Is 3/8 compound time or simple time? Options

[Roseau]

I thought that 3/8 was simple time because you would divide each quaver beat into semi-quavers (ie into 2, whereas 6/8 is compound because each dotted crotchet beat can be divided into 3 quavers). However, I am teaching English to some French music students and they all spontaneously said that it was compound time because the three quavers added up to a dotted crotchet.

I am inclined to think that they are right as they are very good players (as in at least 1st diploma) and as this is France they have done a lot of theory as well but part of me is not convinced since you would then theoretically only have 1 beat in a bar. Or am I missing something obvious? *confused* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

[fsharpminor]

Yes Simple Triple, 3/8 is the same as 3/4 or 3/2

[owainsutton]

Yes Simple Triple, 3/8 is the same as 3/4 or 3/2

Then why do we beam the quavers in threes?...

[linda.ff]

Yes Simple Triple, 3/8 is the same as 3/4 or 3/2

Then why do we beam the quavers in threes?...

Because it's easier to read them that way. We can also beam quavers in 4s even when we're in 4/4 and in 6s when we're in 3/4. In nthose instances it doesn't alter the counting, so I don't think it's significant in 3/8 either.

I think the fact that we would very likely beat one in a bar for many pieces in 3/8 is neither here nor there - ever conducted a Viennese Waltz?

If it were compound that would mean one beat in every bar. I'm not sure you can have that. The point about meter is that it shows where the stress is and divides the rhythm into "feet". Triple time has one strong beat in every bar, and you could write out the same melody in 3/2, 3/4 and 3/8 and specify the same metronimic value for all of them. The theory pupil then asks "why would they do that?" and I think the answer is partly psychological. Having a quaver beat generally gives the music a lighter "touch", a minim beat tends to give more of a feeling of breadth