I promised I would not respond. Oh well... The difference between 6/4 and 3/2 is precisely the same difference between 6/8 and 3/4.
You can argue all night on what the difference is between using a quarter note and a half note as the beat results in, but what it all comes down to is that there are simple meters (3/4) and there are complex meters (6/8). Simple meters are routinely counted with the note value that matches the bottom number as the beat. So, 2/2 means there are 2 beats and the half note gets one beat. 3/4 means there are 3 beats and the quarter note gets one beat. Compound meters are sometimes counted the same as simple (6/8 can be six beats where the eighth note is one beat), but are very often counted in threes, where the top number is three times the number of beats (6/3=2) and the bottom number represents a third of the beat (three eighth notes = dotted quarter). 6/4 is properly used for music felt in 2 groups of 3. 3/2 is properly used for music felt in 3 groups of 2. Basically, when the fraction represented by the time signature is reducable AND the top number is divisible by 3, you have a compound meter. (3/8 could be considered compound, though, as could 3/4, if they are felt in one.) But in cases where the fraction is not reducible, it's unlikely it's meant to be felt with a subdivision of 3 to the regular beat. (Again, 3/4, 3/8 are exceptions.) NOW - 3/2 could be felt in "one" but who would do such a thing? 3/4 or 3/8 would more meaningfully carry the sense of "in one" to the musician. 3/2 is almost always felt in 3. Now, we do see hemiola incorporated into 3/2 so there are some 3/2 bars which might feel as if they are in 2. If you want to choose between 3/2 and 6/4 and your music is at least some of the time in 3, use 3/2. But if it's squarely in 2 groups of 3 throughout, 6/4 is correct. Apologies, but this is all so obvious to me. Neal Schermerhorn _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list Finale@shsu.edu http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
