Hmmm. 3/4 is always counted in 3. 6/8 may be counted in 6 but is often counted in 2. Now, 9/8 is almost always counted in 3 and I've played 3/8 counted in 1.
I think it's more than just the feel, more specifically it's about the stress pattern. Which of the six beats are being stressed: is it 1, 3 and 5 (3/4) or is it 1 and 4 (6/8)
even in math they are not identical all the time. they are only identical in regards to equations. you cannot say that 3 pies out of 4 are the same as 6 pies out of 8 though. in music 3/4 means that you divide the time in 3 quarter notes while 6/8 means that you divide the time in 6 eighth notes. thats why we use 4/2 in music which means that we divide the time in 4 half notes. saying just "2" is meaningless, even though its equal to "4/2"
If you’re friends with a drummer, at some point during your friendship, you’ve been unwillingly invited to partake in time signature discussions. Although the examples are usually played on countertops and dashboards and completely impromptu 😂 Great breakdown my man!
you could feel two bars in 3/4 as a single bar in 6/8, but you probably won't feel a single bar in 3/4 as a single bar in 6/8 because the former is 2+2+2 while the latter is 3+3
The literal difference is the note that gets the beat and the beats per measure. It's 3 beats per measure with the quarter note getting the beat vs 6 beats per measure with the 8th note getting the beat.
I always thought 3/4 would typically have a waltz feel. That’s different from the three sets of two and more like the feel of the 6/8 demonstrated. I guess I’m still puzzled.
I agree with you. 3/4 is never counted in anything other than 3. It's true that 6/8 may be counted in 2 or 6 but I think that 9/8 is closer to a 3/4 feel.
It’s how you phrase it that makes it a waltz. You can practice 3/4,6/8 and 9/8 as roll as well. The very basic for waltz is to play Kick and double on the snare so if you sound it out it’s like boom bop bop so to it count Accent on the 1, 2,3
@@992ras Downbeat is always on the one. While 6/8 is possible it's also quite fast. There's a REASON why it's usually in 3/4. Quarter notes are LONGER than eighth notes. I don't recall ever playing a Waltz in 9/8. It is possible but again that's technically three eighth notes to the beat and nine to the measure. Just easier to write it in 3/4 with three quarter notes to the measure.
Keep in mind the time signatures have nothing to do with tempo. A waltz twice as fast might feel more like a common 6/8 to you. That why I think it’s a better practice to feel how the beats are being subdivided, but at the end of the day… they are are both mathematically the same, so they are also technically interchangeable
@@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ like he said it’s how you phrase things both 6/8 and 9/8 can also be Afro-Cuban depending on how you phrase it. Yes a waltz is triplet but not all triplets are a waltz. So like in Reggae you plays 9/8 but you phrase it like it’s 4/4 like the One drop beat which you take out the down beat on one and accent the up beat. Accent just means that part has more dramatic effect to your playing. But everything is about feel
I always ditch the denominator and only focus on the beats per measure. Jamming with friends, we just tell eachother, "this song is in 6s", or "the next part's in 7s". Eliminates all debate from our jam sessions.
THANK YOU for distinguishing the “practical mathematic” difference from the “common practice” difference. I get so riled up when people imply they are only and always two different feels. A time signature tells you how much of what kind of note. Therefore if I need to show on the sheet music that I’m going to change time sigs from 5/8 to a pulse of 6 eighth notes, well I’d functionally prefer to write it as 6/8 even if the feel according to “common practice” is 3/4.
This is why listening to other instruments is important while playing, because you can figure out the phrasing of each section and it makes deciphering time signatures much easier.
Also: 2/2 = X/Y Where X is the amount of beats and Y is the type of "note" in a bar. 2/2 means 2 minims in a bar. Similarly: 3/4 = 3 crotchets 6/8 is 6 quavers, which is technically still 3 crotchets, but this is important when writing a piece of music and sometimes in transposition (I think, I forget), it affects how you write a note.
Personally, as someone who is teaching themself to do music composition (sheet music) I personally like 6/8 times. I think you have more potential with 6/8 times creatively speaking. To explain, you can write longer riffs and rhythms and come up with cool syncopations.
