I am new to theory as you know but for some reason my sticking point seems to be time signatures! I have worked my way through the exercises im Music theory in practice G3 (old pink one) and one thing has thrown me; Ex.35 Has a short passage with various questions. I am confident I understand, and my answers are correct except one. Add the key signature. So I looked and thought it was 3/4 but the last question tells you to re write the passage in simple time using triplets (2/4) so I realised the original answer should be 6/8! The crotchet in the last bar is a dotted crotchet but the bar isn't complete as the passage is open ended so how can you tell the difference between 3/4 and 6/8 written down as the notes don't appear 'grouped'??

It's hard to know for sure without seeing the example, but again it comes down to what the rhythm sounds like - is there a definite 2-in-a-bar or 3-in-a-bar. Unless it's something like "America" from "West Side Story" it should be fairly obvious.

Chris

Hi Jay

I'm looking at the exercise and I see what you mean. Your first inclination as you say is to add it up to 3/4. If you get this type of question in an exam, think of what the other possible options could be and then see which fits the best. If you have a choice, as here, between 3/4 and 6/8, you would opt for 6/8 because of the dotted rhythms.

Bar 2 is a good example - you get a dotted crotchet followed by a crotchet/quaver which is a typical 6/8 rhythm. And that's the rhythm all the way through - either dotted crotchet or crotchet/quaver.

It's a good exercise, and the more exercises and past papers you do, the more you learn to look out for these questions that might catch you out. Fun innit!

Thanks skylark and yes. It is! As was the sense of achievement I got when going through the book last night and realising I could answer the questions and understand what they meant/ where they were coming from!
I'm loving this theory thing When I look at a score now I see it in a completely different way and listening to a song on the radio too I can try and visualise how it would be written in score ( Hubby thinks I am slightly losing the plot) Are there any other books of theory exercises you can recommend?
The only thing I find hard is not being able to confirm my answers as I would if I had a teacher. Wouldn't like to be under a false illusion - although I think I am really progressing

Once you've got the knowledge, I think the best thing to do next is past papers. You'll be pleased to know that there's not quite an inexhaustible supply of these, but there might be enough to keep you going for a week or two

Most of the online music retailers sell the past papers and there are 4 sets in each year.

Are you planning to take the G3 exam in November did you say?

Not really to me, but the notation is predominantly single quavers and dotted crotchets/quavers. I think if it had been groups of three quavers I would have said 6/8 without thinking too much but playing it would have maybe made it easier to hear the underlying beat?


No I don't have any plans to sit the exams as yet, simply due to location. The AB do cater for candidates abroad but I speak ver very little Greek so I'm a little unsure of taking them over here. I am learning with a view to sitting once back in the UK - hopefully we'll move sometime in the next 18 months - for now I am just trying to learn as much as I can.
Have ordered G2,G3 and G5 past papers with model answers from music-makers (their BFPO post is free too as is classed as UK). Only wish I could find a good teacher who could also speak good English!!
Thank goodness for this site and people like you

I think playing (or singing, or tapping) the music would make it clearer, but it is true that it's not always easy to decide if it should be in 3/4 or 6/8. Sometimes it's a bit like one of those optical illusions - is it a vase? is it two faces? - where you can make yourself hear it either way.

In this case though, dotted crotchets and crotchet-quaver combinations are pretty sure indicators of 6/8

Chris