dotted quarter/metronome?

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Hey all,

I'm doing a piece of music in 6/8, where the tempo is a dotted quarter note = 52. Since my DAW's metronome displays in quarter notes only, how can I decipher what this means in terms of straight quarters or eighths? Math is not my strong suit. :oops:

Thanks. :)

Steve

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algodon wrote:Hey all,

I'm doing a piece of music in 6/8, where the tempo is a dotted quarter note = 52. Since my DAW's metronome displays in quarter notes only, how can I decipher what this means in terms of straight quarters or eighths? Math is not my strong suit. :oops:

Thanks. :)

Steve
Swing or straight?

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james0tucson wrote:Swing or straight?
Well, it's a piece from the Renaissance period, so it's kinda "rollicking" I would say. So yeah, swing, but not in a particularly jazzy way.

Thanks for the reply.

Steve

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algodon wrote:Hey all,

I'm doing a piece of music in 6/8, where the tempo is a dotted quarter note = 52. Since my DAW's metronome displays in quarter notes only, how can I decipher what this means in terms of straight quarters or eighths? Math is not my strong suit. :oops:

Thanks. :)

Steve
you can think of it as 2/4, in (play the eights as) triplets, as there are two dotted quarters in 6/8, 52 is your given tempo, x 3
ie., the eighth note = 156; now, your sequencer likely will insist that a 'beat' has to be a quarter note beat, so you set the tempo track to half that, 78. (this isn't conventionally correct, but) you have 3/4, quarter = 78.

or more succinctly, 52 x 1.5 = 78

you follow?

your eighth notes are eighth notes, your metronome will click at half that pulse

I'd prefer to hear the beat *like* dotted quarters, and set the pulse to 52 and deal in triplets

these are your two options in a sequencer

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Understood. Even I had the sense to multiply 52 x 1.5, but quarter note = 78 sounded too fast - I guess it is what it is. I can set the time sig at 6/8 in my sequencer, and the metronome will pulse six eighth notes with an emphasis on the one, so I'm just gonna play it at a tempo I'm comfortable with (69).

Thanks very much for your help.

Cheers.

Steve

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