Would be embarrassed to admit for how long I thought 3/4 and 6/8 were the same despite having played both time signatures within the context of his explanation (well done 👏🏼). Then, one day I was like, “wait a minute, I’m dumb” having come to this realization. 😆🤷🏻♂️
The helped. There’s a drum beat I can’t get by ear because it’s very awkward and I’m just gunna listen to it and transcribe the audio to sheet music one cymbal / drum at a time lol. For those interested the song is called “Nuff Respect” from the game gitaroo man. The best game ever lol. Edit: And I’ve come to conclusion it’s in 6/8
In my understanding (and I think I'm just rephrasing the same thing you said), people feel them differently. That is, if you stick a 6/8 on the front, a musician will interpret the music differently from if you put a 3/4 on the front, even though nothing actually changed. My parents (musicians) are adamant that there is a difference, although they cannot explain it, whereas I'm certain there's no actual difference, except in implication, and tradition.
That is exactly right. What musicians usually use to gauge is what I would call "common practice" or how something commonly feels and the time signature that got associated with that feel over time.
it's more than that, though. triplet subdivisions could easily be mistaken for 3/4 as well, but notice how he treated the downbeats differently. of course we're all taught that weak beats are upbeats and strong beats are downbeats, but in practical applications, we often control beat strength on a much more granular level and just never talk about it. when playing 6/8 as subdivided triplets, you have two downbeats - 1 and 4. however, to lock into 6/8 and ensure it in no way feels like fast 3/4, we tend to play 1 as a weak downbeat, and 4 as a strong downbeat. there is a clear strong pulse on 1, but 4 is always stronger. it gives the swaying push-pull of 6/8.
The easiest way for me to think of it is just “when does the beat repeat itself?” If you’re hearing a pattern that repeats itself every 6 beats (ie. kick, hat,hat,snare,hat,hat)it’s usually in 6/8 and if you’re hearing a pattern that repeats itself every 3 beats (ie. Kick,hat,snare.kick,hat,snare) it’s usually in 3/4. Obviously this isn’t ALWAYS the case, but more often than not it’s enough to judge what time signature the song is in.
They are very different meters. They happen to contain the same number of 8th notes, but the similarities end there. 6/8 is a Compound Duple meter: two beats per measure and each beat is divided into three parts. 3/4 is a Simple Triple meter: three beats per measure and each beat is divided into two parts.
I feel as a person who thinks in terms of objectivity this is something I will never get, care about, or understand. I'll probably just make my own system
Broooo saved my life. I was about to give up. Sticking to just 4/4. All the time but finally. What a clear n simple explanation. Loved it bro. Thanks a ton ❤❤❤😊😊
Sure. Just keep in mind that Mathematically they are identical. You can certainly write 6/8 using 3 quarter notes or 3/4 as 6 eighth notes. Tempo has no bearing on the time signature so at the end of the day it’s subjective.
I figured it'd be kinda the same. Not because I'm a musician- far from it- but 3/4 is literally the smaller version of 6/8 in fractions. Math really did help me in that regard XD
3/4 would be a reduced version of 6/8 in fractions... But Time signatures in music are not the same as fractions... but they are still mathematically equivalent... so there are some parallels.
At first I thought this was supposed to be about polyrhythms and I was getting so mad about the lack of polyrhythms before I finally realized it wasn’t
9/8 and 3/4 are similar. 6/8 and 2/4 are related. The difference is in triplet feel vs straight quarter note. Likewise 4/4 and 12/8 are related. 6/8 is accomplished in two metronome beats 9/8 is three metronome beats just like 3/4
The literal difference is the note that gets the beat and the beats per measure. It's 3 beats per measure with the quarter note getting the beat vs 6 beats per measure with the 8th note getting the beat.
Nice video, but a simpler way of seen it described is normally about where the snare drum hit lands. Normally in 68 it lands on beat for, where sn34 it's usually on B2 or B3 or two and three. I swear you feel the strong beat in the BackBeat.
