Reply To: Artificial Heart discussion
Actually, the analogy with poetry breaks down a bit there, because the first number says how many beats to a measure, and the second simply says what value to give a beat. In American notation, that means eighth notes (@MaW mentioned quavers — same thing). If the signature is 6/4, it’s basically the same, but simply written with quarter notes (crotchets?) instead. The time signature is very mathematical.
The question about which ones are stressed is a little more complicated and nuanced. The time signature doesn’t really tell you that — the music does. The statement that 6/8 is two beats, subdivided into threes is generally correct, but not actually required by the time signature. It’s simply convention. The same is true for other time signatures — 9/8 is typically three sets of three, but for a good counterexample, listen to Dave Brubeck’s Blue Rondo a la Turk. It shifts around a bit, but the intro and outro are in 9/8, with a 2+2+2+3 pattern mixed in with a 3+3+3 pattern. For that matter, listen to all of Brubeck’s Time Out album for lots of interesting time signature manipulations. Classic stuff.