4 ms·
Mostly to indicate tempo and style. A 3/4 measure and a 6/8 measure are the same length, but the 6/8 has twice as many beats at twice the rate. So a composer wo
by elwin 15y ago
Mostly to indicate tempo and style. A 3/4 measure and a 6/8 measure are the same length, but the 6/8 has twice as many beats at twice the rate. So a composer would use a 6/8 signature for a faster-moving piece with a lot of eighth notes. Similarly, a slow piece would have a 2/2 signature instead of 4/4.
- nitrogen 15y agoI think you may have the 2/2 vs. 4/4 reversed. In a 2/2 piece, quarter notes will be played twice as fast as in a 4/4 piece at the same tempo. From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_signature#Most_frequent_time_signatures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_signature#Most_frequent_ti...): alla breve, cut time: used for marches and fast orchestral music. Frequently occurs in musical theater. Sometimes called "in 2", but may be notated in 4.
- corin_ 15y agoThat really isn't the case, that is the job of the tempo, a BPM speed set by the composer. The intended difference is purely that 3/4 groups quavers into groups of two, 6/8 into groups of three.