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Thread: 6/8 vs 12/8

  1. #1

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    Default 6/8 vs 12/8

    My teacher wants me to pick a song in 6/8 to learn. I've been searching around and it seems like many of the songs that seem to be in 6/8 are also often notated in 12/8 or even sometimes in 3/4.

    Obviously it's pretty easy to notate the same some in 6/8 or 12/8. A good example is Journey's "Lights". I've seen this notated in both 6/8 and 12/8. Is there really a difference and if so can you tell just by listening what the artist intended (6/8 vs 12/8)?

    Also does anyone have a recommendation for a good song to learn in 6/8?

    Thanks!
    Doc

  2. #2

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    6/8 and 12/8 are similar and a lot of the time are interchangeable like you said. I tend to think of slower songs as being in 6/8 and faster songs in 12/8.

    For example I would count this song in 6/8
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=175WOIYLm-s"]Rival Sons "Soul" - YouTube[/ame]

    And this one in 12/8....which in this case can also be counted as 4/4 with triplets
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNWMVeLtgRw"]Alter Bridge- Ties That Bind - YouTube[/ame]

    I'm not saying I'm right or that the songs are "actually" in these time signatures because they are somewhat interchangeable...that's just my personal rule of thumb.
    Matt

  3. #3

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    Gravity by John Mayer is an amazing song to learn in 6/8. I love this song.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TErQbwHHh_w"]Gravity (Live) by John Mayer - YouTube[/ame]
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    Does you teacher want you to do specifically 6/8, or do they simply want you to learn something in a compound time signature? The only difference is the number of beats per measure, 2 as opposed to 4. Similarly, a tune in 6/8 or 12/8 could actually be written in 6/4 or 12/4, although it might make it harder to read depending on the figures in the tune.
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  5. #5

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    There are a few ways to tell the difference between 12/8 and 6/8

    One is by the phrasing. If the phrasing has an odd number of 6/8 bars, it couldn't be written in 12/8 unless, they had a time signature change for that odd measure and then went back to 12/8 (good luck on finding a song that does that).

    Otherwise, I try to see if it makes sense counting it in 2 (6/8) or 4 (12/8). For example, I give you [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gq4ychrRkQA"]Rosanna[/ame] from Toto. I'd say this is written in 12/8 to create the backbeat with the snare on 3. If not, every other 6/8 measure would have a snare hit on count 1... that'd just be weird to count!

    For an example of where it would be 6/8, I bring you [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R6R3HbVVw"]Drive in Drive out[/ame] by Dave Matthews Band. In this case, the tempo is quite slower and you can even feel the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 with the powerful Snare hitting on count 4.

    Tan
    Last edited by SnareTan; 08-19-2011 at 05:56 PM. Reason: Added 6/8 example

  6. #6

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    Quote Originally Posted by SnareTan View Post
    One is by the phrasing. If the phrasing has an odd number of 6/8 bars, it couldn't be written in 12/8 unless, they had a time signature change for that odd measure and then went back to 12/8 (good luck on finding a song that does that).

    Tan
    That actually happens all the time in classical repertoire, but in general, I think you are right - just because something could be written in either time signature, doesn't mean that it doesn't lend it self better to one or the other based on phrasing.
    Your = possessive - your stuff, your dog, your car, etc
    You're = you are - a contraction.

    Learn it. Love it.

  7. #7

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    If it's not too late: Cream's "We're Going Wrong" I believe is 6/8 from Disraeli Gears.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    6/8 is basically blues!

    Example...House of the Rising Sun

    all the best...

  9. #9

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    Thanks for the responses guys. It has shed a lot of light on the subject.

  10. #10

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    Default Re: 6/8 vs 12/8

    Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" is a slow 6/8. When I notated it, no way could I have had it in 12/8, and nothing to do with determining it's tempo. It's just that in different sections of the song there are different groups of bars depending on the sections, either in lots of 8 bars, 16, 6 bars or 12. In fact the intro has some odd grouping, definitely not a multiple of 4 bars. Led Zep are well known for some odd arrangements and different time signatures. Same with Cream, in fact quite a few of the earlier heavier rock bands that pathed the way to early heavy metal and hard rock.
    Last edited by Drumbledore; 08-26-2011 at 02:28 PM.
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