How to play guitar in 6/8 timing
To play guitar in 6/8 time, you’ll need to count and play six eighth notes per measure. The most common way to notate 6/8 time is with a time signature of 6/8, which looks like this: 6/8
To play in 6/8 time, you’ll need to count six beats per measure, with each beat being an eighth note. For example, you might count “1–2–3–4–5–6.” You can also think of each measure as two groups of three beats, with the first beat of each group being slightly accented.
To play guitar in 6/8 time, you’ll need to play your guitar part in a way that matches the timing of the beat. This might involve playing chords on the downbeat (the first beat of each measure), strumming on the offbeats (the “and” counts), or playing a combination of both. You can also use techniques like arpeggios, scales, and alternating picked notes to create melodies that fit within the 6/8 time signature.
It can be helpful to practice playing simple rhythms in 6/8 time to get a feel for the timing. You might start by playing a simple chord progression, such as a I-IV-V progression, and strumming on the downbeats. As you get more comfortable with the timing, you can try adding in more complex rhythms and melodies.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Top songs in 6/8 time
Here is a list of ten popular songs that are written in 6/8 time:
- “Everybody Hurts” by REM
- “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles
- “Gravity” by John Mayer
- “Fields of Gold” by Sting
- “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley
- “When You Wish Upon a Star” from the movie Pinocchio
- “Amazing Grace”
- “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong
- “Moon River” by Henry Mancini
- “The Way We Were” by Barbra Streisand
