do i go twice as fast in 3/8 time as 4/4 time???

Question

i'm playing a piece where every couple measures, 4/4 turns into 3/8 and i've asked my teacher and she has asked other teachers but none of them know if i go twice as fast in the 3/8 measures.

Answer 1

no you should keep the 8th notes even unless a tempo change is indicated


The teachers should have known this ..... it isn't a doctorate level question ... in the same tempo an 8th note=an 8th note

Answer 2

I don't really understand the question the way you've asked it, but here's PROBABLY what you want to know:

Unless the score indicates otherwise, you should keep the speed of the eighth-note constant throughout. I can't tell without looking at the score, but I'm sure that your teacher (who, I assume) IS looking at the music SHOULD be able to figure this out. If s/he can't, you need to look for a better teacher (I'm sorry to say that).

You don't "go twice as fast" in the 3/8 measures. If anything, the speed of the "beat" will be 1/3 slower! (I suspect that the duration you feel as the "beat" in the 4/4 measures is probably the quarter-note, and the "beat" you feel in the 3/8 measures is PROBABLY the whole measure, or a dotted-quarter note) Think of it all as an 11/8 measure, 2+2+2+2+3.

Answer 3

Hi Poe. Let's see if I can help. Most composers of multi-meter works mark somewhere on the music the relationship of the eighth notes. They will either mark "eighth note equals eighth note throughout" at the beginning of the score or at the point that the meter changes. My latest published piece changes back and forth between 2/4 and 6/8 and I indicated the eighth note relationship once at the beginning.

Even if it is not indicated, chances are the composer (you didn't indicate who) of your piece intended for the eighth notes to stay constant.

First of all, if you can't count it correctly then you are not going to be able to play it correctly. The best way to approach the measure of 3/8 time is to think of it as 1 and 1/2 counts of time (or a 2/4 measure shortened by one eighth note). So to count (or play) it you will count a 1 and 2 &'s in the pattern.

So the counting pattern for a 4/4 measure of eighth notes followed by a 3/8 measure of eighth notes would be:

/ 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & / 1 & & / etc.
Also remember that the two &'s in the 3/8 measure will be lighter in feel that the downbeat on 1 and if conducting it the conducting pattern will be stretched.

Musician, composer, teacher.

Answer 4

Kind of. 4/4 means 4 crotchets (are they called quarter notes in the US, I forget) in a bar. 3/8 has 3 quavers (eighth notes) in a bar. If there was one note in your 3/8 bar then it'd be a dotted crotchet. You'd play that in the same way as you'd play a dotted crotchet in 4/4, the same as if there were 3 quavers you'd play it the same speed as if there were 3 quavers in 4/4.

The difference in speed comes in your counting or conducting. Because quavers are twice as fast as crotchets the conducter would count a slow 4 and then a fast 3 in the 3/8 bar - because the beat has shifted to be twice as fast.

So in answer to your question - no you don't play twice as fast. A quaver in 3/8 is worth the same as a quaver in 4/4. The only difference in speed would be if you were conducting

Answer 5

No, the tempo doesn't change unless indicated on the peice. If I was counting that section, I would think

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & a - the 8th note doesn't change. Beat one falls on beat one!

Answer 6

you play the same speed unless there is something else on the music telling you to slow down or speed up. classical gas changes tempo throughout the entire piece but you don't speed up if it goes for 3/4 to 5/8.

Answer 7

No. 3/8 just means 3 quavers in a bar - emphasis on first beat of each bar.

Answer 8

i dont really understand you here.... ill try answer as best i can.

ok... firstly check at what tempo the piece should be played (allegro? andante?).... 3/8 is pretty fast (unless the performance directions say otherwise), but it isnt twice as fast as 4/4.... its twice as fast as 3/4 tho.....

the beats change from
ONE two three four
ONE two three four..

to
ONE two three
ONE two three....

ya see?

your piano teacher should definitely know how to do this... tap it out on the top of the piano and try hearing the difference..
good luck

Answer 9

No you don't do twice as fast unless it's indicated in the score - and if your teacher doesn't know this I would be really worried.