12/8 metronome: how to count 12/8 time
12/8 has twelve eighth notes in four groups of three: four big beats, each split in three. It is the time of slow blues, doo-wop ballads and many shuffles. The metronome above plays 12/8 with an accent at the start of each group. Count it as: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a.
What does 12/8 mean?
The top number, 12, says how many notes fill one bar; the bottom number, 8, says which note value they are (eighth notes). 12/8 is a compound meter: each beat is a dotted quarter note that divides into three eighth notes, so there are 4 felt beats per bar, not 12.
How to count 12/8
Count 12/8 as “1 & a 2 & a 3 & a 4 & a”. The grouping is 3+3+3+3, so you feel 4 beats per bar, and the first note of each group carries the accent.
| Group | Length | Accent |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 3 eighth notes (one dotted quarter beat) | Strong (downbeat) |
| Group 2 | 3 eighth notes (one dotted quarter beat) | Medium |
| Group 3 | 3 eighth notes (one dotted quarter beat) | Medium |
| Group 4 | 3 eighth notes (one dotted quarter beat) | Medium |
Setting a metronome for 12/8
Set the metronome to 12/8 and let it click on the dotted quarter note. Set the click on the dotted quarter, four clicks per bar, and hear the eighth notes as triplets. If the music shuffles, it is usually written in 12/8 or as swung 4/4.
How long is a bar of 12/8?
With the click on the dotted quarter note, one bar of 12/8 lasts 6.00 seconds at 40 BPM, 4.00 seconds at 60 BPM, 3.00 seconds at 80 BPM.
| Tempo | One bar | Eight bars |
|---|---|---|
| 40 BPM | 6.00 s | 48.0 s |
| 60 BPM | 4.00 s | 32.0 s |
| 80 BPM | 3.00 s | 24.0 s |
Drum grooves in 12/8
These grooves from the SuperTime library are written in 12/8: 12/8 Ballad, Slow Blues (12/8). Each page shows the pattern hit by hit with its count, and plays it on the metronome.