)

  • @sundowner62james69
    @sundowner62james69 2 года назад +2

    Yes it was a definite help . Very well explained and demonstrated ! Thank you .

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад +1

      I'm glad it was helpful!

    • @sundowner62james69
      @sundowner62james69 2 года назад

      @@MusicalMama I'll definitely pass this site onto me new Ukulele acquaintances. I'm actually a sort of beginner intermediate Bass player. P.S. I wish I could click my fingers as good as you can!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад

      Ha, thanks! If you like American folk songs, you could come up with bass lines and play along with my ukulele tutorials. For simple bass accompaniment (which is about all I can do), you can play the 1 and 5 notes for the chords used in the songs. So for a song that's in the key of A and uses the 1 (A), 4 (D), and 5 (E), chords, you could play A and E, D and A, and E and B. Do you know what I mean?

    • @sundowner62james69
      @sundowner62james69 2 года назад

      @@MusicalMama It's really nice of you to reply again and give me some advice , thank you. Yes , I more or less know what you mean about 1,4, 5 etc. I do like some American folk songs . I think I better do the right thing and...subscribe!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад

      Haha!

  • @kdhansome
    @kdhansome Год назад

    Oh wow! I tabbed a song on protocol and logic I am working on in 3/4 time but now I am going to change it cause 12/8 is the the actual pulse of the song. Thx.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      How great! Is this an original composition or a cover?

  • @catherinebergeron3819
    @catherinebergeron3819 Год назад

    Awesome tutorial ! This really helped my daughter with her new audition piece that is in 12/8

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      I'm so glad! Please tell your daughter I said, "Break a leg!"

  • @DomMelano
    @DomMelano 6 месяцев назад

    Thank you very much; after years of playing blues a musical mystery solved for me!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  6 месяцев назад

      How exciting! A new musical achievement has been unlocked! 🏆

  • @larryd3749
    @larryd3749 Месяц назад

    Thank you for explaining 12/8 time signature.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Месяц назад

      You're welcome! Happy music-making!

  • @m500987
    @m500987 10 месяцев назад

    Great explanation. First time playing a song on bass with 12/*. VARIATION IN BLUE , Jacob de Hahn. Thank you !!!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  10 месяцев назад

      How exciting! So glad this video was helpful for you!

  • @jgamez5023
    @jgamez5023 3 месяца назад

    This is excellent. I can't thank you enough!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 месяца назад +1

      I'm so glad it was helpful!

  • @sillybunny6753
    @sillybunny6753 7 месяцев назад

    Great description. I would also recommend, "Get Back" by The Beatles to catch the beat...

  • @alanhardwick9694
    @alanhardwick9694 11 месяцев назад

    Very good. Perfect is a brilliant song. Thank you for this video

  • @EnduringFoliage
    @EnduringFoliage 5 месяцев назад

    I'm half Irish and I like to call 12/8 an Irish 4. It's conducting 4/4 while drunk which results in a slight lag. Also, a lot of traditional Irish and Scottish songs use this time signature

  • @Kndnsssrlgn
    @Kndnsssrlgn Год назад

    Thanks! A great classic, "You Belong to Me"...is in 12/8. I've been playing it by feel, so probably not correctly. Also, I guess I better revisit "Oh Holy Night"...I haven't been playing that one correctly either!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      Hmm, you might be too hard on yourself here. I don't know "You Belong to Me," (who wrote/sang it?), so I can't speak to that one. But I've heard versions of "O Holy Night" that sound more like 6/8, so you're probably doing just fine-I specifically mention the Mariah Carey version because it feels very 12/8 to me. If you know what a song's "supposed to" sound like, and you're able to get close to that when you play it, you're doing just fine. Happy music making!

  • @MikeRogers16
    @MikeRogers16 11 месяцев назад

    Great explanation. Thanks for this.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  11 месяцев назад

      I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you!

  • @fortissimo6
    @fortissimo6 3 года назад +10

    anyone else trying to play Chopin's nocturne opus 9 no.2?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад +1

      Beautiful choice! I'm currently learning to play Clair de Lune on the piano, which is in 9/8 time signature. I hope to start on this Nocturne next.

    • @krishkumar7540
      @krishkumar7540 3 месяца назад

      Ya lol, that's how I got to this video 😂

    • @Zachary-Rosenberg
      @Zachary-Rosenberg Месяц назад

      It was Mozart’s Lacrimosa for me 😂

    • @MaxPower-s5g
      @MaxPower-s5g Месяц назад

      Elephant riders by clutch. Smoke weed y’all.

