For me it’s time signatures in music. I grew up playing instruments, played in several orchestras, etc. But no matter how many times someone tries to explain time signatures to me, it makes no sense. I don’t understand why people place such importance on it. To me, notes have a pitch and a duration, maybe some dynamics. That’s it. I don’t understand why people try to needlessly complicate it. It doesn’t give you anything.

My wife will hear a song and go “Oh neat, it’s in 5/8.” And I’m like “How tf do you know that, and why does it matter?”

  • kossa@feddit.org
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    20 hours ago

    Funnily enough I only understand the time signatures partly. 😅. Like, I understand 3/4 and 4/4 and the difference in playing or listening or dancing to it. But, wtf is 6/8? That’s just 3/4 as far as I am concerned.

    • RBWells@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      I think the X files music was a 6/8. NAH na na na na na, NAH na na na na na, it doesn’t sound like a waltz!

    • nysqin@feddit.org
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      20 hours ago

      The emphases are different:

      If you denote a full bar in 1/8 notes, in 6/8 the beat goes TAK-a-ta TAK-a-ta, while in 3/4 it’s TAK-a TAK-a TAK-a.

      • blockheadjt@sh.itjust.works
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        19 hours ago

        Is that supposed to be intuitive? You’d think the one with 3 in the name would be the one with emphasis every 3rd note

        • Triasha@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          It is more intuitive in groups of 3 notes. 3/4 is often used for a waltz, TA-ta-ta, TA-ta-ta.

          The emphasise is on the first note of the 3.

          6/8, as I have learned from this thread, has the emphasis a little on the first but mostly on the 4th, so Ta-ta-ta TA-ta-ta. It moves differently. If you use a series of 8th notes, the whole thing flips, and 6/8 feels fluid, and 3/4 feels janky.

          The time signatures have a purpose, it’s just not…well explained.