How to Set a Metronome for 6/8 Time

To set a metronome for 6/8, use two dotted-quarter beats per bar, or six eighth-note clicks at three times that rate. For dotted quarter = 60, that means two main clicks at 60 BPM or six clicks at 180 BPM. In Metronome Plus, the 6/8 setting uses the six-click approach: entering 60 there does not produce 60 dotted-quarter beats per minute.

Read the note beside the tempo number

Check whether the score marks a dotted quarter, quarter, or eighth note beside the number. A dotted quarter lasts three eighth notes; a quarter lasts two. Consequently, dotted quarter = 60 and eighth note = 60 describe very different speeds. The 6/8 time signature tells you how the bar is organized, but does not set its speed. If a lesson says only ‘6/8 at 60 BPM,’ ask which note value the number refers to before matching it. Keep that unit written beside your practice tempo so the setting remains clear next time.

Choose two main clicks or six smaller clicks

The usual 6/8 grouping is 3 + 3: count ‘ONE two three FOUR five six,’ with a main pulse on ONE and FOUR. Those are the starts of the two dotted-quarter beats. Use six clicks when you need help placing notes inside each group. Use two main clicks when you want to hear the larger pulse and supply the intervening eighth notes yourself. Both approaches can represent exactly the same musical tempo. Changing the number of clicks requires changing what each click represents, rather than simply keeping the same BPM number.

Set up six clicks in Metronome Plus

For a score marked dotted quarter = 60, open Presets and select 6/8 under Time Signature. Under Subdivision, choose the first icon, the single quarter note: in this setup it gives one click for each of the six numbered positions. Return to the metronome and use the minus or plus controls to set 180 BPM. Selecting 6/8 sets accents on positions 1 and 4. If you change them, open Session and check the six buttons under Accent Pattern; leave only the first and fourth active. Listen for two groups of three before you begin playing.

Use two pulses when you want the larger beat

Metronome Plus does not offer a dotted-quarter beat-unit selector that makes its 6/8 option run as two main beats. For that pulse pattern, select 2/4 in Presets and set the BPM to the score's dotted-quarter number. At dotted quarter = 60, enter 60. Choose the first Subdivision icon for just two clicks per bar, or the icon marked 3 for three sounds within each main beat. This is a way to produce the required timing while reading your 6/8 score; the app will still display 2/4. Keep track of the two groups as you play.

Convert the tempo without changing the music

The table compares settings for the same musical speed. Multiply a dotted-quarter marking by three to get the six-click rate. Multiply a quarter-note marking by two to get that rate, or divide an eighth-note marking by three to get the two-pulse rate. These are note-length conversions, not suggested performance tempos. The app's BPM controls run from 40 to 220, so some six-click values will be unavailable. For dotted quarter = 90, use the two-pulse setup at 90 rather than trying to enter 270 in 6/8.

Avoid adding three sounds to every eighth note

Selecting 6/8 and then the Subdivision icon marked 3 in Metronome Plus creates eighteen sounds per bar: three for each of its six numbered positions. That is extra division beyond the six eighth notes you are trying to hear. For six evenly spaced eighth-note clicks, keep the first Subdivision icon selected. Use the 3 icon with the two-pulse setup when you want three sounds inside each dotted-quarter beat. The useful check is the sound count: your basic 6/8 bar should contain six eighth-note positions, grouped into two main beats.

Check the grouping before adding your part

Try this short exercise at dotted quarter = 60. With the six-click setup at 180, say all six numbers and tap your foot only on ONE and FOUR. Then clap once on ONE, hold through two and three, and clap again on FOUR, holding through five and six. Next, clap all six positions while keeping the same two foot taps. Finally, play one measure of your part while counting aloud. Let the clicks continue through held notes and rests; your next entry should land at its written position without restarting the count.

Check the unit if the tempo feels wrong

If the six-click setup feels much slower than the score's marking, check whether you entered the dotted-quarter number without multiplying it by three. If the bar has too many sounds, check Subdivision before adjusting BPM. If the accents suggest three groups of two, check that positions 1 and 4 are selected for the usual 3 + 3 pattern. When switching from six clicks to two, compare one full measure before playing a longer passage. The measure should take the same amount of time even though you hear fewer clicks.