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?”
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.
ONE and uh TWO and uh ONE and uh TWO and uh
ONE and Two and Three and ONE and Two and Three and
The “TAK-a-ta’s” are both super helpful and oddly reminiscent of Lisa Simpson learning how to dance “Tap-a Tap-a Tap-a!”
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
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.