6/8 metronome: how to count 6/8 time
6/8 has six eighth notes in each bar grouped in two sets of three. It is felt as two big beats, each split into three, which gives it a rolling, swaying feel. The metronome above plays 6/8 with an accent at the start of each group. Count it as: 1 2 3 4 5 6 (felt 1 & a 2 & a).
What does 6/8 mean?
The top number, 6, says how many notes fill one bar; the bottom number, 8, says which note value they are (eighth notes). 6/8 is a compound meter: each beat is a dotted quarter note that divides into three eighth notes, so there are 2 felt beats per bar, not 6.
How to count 6/8
Count 6/8 as “1 2 3 4 5 6 (felt 1 & a 2 & a)”. The grouping is 3+3, so you feel 2 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 |
Setting a metronome for 6/8
Set the metronome to 6/8 and let it click on the dotted quarter note. Set the metronome so the click falls on the dotted quarter, two clicks per bar, with the eighth notes as triplet subdivisions. Counting six even beats makes 6/8 sound like 3/4.
How long is a bar of 6/8?
With the click on the dotted quarter note, one bar of 6/8 lasts 3.00 seconds at 40 BPM, 2.00 seconds at 60 BPM, 1.50 seconds at 80 BPM.
| Tempo | One bar | Eight bars |
|---|---|---|
| 40 BPM | 3.00 s | 24.0 s |
| 60 BPM | 2.00 s | 16.0 s |
| 80 BPM | 1.50 s | 12.0 s |
Drum grooves in 6/8
These grooves from the SuperTime library are written in 6/8: 6/8 Folk Ballad, 6/8 Rock Ballad. Each page shows the pattern hit by hit with its count, and plays it on the metronome.