Many guitar players don’t understand the difference between 6:8 and 3:4, but this lesson will clarify things for you. 
1 Like
It says in the lesson:
The confusion comes from the fact that 6:8 and 3:4 both have six pulses. But here’s the difference: > 6:8 has two beats, each divided into three, while 3:4 has three beats, each divided into two.
This makes me wonder what dictates 6:8 to have the eight-notes split in groups of three (resulting in two strong beats pr measure) and 3:4 to have the eight notes split in groups of two (resulting in three strong beats pr measure)? Is anything in the time signature indicating this? 
1 Like
The music and feel of the music does.
1 Like
To me 3:4 timing has 3 more or less equally strong beats, with a slightly stronger beat 1. I snap my fingers or tap my foot on all three beats.
6:8 has two clear pulses on beat 1 and 4, while the other beats are definitely weaker. I only snap my fingers or tap my foot on beats 1 and 4.
So like Richard said, it’s how we feel the music. I feel the difference on beats 2 and 3.
1 Like
Here is a very useful video from a drummer’s perspective.
3 Likes
Thanks for the video, Richard, it’s super useful. Michi Held gained one subscriber.
Differentiating between 3:4 and 6:8 is relatively easy for me. It’s also logical that 12:8 is two times 6:8 in a bar. But then… the triplet thing, it had had me wondering quite a lot, how to tell the difference there. I liked Michi’s answer that it’s mainly about how something feels. 
1 Like
One way to think about the difference in feel is comparing dance tunes - a waltz vs a jig. A waltz is in 3/4, with a strong beat on one, (a landler is similar, also 3/4, with even beats on 1,2, and 3) a jig is in 6/8, with strong beats on 1 and 4.
1 Like