What does it mean if a composer is asked to "think 3/4"?

Question

I read this from an interview with composer Jerry Goldsmith, regarding the score to 'Planet of the Apes.' What exactly does this mean? (I'm very new at music theory, so go easy here...)

Answer 1

3/4 - think of it as a fraction. 3 Quarter notes per measure. The waltz is in 3/4, so it has that 1,2,3 - 1,2,3 feel.

Answer 2

Not knowing the context in which it was used, it is impossible to say. If you're playing in 4/4 time, thinking 3/4 would be to add triplet feel. If you're in 9/8, you'd count only the strong beats (1, 4, 7), but count them as 1, 2, 3.

But again, not knowing how the phrase was used, you can't really tell what was meant.

Answer 3

3 beats to a bar quarter note gets 1 beat.

Answer 4

3 beats and 4 notes to a bar.

Answer 5

It's a reference to time: three beats to the bar.