6/8 Metronome

20–400 BPM, any time signature, five accent levels, subdivisions, swing, count-in, speed and gap trainers.

6/8 has six beats in each bar, and each beat is an eighth note (that is what the lower number means). In practice it is felt as two beats, each split into three. You will hear it in ballads, Irish jigs, Afro-Cuban 6/8 grooves and garba. Dadra, the six-matra taal, has the same two-groups-of-three shape.

The metronome above is set to 6/8 with the beats grouped 3+3: an accent on beat 1 and a medium accent at the start of each group. The tempo counts the dotted-quarter beat you feel (two per bar); every eighth note still clicks, with accents at the start of each group of three. Tap any beat to change its accent.

How to count 6/8

123

456

Count every eighth note, stressing the first of each three: “1 2 3 4 5 6”. Many players say “1-la-li 2-la-li” instead.

Practising in 6/8 on guitar

Start slowly: set the tempo where you can count out loud and play at the same time.
Strum down on every group start first, then fill in the eighth notes between once the accents feel natural.
Add the drum machine for a groove in 6/8: it has grooves written in this meter.

Common questions

How do you count 6/8?

Count every eighth note, stressing the first of each three: “1 2 3 4 5 6”. Many players say “1-la-li 2-la-li” instead.

What does the 8 in 6/8 mean?

It names the note that gets one count: an eighth note. The top number, 6, is how many of them fill a bar.

What is the difference between 6/8 and 3/4?

3/4 has three beats of a quarter note each (strong-weak-weak). 6/8 has six eighth notes felt as two beats of three. Both last six eighth notes, but 6/8 sways in two while 3/4 waltzes in three.

Can I change how the beats are grouped?

Yes. In Advanced, type a grouping such as 3+2+2 under Beat groups, and the accents move to match.

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