@@Thedrummersalmanac I was actually mainly talking about jazz, but even the Latin music there is a BackBeat it's just normally to a clave and not just straight to and for, but normally be two of the two three bar is a very strong BackBeat. The principle still applies. If the main bar change happens every three beats, it's probably 34 and felt much differently like a norteno polka rather than an African 6/8
@@blindteo5808 thanks for the comments my friend. Again, “backbeat” is very genre specific. So with Jazz… they tend to write triple meter swing in 3/4… since everything is looked at as a double time feel & and generally straight ahead Jazz does not have a back beat. It would be considered very square to use a backbeat. The snare is used for comping. With Latin, clave only really applies to Afro Cuban… there is not really a set clave for Brazilian rhythms. But if we’re talking about traditional Afro Cuban, that also doesn’t include a back beat since traditional Cuban grooves are adapted to the drumset from percussion instruments. And even so, let’s talk about orchestral music… so 6/8 vs 3/4 doesn’t really have much to do with the backbeat, although in a rock or pop context, that is a good way to differentiate them.
@@Thedrummersalmanac my brother, I've been a jazz musician for over 30 years, and though the drummer doesn't actually play the backbeat, there is definitely a BackBeat felt in jazz. In fact, a lot of jazz musicians actually put their metronomes on two and four instead of beating on all four beats to simulate this backbeat. It is usually maintained by the high hat and not the snare whereas the snare in jazz is more of unaccompanying voice used for fill-ins. Trust me. I have played with Chris Dave and Eric Harland and other famous drummers from Houston. Nice conversations and I would like to continue it, but yet again in most genres of music that I have played in my career when someone calls something in three it usually means the chords change on the heavy strong beat of one and there is usually a snare hit on two or three, whereas in tunes and six there is a big one every six beats, and the snare usually plays on floor. Of course not always, but you can feel it whether it is there or not. That is the main way I have explained the difference between 3/4 and 6/8, and the way that my teachers also showed me. Interesting topic, though. also, I distinguished between six four and six eight in jazz as they are suddenly different as well as different in an Afro Cuban 68, but we can get really specific if you want.
@@blindteo5808 Same my friend… I have a BA in Jazz performance from the Purchase conservatory in NY. Graduated in 1998… and not disagreeing. Yes, the backbeat in Jazz is typically played on the hihat in common time, but you specifically said the “snare” in your original comment… Did you not? Which was why I clarified that not all styles have a snare on the backbeat, but all styles do have 6/8 & 3/4. Therefore the backbeat, although an indicator in Modern music like rock or pop… is not an indicator universally… but the subdivision of how you feel the pulse is universal, but still subjective. The only way to really tell what time signature a piece of music is in, is to see how the composer actually wrote that piece of music. Everything else is individual interpretation.
6/8 has a 2 feel in the bass 3/4 has a 3 feel in the bass, which makes it a waltz-- that is the difference And this difference is indicated by the fact that 6/8 triplets are much faster tempo than the quarter notes in 3/4. So as a composer you have to choose 6/8 or 3/4 and you make that selection based on the tempo and feel of a melody..
Love that it’s literally an identical fraction and the only way to “tell” is by FEEL.
correct... and even then, we are just talking about common practice.
Hmmm. 3/4 is always counted in 3. 6/8 may be counted in 6 but is often counted in 2. Now, 9/8 is almost always counted in 3 and I've played 3/8 counted in 1.
I think it's more than just the feel, more specifically it's about the stress pattern. Which of the six beats are being stressed: is it 1, 3 and 5 (3/4) or is it 1 and 4 (6/8)
@@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ These are all true... and when you count 6/8 in 2..How are you subdividing... 😉
even in math they are not identical all the time. they are only identical in regards to equations. you cannot say that 3 pies out of 4 are the same as 6 pies out of 8 though.
in music 3/4 means that you divide the time in 3 quarter notes while 6/8 means that you divide the time in 6 eighth notes.
thats why we use 4/2 in music which means that we divide the time in 4 half notes. saying just "2" is meaningless, even though its equal to "4/2"
3/4: Dooby dooby dooby
6/8: Doobidy doobidy
3/4 triplets: doobity doobity doobity
@@dylanhoward718thats 9/8
Note to Self: Use calculator next time you’re playing the drums
math rock be like
If you’re friends with a drummer, at some point during your friendship, you’ve been unwillingly invited to partake in time signature discussions. Although the examples are usually played on countertops and dashboards and completely impromptu 😂
Great breakdown my man!
