Q: Hi, I'm Zoe, and I'm 11. What are some tips for counting in 3/4 time? — Zoe

A: Hello Zoe—thanks for writing. For counting in 3/4 time, I think a good place to start is to use the numbers 1-2-3, and make a real steady beat. Go 1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3. And emphasize the "1"—put a little extra stress on the first beat, so you see where each measure begins. Go "1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3."

You can also find digital metronomes that have a click on them, and you can set it to 3/4. It'll go "click - click - click; click - click - click," where the first click will be louder than the other two clicks. And then you can also adjust the tempo, so it'll go faster or slower.

So those are two methods you could do to practice that, but after that becomes easy, you should try to just think of the "1 - 2 - 3," without saying it verbally. Just think "1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3," and then after that, you can just feel it, like a little dance.

And try to recognize songs on the radio, or songs in your record collection, that have a 1 - 2 - 3 beat on them. And then while you're listening to the song, practice saying "1 - 2 - 3; 1 - 2 - 3," so that you recognize what music is made in 3/4 time.

-- Chick

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