Reported musical compasas: 2 / 4, 3 / 4, 4 / 4 and 6 / 8
The 2 / 4, 3 / 4 and 4 / 4 divide each time into two and the 6 / 8 divide them into three. He understands that difference and learns how to count every bar with examples and exercises.
A bar grouping the pulses of music into repeated blocks with the first strongest. 2/4 have two times, 3/4 3 and 4/4 four and in the three each time it's divided into two clocks: they're simple compases. 6/8 It's different: it's got two times, but each one's divided into three clocks.
That difference between dividing into two or three is what makes a march, a waltz and a cradle song feel so different. Here you learn how to recognize it, how to count and how to practice it with a methonomer.
To sum up
- The number above indicates how many times there are and the figure below what figure is worth a while.
- In compounds (6 / 8, 9 / 8, 12 / 8) the number above counts clocks: divide them between three and have the times.
- 3 / 4 and 6 / 8 have 6 clocks, but 3 / 4 grouping them 2 + 2 + 2 and 6 / 8, 3 + 3.
- The first time of each bar is the most powerful, and at 4 / 4 the third time is half-strong.
- Compas isn't the same as tempo: the compas organizes the pulses and the tempo says how quickly they go.
What's a beacon and what's his two numbers say
When you listen to music, your foot sets a regular pulse. If you pay attention, you will notice that some pulses weigh more than others and that that strong and weak pattern repeats itself. Each repetition is a compass, and at the score it's separated with a vertical bar.
The figure that appears at first has two numbers. At the simple compases, the figure above says how many times each bar and the figure at bottom, what figure lasts a while: 4 is the black figure, 2's the white figure and 8's clasp. Thus, 3 / 4 means three times of black. If you still don't manage the figure, start with our guide to [read scores]](/blog/como-leer-partituras-guia-para-principiantes).
Simple and composite compas: the key difference
What defines a bar isn't just how many times it's got but how it's divided every time:
- Simple: Each time is divided into two. The time is a figure without a tipstick, usually a black figure.
- Compound: The time is divided into three. The time is a figure with a tipstick, usually a black tipstick, and that's equivalent to three tipstick.
| Number of times | Simple (time = black) | Compound (time = black with tipstick) |
|---|---|---|
| Two (binary) | 2/4 | 6/8 |
| 3 (ternary) | 3/4 | 9/8 |
| 4 (quaternary) | 4/4 | 12/8 |
A quick trick: if up you see 6, 9 or 12 and down an 8, it's almost always composed. Divide the number from up to three and you will know how many times you feel: 6 / 8 goes by two, 9 / 8 by three and 12 / 8 by four. The exception are the very slow moments, where sometimes the 6 clordes are counted one by one.
How to count 2 / 4, 3 / 4, 4 / 4 and 6 / 8
| Compas | How to count | Acentos | Where you found him |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/4 | One and two and | Strong - weak | March, polish, cumbia |
| 3/4 | One and two and three and | Strong - weak - weak | Waltz, corridor, guabina, "Happy Birthday" |
| 4/4 | One and two and three and four and | Strong - weak - semi-strong - weak | Pop, rock, ballads, regreset |
| 6/8 | A two three quattro five six | Strong at 1, half strong at 4 | Rulebies, cresulao, many bamboo scores |
The 4 / 4 is so common that it has its own symbol, a C, called a corridor. And if you want to learn how to mark every bar with his hand, as with his solphis, we explain it in [what's his solphis and how to practice them].](/blog/que-es-el-solfeo-y-como-practicarlo).
6 / 8 and 3 / 4: they look equal but they are not
The two bars fill exactly the same space: 6 clocks. The difference is how they are grouped. Say it out loud, marking what's in capital letters:
- 3/4: UNO- and DOS- and TRES- and 3 pulses, each with two (2 + 2 + 2).
- 6/8: UNO-two-three CUA-three-five. Two pulses, each broken into three (3 + 3).
The 3 / 4 "walks" in three, and 6 / 8 "moves" in two. A famous example of the two alternates are "America," from West Side Story, from Leonard Bernstein. In Colombia something similar happens with the bamboo, that appears written in 6 / 8 or 3 / 4, and with the tipple, that superlays both sensations. We explain this with a palms exercise in our guide to [Colombian rhythms].](/blog/ritmos-colombianos-bambuco-pasillo-y-cumbia-explicados).
Other bars that you're about to meet
- 2 / 2 or matching: It's been written with a C through a line. It's got the same notes as a 4 / 4, but it's felt in two. It's common with marches, with a joint and with a cube written for band or orchestra.
- 12/8: four times, each with three clocks. It's the beacon of slow and many fifty-year-old pits.
- 9/8: three times with a tipstick with black, each with three clocks. It's less common and you'll see it especially in academic works.
- Amalgamous or irregular compasas: They combine groups of two and three, such as 5 / 4 (3 + 2) or 7 / 8 (2 + 2 + 3). "Take Five," from Dave Brubeck's quartet, is the classic example of 5 / 4.
Exercises with metronomas to feel every bar
Open the [online metronome]](/herramientas/metronomo), activates the accent at first time and does an exercise per day:
- 2 / 4 to 80 BPM: He goes at his place, his left foot at UNO and his right foot at his two, and his palm's only at his accent.
- 3 / 4 to 90 BPM: "Happy Birthday" about the click and discover what syllable his accent falls into. You will notice that the song begins before the first time: that's an [anacrusa]](/glosario-musical#anacrusa).
- 4 / 4 to 80 BPM: count out and give paddas only at 1 and 3 and then only at 2 and 4. Feel how the same account changes character.
- 6/8: select 2 pulses with a 3-figure subdivision. Count the 6 clocks with paddles at 1 and 4. Then walk only at 1 and 4 while you continue to count the 6.
- Guess what's wrong with that: put up three songs that you like, mark your pulse with your foot and look for where the chord changes or sound louder the low: there's the first time. Count how many pulses there are up to the next and see if each one divides into two or three.
If at first the 6 / 8 gets tangled up, click on every clasp and go to a click for a while as the 6 come out pairs. music theory this work of pulse, compass and subdivision is done with gradual rhythmic reading from the most simple.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between compass and tempo?
The bar says how the pulses are grouped (from two to three to four) and how they are divided each. The tempo says how quickly these pulses are going, at BPM. A waltz and a fast corridor can both be 3 / 4 and have very different moments.
Why does 6 / 8 count as two and not as six?
Because the six clocks are grouped from 3 to 3 and the ear perceives two pulses, each with black with tipstick. Only when the music is very slow does it make sense to mark the 6 clocks separately.
4 / 4 and 2 / 2 are the same?
They last the same, because they both fit in four black but they don't feel the same. The 4 / 4's been marked at four and the 2 / 2's with a more agile feel. That's why many fast marches and rhythms are written into a match.
What's an amalgama beacon?
It's a beacon that results from bringing together two different compas, such as 5 / 4 (3 / 4 plus 2 / 4) or 5 / 8. It has irregular accents and at first counts by grouping: "one-two-three, one-two."