I wish I had a drummer friend 😭
Dude, that’s literally my brother!! 😂😂
every time i watch this man i’m just imagining the time he spends behind the drums. he knows like EVERYTHING
I’m not gonna like this cause you have 69 likes. And that’s pretty kewl
Being honest and fair: as a musician, these things normally take 5-10 minutes of searching and reading to find out.
I'm sure he does know a lot, but the thing he's talking about in this video is pretty common knowledge amongst musicians.
Thank you, Jonah Hill!
💀
Hahahaha
Michael Keaton
exactly what i was gonna comment 😡
Lmfao!!!!!
It seems so simple, but I had so much trouble with it until just now!
I still can’t really tell the difference, but this was the best explanation I’ve found so far so thank you. 😊
you could feel two bars in 3/4 as a single bar in 6/8, but you probably won't feel a single bar in 3/4 as a single bar in 6/8 because the former is 2+2+2 while the latter is 3+3
The literal difference is the note that gets the beat and the beats per measure. It's 3 beats per measure with the quarter note getting the beat vs 6 beats per measure with the 8th note getting the beat.
6/8 has more of a pendulum swing feel to it
i like to think to 3/4 as waltz and 6/8 as a 4/4 with waltz rythm
Agreed, I call 6/8 long 4 because you can subdivide by 4. So the kick and snare are on the long 4 count.
Been in music/drumming for approaching 20 years… this is one of the best & well thought out ways of looking @ 3/4 vs 6/8 I’ve seen. Great video!
I always thought 3/4 would typically have a waltz feel. That’s different from the three sets of two and more like the feel of the 6/8 demonstrated. I guess I’m still puzzled.
I agree with you. 3/4 is never counted in anything other than 3. It's true that 6/8 may be counted in 2 or 6 but I think that 9/8 is closer to a 3/4 feel.
It’s how you phrase it that makes it a waltz. You can practice 3/4,6/8 and 9/8 as roll as well. The very basic for waltz is to play Kick and double on the snare so if you sound it out it’s like boom bop bop so to it count Accent on the 1, 2,3
@@992ras Downbeat is always on the one. While 6/8 is possible it's also quite fast. There's a REASON why it's usually in 3/4. Quarter notes are LONGER than eighth notes. I don't recall ever playing a Waltz in 9/8. It is possible but again that's technically three eighth notes to the beat and nine to the measure. Just easier to write it in 3/4 with three quarter notes to the measure.
Keep in mind the time signatures have nothing to do with tempo. A waltz twice as fast might feel more like a common 6/8 to you. That why I think it’s a better practice to feel how the beats are being subdivided, but at the end of the day… they are are both mathematically the same, so they are also technically interchangeable
@@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ like he said it’s how you phrase things both 6/8 and 9/8 can also be Afro-Cuban depending on how you phrase it. Yes a waltz is triplet but not all triplets are a waltz. So like in Reggae you plays 9/8 but you phrase it like it’s 4/4 like the One drop beat which you take out the down beat on one and accent the up beat. Accent just means that part has more dramatic effect to your playing. But everything is about feel
I love the way he explained everything as well as demonstrated. Most tutorials are one or the other
That’s the first time I’ve ever gotten a straight answer for that question. Thank you so much!!!!
Been trying to learn time signatures for awhile and this was very helpful. Subscribed cheers
Welcome to the family !
Great lesson! Inspired me to create a tricky new groove!
I already knew this but I appreciate you educating others, in a fun and quick way.
I always ditch the denominator and only focus on the beats per measure. Jamming with friends, we just tell eachother, "this song is in 6s", or "the next part's in 7s". Eliminates all debate from our jam sessions.
great explanation cause i'm not to savy when it comes to timing... only now i'm trying to learn drums. 🥁🤪👏
Dude, great advice! Simple but opens up the mind to a different approach. Thanks, Broski!
No worries 😉
Best! Explanation I’ve ever heard on the topic
THANK YOU for distinguishing the “practical mathematic” difference from the “common practice” difference. I get so riled up when people imply they are only and always two different feels.
A time signature tells you how much of what kind of note. Therefore if I need to show on the sheet music that I’m going to change time sigs from 5/8 to a pulse of 6 eighth notes, well I’d functionally prefer to write it as 6/8 even if the feel according to “common practice” is 3/4.
