9/8 metronome: how to count 9/8 time
9/8 usually has nine eighth notes in three groups of three: three big beats, each split in three. In Balkan and Turkish music it is also grouped unevenly, such as 2+2+2+3. The metronome above plays 9/8 with an accent at the start of each group. Count it as: 1 & a 2 & a 3 & a.
What does 9/8 mean?
The top number, 9, says how many notes fill one bar; the bottom number, 8, says which note value they are (eighth notes). 9/8 is a compound meter: each beat is a dotted quarter note that divides into three eighth notes, so there are 3 felt beats per bar, not 9.
How to count 9/8
Count 9/8 as “1 & a 2 & a 3 & a”. The grouping is 3+3+3, so you feel 3 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 |
Setting a metronome for 9/8
Set the metronome to 9/8 and let it click on the dotted quarter note. For the even form, set the click on the dotted quarter and feel a waltz with triplets. For the uneven form, accent the start of each group and count short, short, short, long.
How long is a bar of 9/8?
With the click on the dotted quarter note, one bar of 9/8 lasts 4.50 seconds at 40 BPM, 3.00 seconds at 60 BPM, 2.25 seconds at 80 BPM.
| Tempo | One bar | Eight bars |
|---|---|---|
| 40 BPM | 4.50 s | 36.0 s |
| 60 BPM | 3.00 s | 24.0 s |
| 80 BPM | 2.25 s | 18.0 s |
Drum grooves in 9/8
These grooves from the SuperTime library are written in 9/8: Daychovo 9/8 (2+2+2+3), 9/8 Aksak (2+2+2+3 / 3+3+3). Each page shows the pattern hit by hit with its count, and plays it on the metronome.