Question

How much would a 6th note be worth if an eighth note is worth 1/2 a beat?

Answer 1

Explanation:

6/8 Time Signature Example:

A time signature of 6/8 means count 6 eighth notes to each bar. This is also a very often-used time signature. You would count the beat: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on…

Now you will wonder why can’t you just reduce 6/8 to 3/4? After all, they add up to the same amount. One reason you might pick one time signature versus the other is how the music is organized. 6/8 is grouped into 2 groups of 3 eighth notes. 3/4 time would be grouped into 3 groups of 2 eighth notes. Depending on the structure of the bassline or song, it may make sense to group it one way instead of the other. So 6/8 feels more like two, while 3/4 feels more like three.

1 = whole note (you’ll never see this)

2 = half note

4 = quarter note

8 = eighth note

16 = sixteenth note

note

The top number of the time signature tells you how many beats to count. This could be any number. Most often the number of beats will fall between 2 and 12.