Great job of explaning as always Jay!
Thanks my friend!!
This is why listening to other instruments is important while playing, because you can figure out the phrasing of each section and it makes deciphering time signatures much easier.
Best explanation I've heard on it!
Thank you!!!
Jonah hill is not only a good actor but also a awesome drum teacher
3/4 feels asymmetrical and 6/8 feels symmetrical.
It's so awesome to see phrasing. Just changes something up entirely.
Good stuff. Very interesting. Understanding time signatures is a weakness of mine.
Here in latinamerica we deal with 6/8 all the time when playing folklore 😊
Thanks for the leak!!
Also:
2/2 = X/Y
Where X is the amount of beats and Y is the type of "note" in a bar. 2/2 means 2 minims in a bar.
Similarly: 3/4 = 3 crotchets 6/8 is 6 quavers, which is technically still 3 crotchets, but this is important when writing a piece of music and sometimes in transposition (I think, I forget), it affects how you write a note.
best explanation yet thank you i finally understand this
Glad it helped!
It does help ! Thank you man, New Orleans AEJ
Right on!!
Those are used very much in Flamenco music. Changing in one song now and then.
It is different feel.
Personally, as someone who is teaching themself to do music composition (sheet music) I personally like 6/8 times. I think you have more potential with 6/8 times creatively speaking. To explain, you can write longer riffs and rhythms and come up with cool syncopations.
Best explanation to separate blues and waltz from each other.
Fantastic Explanation! Thanks :)
I hated music 🎵🎵 but I now like music 🎶🎶... thanks 👍 I appreciate your help....😜
Would be embarrassed to admit for how long I thought 3/4 and 6/8 were the same despite having played both time signatures within the context of his explanation (well done 👏🏼). Then, one day I was like, “wait a minute, I’m dumb” having come to this realization. 😆🤷🏻♂️
You can also fit a 4/4 polyrhythm in 6/8 when I want to change it up mid song. Really cool feel
Then you're just playing in 12/8.
Best explanation hands down. 🙌🏼🙌🏼
Wow that is an awesome explanation, thank you!!!!!!
Or Based On 12: 3/8, 6/8, 9/8, 12/8. Each "3" is basically a quarter note feel.
Way to break it down thanks all drummers need to do that for our students.nice Job dude 😎🥁☠️
Its pretty simple.
6/8= 6 x 1/8. - means just put 6 eighth notes in a row.
Similarly, 3/4= 3 x 1/4. - put 3 quarter notes in a row
68 Linds itself to triplets with subdivisions for 3-4 can still be done with quadruplets and not sound out of place
As a guitarists, thanks for this. I know time signatures aren't rocket science but they aren't intuitive and these breakdowns make it real easy.
Articulate and pleasant. Good teacher
here’s a simple guide: 3/4 is a headache and 6/8 is cool
Excellent explanation 🥁
That was very helpful actually.
The helped. There’s a drum beat I can’t get by ear because it’s very awkward and I’m just gunna listen to it and transcribe the audio to sheet music one cymbal / drum at a time lol. For those interested the song is called “Nuff Respect” from the game gitaroo man. The best game ever lol.
Edit: And I’ve come to conclusion it’s in 6/8
In my understanding (and I think I'm just rephrasing the same thing you said), people feel them differently. That is, if you stick a 6/8 on the front, a musician will interpret the music differently from if you put a 3/4 on the front, even though nothing actually changed. My parents (musicians) are adamant that there is a difference, although they cannot explain it, whereas I'm certain there's no actual difference, except in implication, and tradition.
That is exactly right. What musicians usually use to gauge is what I would call "common practice" or how something commonly feels and the time signature that got associated with that feel over time.
Piano Man is an EXCELLENT example of 3/4 vs 6/8
The drummer switches a lot and it's an example I give my students.
it's more than that, though. triplet subdivisions could easily be mistaken for 3/4 as well, but notice how he treated the downbeats differently. of course we're all taught that weak beats are upbeats and strong beats are downbeats, but in practical applications, we often control beat strength on a much more granular level and just never talk about it. when playing 6/8 as subdivided triplets, you have two downbeats - 1 and 4. however, to lock into 6/8 and ensure it in no way feels like fast 3/4, we tend to play 1 as a weak downbeat, and 4 as a strong downbeat. there is a clear strong pulse on 1, but 4 is always stronger. it gives the swaying push-pull of 6/8.
