Lesson 24: 6/8 Time and Compound Meter
- Group six eighth notes into two big beats.
- Keep two big beats per bar in a complete melody.
Two big beats each hold three little notes.
In 6/8, six eighth notes group into two big beats of three. Each big beat lasts one dotted quarter note; this is called compound meter.
Tap twice per bar while saying “ONE-two-three, FOUR-five-six”, then play.
The big beats are dotted quarters — one for each group of three eighths.
Play: The Mulberry Bush
Tap two big beats per bar, then play while keeping that pulse.
Source: Sarrazin (2016), p. 158, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0; transposed.
Now play these
- Gently Sleep — Crane variant
- A complete 6/8 cradle song; count its silent opening bar.
- The Mulberry Bush
- Keep its lower phrase moving within the compound pulse.
After Lesson 25, try Washerwoman’s first strain; the complete jig waits until Lesson 50.
When each group of three eighth notes feels like one dotted-quarter pulse, continue to Lesson 25.