  • @idowusamuelabel
    @idowusamuelabel 7 месяцев назад

    thank you very much 🙏

  • @johnenglish9640
    @johnenglish9640 2 года назад

    trying to teach Mary had a little blues. Many thanks. That was very helpful

  • @georgesidmusic524
    @georgesidmusic524 2 года назад

    Another great video. Thank you kindly!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад +1

      Thanks again, I appreciate it!

  • @Plazman
    @Plazman 6 месяцев назад

    Listen to Swim by Bush. That used to freak me out. Had so much trouble counting it.

  • @EricCartmanez125
    @EricCartmanez125 2 года назад

    Thank you very much. I was looking into JVKE golden hour about the 12 8 time signature

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад +1

      Glad to hear the video helped. :) I haven't heard that song- I'll have to check it out!

  • @1015SaturdayNight
    @1015SaturdayNight Месяц назад

    Unchained Melody!

  • @aliyajackson1608
    @aliyajackson1608 10 месяцев назад

    Thank you! I've been trying to figure out how to count Lover by Taylor Swift!

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  10 месяцев назад

      Oh, yay! "Lover" is a great example of 12/8 time!

  • @mariahaynes5197
    @mariahaynes5197 Год назад

    Great explanation!

  • @leroyenbonnier7675
    @leroyenbonnier7675 2 года назад

    Very helpful. Thank you!

  • @tony3313
    @tony3313 2 года назад

    Very helpful, thanks.

  • @sasaandjojo
    @sasaandjojo 3 года назад

    thank you so much 🙏🙏

  • @blues3824
    @blues3824 2 года назад

    Thanks. You made it easy.

  • @gadgetsandtech
    @gadgetsandtech 3 года назад +4

    Great explanation! Do you know if Stegman’s Concerto is 12/8? The time signature kind of reminds me of the Moonlight Sonata which I believe also is 12/8?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад +1

      Thank you! Hmm, I'd have to listen to both pieces before weighing in. Try a google image search for the title plus "sheet music" and see what turns up.

  • @dippymcskippy
    @dippymcskippy Год назад

    Everybody wants to rule the world I think does a good job at showing this time signature. I suggest the NSP cover.

  • @singingPanda420
    @singingPanda420 2 года назад

    Thank you 🙏🏾

  • @hamidsamadani9382
    @hamidsamadani9382 5 месяцев назад

    Great video ❤ I'm wondering why 12/8 is not just slow 4/4 🤔

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  5 месяцев назад

      I think I need to make a video about this! Stay tuned...

  • @ItsJustRyan89
    @ItsJustRyan89 Год назад +1

    You’ve achieved the impossible and I’ve managed to understand it

  • @kuljitsarma630
    @kuljitsarma630 3 года назад

    Beautiful

  • @pianopoly6219
    @pianopoly6219 Месяц назад

    Would it be right to take it as 6/8 + 6/8 ?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Месяц назад +1

      Hi, just seeing your comment now! I get nervous when people start doing math to make sense of time signatures 🙈 but I get what you're saying. I think the main thing is that a measure feels like the "whole" and the beats are the parts that make up that whole. 6/8 time tends to feel like you're walking up and down the beats within a measure, and 12/8 feels more swirling, like you're spinning. Does that make any sense? FWIW, I do plan to make more time signature videos! Until then, I recommend listening to songs in both time signatures to get a better feel for them. Happy music-making!

  • @fenfender157
    @fenfender157 2 года назад

    Tq,but what is different triplet feel 4/4 and 12/8?🤔same but not?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад

      In 4/4 time each quarter note gets a beat, and a set of triplets in 4/4 time would replace one quarter note. 12/8 time uses eighth notes and each eighth note gets a beat. Normally I would suggest listening to music to get a better feel for the rhythm, but I can't think of any songs in 4/4 that use a lot of triplets! Maybe someone else can weigh in? I did think this was a well-written explanation for how to count triplets: www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-play-and-count-triplets-in-music

  • @michaelcoudriet5896
    @michaelcoudriet5896 3 года назад

    great lesson

  • @calebmeyer2223
    @calebmeyer2223 Год назад

    Great video! however isn't oh holy night in 6/8 ?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад +1

      Thank you! As to your question, yes, it often is, which is why I call out Mariah's version. Sometimes an artist will change the time signature-- a well-known example is Whitney Houston singing the "Star-Spangled Banner" in 4/4 time. Hope that helps!

  • @TheSteveGainesRockBand
    @TheSteveGainesRockBand Год назад

    This helped me but the way you count it is difficult for me. I find it easier to count as "1-and-uh 2-and-uh 3-and-uh 4-and-uh".