The easiest way for me to think of it is just “when does the beat repeat itself?” If you’re hearing a pattern that repeats itself every 6 beats (ie. kick, hat,hat,snare,hat,hat)it’s usually in 6/8 and if you’re hearing a pattern that repeats itself every 3 beats (ie. Kick,hat,snare.kick,hat,snare) it’s usually in 3/4. Obviously this isn’t ALWAYS the case, but more often than not it’s enough to judge what time signature the song is in.
A fantastic explanation. Great job.
I always think of 6/8, 9/8 and 12/8 as an alternate way to write triplets.
Or... 2/4, 3/4 & 4/4??
They are very different meters. They happen to contain the same number of 8th notes, but the similarities end there.
6/8 is a Compound Duple meter: two beats per measure and each beat is divided into three parts.
3/4 is a Simple Triple meter: three beats per measure and each beat is divided into two parts.
I feel as a person who thinks in terms of objectivity this is something I will never get, care about, or understand. I'll probably just make my own system
You taking all the damn fun out of it man🤣
That’s a brilliant explanation!!
I also do the same way of counting to tell 3/4 or 6/8. I also love doing the 6/8 blast beats.
Broooo saved my life. I was about to give up. Sticking to just 4/4. All the time but finally. What a clear n simple explanation. Loved it bro. Thanks a ton ❤❤❤😊😊
I thought WHAT A NICE DOOR MAT until he hit the HiHat 🙈
I would argue that 6/8 is focusing on 8ths but 3/4 is generally a waltz time. 6/8 is usually the triplet swing, 3/4 is just a simple 1-2-3-1-2-3
Great explanation!
Another valid one is think of 6/8 as eigth notes(or quaviers) and 3/4 as a quarter note (or semi crochet)
Sure. Just keep in mind that Mathematically they are identical. You can certainly write 6/8 using 3 quarter notes or 3/4 as 6 eighth notes. Tempo has no bearing on the time signature so at the end of the day it’s subjective.
Great explanation, thank you
Glad it was helpful!
that's actually pretty interesting
Thank you! So useful ☺️
Brilliant explanation man
Thank you 🙏
@@Thedrummersalmanac np haha
i always go by whether the music feels like it's rocking back and forth (6/8) or just kinda flowing (3/4)
Finally after scrolling so many..this taught me the best❤❤❤
one word: SUBDIVISION
Puff your chest and say...SUBDIVISION
In case anyone is still confused and needs it worded differently, 6/8 is two groups of three while 3/4 is three groups of two
Correct… subjectively
6/8 can also be, based on the piece conducted in two to give more of a waltz feel
I figured it'd be kinda the same. Not because I'm a musician- far from it- but 3/4 is literally the smaller version of 6/8 in fractions. Math really did help me in that regard XD
3/4 would be a reduced version of 6/8 in fractions... But Time signatures in music are not the same as fractions... but they are still mathematically equivalent... so there are some parallels.
@@Thedrummersalmanac I mean, you did explain it as such. There's a reason why you're the musician and I'm not :D
Perfect explanation
Well done.
Anybody here listen to Brandy 👀 O have an internal debate with “Saving All My Love”…6/8 or 3/4? I’m leaning towards 6/8.
Yes it does indeed help. Thank you.
My yardstick had always been 3/4 is waltz like (take it to the limit) and 6/8 swings (this boy) but I'm a theory deficient simple bugger! 😀
super helpful!
At first I thought this was supposed to be about polyrhythms and I was getting so mad about the lack of polyrhythms before I finally realized it wasn’t
Inconceivable
Just got off an 8 hour session on audience segmentation in excel.
It's better I rewatch this tomorrow morning.
9/8 and 3/4 are similar. 6/8 and 2/4 are related. The difference is in triplet feel vs straight quarter note. Likewise 4/4 and 12/8 are related.
