6/8 Time Signature Metronome
Allegro
6/8: 6 beats per bar in groups of 3+3, counted 1 2 3 · 4 5 6.
6/8 has six eighth notes per bar in two groups of three, so you feel two big beats: ONE two three FOUR five six.
How to count 6/8
Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 with accents on 1 and 4. At slow tempos you count every eighth; at fast tempos you feel only the two big beats and the three eighths become a triplet inside each one.
Songs and styles in 6/8
Irish jigs, many ballads and lullabies, We Are the Champions by Queen, The House of the Rising Sun by the Animals, and Nothing Else Matters by Metallica.
Questions
How many beats are in 6/8?
Six eighth notes, felt as two main beats of three eighths each. Accents fall on 1 and 4.
Is 6/8 fast or slow?
It can be both. Ballads in 6/8 can be very slow, while jigs move fast. The meter only tells you how notes are grouped, not the tempo.
How do I set the metronome for dotted quarter = 60?
Multiply by three: set 6/8 at 180 BPM. The accented clicks then come 60 times per minute.