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад +1

      Glad to hear you have a way that works well for you! I think your way is a common way of counting, so I bet you're in good company. :)

  • @aminosaur8079
    @aminosaur8079 2 года назад +1

    So I’ve been having an insanely hard time trying to understand time signatures over 8, and I brought them together for example 12/8, into 6/4?? Bc there are 12 eight notes I put them in pairs instead of triples

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад

      Hello- so the trick is that time signatures aren’t fractions and we can’t reduce one time signature to another. I’d recommend starting with my video on 4/4 vs 3/4 time signature first, then check out my video on 3/4 vs 6/8 to help you feel the difference between quarter notes and eighth notes. Often times we just have to sit with something for a while before it clicks into place. But if you keep working things through, it’ll click eventually!

    • @aminosaur8079
      @aminosaur8079 2 года назад

      @@MusicalMama okay, thank you

  • @aaaaze
    @aaaaze 2 года назад

    ok so my band teacher tells us to count 12/8 like tri-p-let like cause there are 2 1/2 eigth notes. im just still confused on how to count it like triplet

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  2 года назад +1

      Hmm, I'm not following. Perhaps your band teacher can provide you with more guidance. Good luck to you!

  • @christieolsen5971
    @christieolsen5971 Год назад

    30 Seconds to Mars “Bury Me” as well.

  • @charlyb9194
    @charlyb9194 Год назад +1

    12/8 is pretty much a triplet subdivided 4/4

  • @LKBumban
    @LKBumban Год назад

    Make a tresillo rhythm

  • @rezavaghef1175
    @rezavaghef1175 Год назад

    Stars from Les Misérables is also written in 12/8. Any thoughts on why the pattern is also used on such a heavy themed song?

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      I can't speak to that song because I'm not familiar with it, but 12/8 works beautifully for songs that have a dreamy, enraptured quality, like Taylor Swift's "Lover" or Mariah Carey's "Vision of Love." "Golden Hour" by JVKE sounds like it's in 6/8 time to me but gives off very similar vibes.

  • @basilwhite
    @basilwhite 2 года назад

    Is there a song that uses the *opposite* of the Tears for Fears polyrhythm, so it only hits the downbeats between 3/4 and 4/4, i.e., x-2-3-x-x-6-x-8-x-x-11-12? This polyrhythm has a shuffling feel without reinforcing 3/4 *or* 4/4

  • @gyptech942
    @gyptech942 3 года назад +1

    If you divide the measure into 6 pairs of 8th notes or 6 quarter notes it changes where the beat falls is this still 12/8. or 6/4.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  3 года назад +1

      A set of 6 quarter notes would be 6/4 time. Songs in 12/8 time signature (like the ones I mention in this video) have sets of 12 eighth notes. Hope that helps!

    • @gyptech942
      @gyptech942 3 года назад

      @@MusicalMama yes it does thank you.

  • @SherwoodBotsford
    @SherwoodBotsford Год назад

    I still don't see how you tell 12/8 from 3/8 In the examples you would need to have a much stronger first beat than the secondary accents on 4, 7, 10 to make it clear.

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад

      Hi there- I'd recommend getting really comfortable with feeling 4/4 time, then work on 3/4 time, 6/8 time, and then 12/8 time. This video is a third in my time signature series. Here's the link for the video on 4/4 and 3/4 time: ruclips.net/video/fNbLqh0RMRw/видео.html and here's the link for the video on 3/4 and 6/8 time: ruclips.net/video/9z4yA8Yh7Ps/видео.html I hope they're helpful to you!

  • @WhiteDove73-888
    @WhiteDove73-888 Год назад

    Hold the line - Toto

  • @algaraandres7609
    @algaraandres7609 Год назад

    With all my respect. The 8 does not indicate the number of notes. The number of notes is indicate by the 12 and the 8 is the type of note that occurs un a single pulse, that is an eighth note. Then a 12/8 is read as a 4/4 with 8 8 8 / 8 8 8 / 8 8 8 / 8 8 8 /

    • @MusicalMama
      @MusicalMama  Год назад +1

      Please go back and watch the video, because I never said the 8 indicates the number of notes. Quoting myself at 0:39, "The 12 up on top means that we have a grouping of 12 notes per measure."

    • @gl6125
      @gl6125 11 месяцев назад

      That’s exactly what she said…?

  • @gabriel8612
    @gabriel8612 10 месяцев назад

    Remember boys everything can be 4/4 if u count wrong enough

  • @rootsandstarslodge
    @rootsandstarslodge Год назад

    Thank you!

  • @ambers6789
    @ambers6789 Год назад

    Thank you so much!