6/8 is accomplished in two metronome beats
9/8 is three metronome beats just like 3/4
You sound exactly like Dallas Jenkins lol (not an insult at all lol just noted and I'd like to know if you agree)
That's really cool, keep up the good work 👍
It helped tremendously!!! Tnx alot
The literal difference is the note that gets the beat and the beats per measure. It's 3 beats per measure with the quarter note getting the beat vs 6 beats per measure with the 8th note getting the beat.
Usually, people mistake 6/8 for a very slow 4/4.
This is probably the best explanation I've seen.
That said, I'm lazy and always play 6/8 like I play 4/4 :D
So, I _can_ play an African bell pattern in a waltz! 😁
Bembe’ or Nanigo are good examples.
_just a cloud away_ vs _happy birthday_
Brilliant
Ramon Penney Music on RUclips two of my songs are in 6/4🥰
Nice video, but a simpler way of seen it described is normally about where the snare drum hit lands. Normally in 68 it lands on beat for, where sn34 it's usually on B2 or B3 or two and three. I swear you feel the strong beat in the BackBeat.
And what if the context is not rock? For example if it’s a Latin beat and there is no backbeat…
@@Thedrummersalmanac I was actually mainly talking about jazz, but even the Latin music there is a BackBeat it's just normally to a clave and not just straight to and for, but normally be two of the two three bar is a very strong BackBeat. The principle still applies. If the main bar change happens every three beats, it's probably 34 and felt much differently like a norteno polka rather than an African 6/8
@@blindteo5808 thanks for the comments my friend. Again, “backbeat” is very genre specific. So with Jazz… they tend to write triple meter swing in 3/4… since everything is looked at as a double time feel & and generally straight ahead Jazz does not have a back beat. It would be considered very square to use a backbeat. The snare is used for comping. With Latin, clave only really applies to Afro Cuban… there is not really a set clave for Brazilian rhythms. But if we’re talking about traditional Afro Cuban, that also doesn’t include a back beat since traditional Cuban grooves are adapted to the drumset from percussion instruments. And even so, let’s talk about orchestral music… so 6/8 vs 3/4 doesn’t really have much to do with the backbeat, although in a rock or pop context, that is a good way to differentiate them.
@@Thedrummersalmanac my brother, I've been a jazz musician for over 30 years, and though the drummer doesn't actually play the backbeat, there is definitely a BackBeat felt in jazz. In fact, a lot of jazz musicians actually put their metronomes on two and four instead of beating on all four beats to simulate this backbeat. It is usually maintained by the high hat and not the snare whereas the snare in jazz is more of unaccompanying voice used for fill-ins. Trust me. I have played with Chris Dave and Eric Harland and other famous drummers from Houston. Nice conversations and I would like to continue it, but yet again in most genres of music that I have played in my career when someone calls something in three it usually means the chords change on the heavy strong beat of one and there is usually a snare hit on two or three, whereas in tunes and six there is a big one every six beats, and the snare usually plays on floor. Of course not always, but you can feel it whether it is there or not. That is the main way I have explained the difference between 3/4 and 6/8, and the way that my teachers also showed me. Interesting topic, though. also, I distinguished between six four and six eight in jazz as they are suddenly different as well as different in an Afro Cuban 68, but we can get really specific if you want.
@@blindteo5808 Same my friend… I have a BA in Jazz performance from the Purchase conservatory in NY. Graduated in 1998… and not disagreeing. Yes, the backbeat in Jazz is typically played on the hihat in common time, but you specifically said the “snare” in your original comment… Did you not? Which was why I clarified that not all styles have a snare on the backbeat, but all styles do have 6/8 & 3/4. Therefore the backbeat, although an indicator in Modern music like rock or pop… is not an indicator universally… but the subdivision of how you feel the pulse is universal, but still subjective. The only way to really tell what time signature a piece of music is in, is to see how the composer actually wrote that piece of music. Everything else is individual interpretation.
Wow, nice!
6/8 has a 2 feel in the bass
3/4 has a 3 feel in the bass, which makes it a waltz-- that is the difference And this difference is indicated by the fact that 6/8 triplets are much faster tempo than the quarter notes in 3/4. So as a composer you have to choose 6/8 or 3/4 and you make that selection based on the tempo and feel of a melody..