3/4 has three quarter-note beats in each bar with the weight on beat one. It is waltz time: one strong beat followed by two lighter ones. The metronome above plays 3/4 with an accent at the start of each group. Count it as: 1 & 2 & 3 &.
What does 3/4 mean?
The top number, 3, says how many notes fill one bar; the bottom number, 4, says which note value they are (quarter notes). 3/4 is a simple meter: each beat divides into two equal halves.
How to count 3/4
Count 3/4 as “1 & 2 & 3 &”. The grouping is 1+1+1, so you feel 3 beats per bar, and the first note of each group carries the accent.
Accent pattern for 3/4
Group
Length
Accent
Group 1
1 quarter note
Strong (downbeat)
Group 2
1 quarter note
Medium
Group 3
1 quarter note
Medium
Setting a metronome for 3/4
Set the metronome to 3/4 and let it click on the quarter note. Accent beat one only and keep beats two and three light. Then try a 3/4 drum groove at the same tempo to feel the lilt rather than three equal clicks.
How long is a bar of 3/4?
With the click on the quarter note, one bar of 3/4 lasts 3.00 seconds at 60 BPM, 2.00 seconds at 90 BPM, 1.50 seconds at 120 BPM.
Bar length in 3/4 (click on the quarter note)
Tempo
One bar
Eight bars
60 BPM
3.00 s
24.0 s
90 BPM
2.00 s
16.0 s
120 BPM
1.50 s
12.0 s
Drum grooves in 3/4
These grooves from the SuperTime library are written in 3/4: Jazz Waltz, 3/4 Folk Waltz, Country Waltz. Each page shows the pattern hit by hit with its count, and plays it on the metronome.