I feel like a related question is at what point do I feel I can play a song at a typical jam tempo. I don’t think in BPM at a jam bit I do when I practice. I’m sure the numbers above are pretty good. I’d target some of those and then try to Olay along with a recording of the song instead of a backing track.
What is the typical bpm for slow, moderate and fast bluegrass tempos?
So let’s say you’re playing a solo consisting of exclusively eighth notes to a tune being played at 90 bpm. You’re essentially playing that solo at a tempo of twice that, or 180 bpm? Is that correct?
1 Like
yes
1 Like
I tend to think the reverse stroke does not count as a beat. I don’t know.
If you have your metronome set at 90bpm and your playing a solo full of 8th notes, you’re playing 180 beats for every minute. if your solo lasts that long. tecnically it’s still 90bpm but to answer Timmys question I think you’re right.
1 Like
But isn’t quarter note a beat and not an eighth note? Bit confusing though.
OK. Let’s see if anyone else pitches in.
Yes (and you’re also technically playing the solo at 45, 360, 720, and 184,320 BPM).
The way we determine the tempo you’re playing at is affected by whether you set it to a half note, a quarter, etc. So if you play at 100 BPM (half note gets one beat), you’re also playing at 200 BPM (quarter note gets one beat).
2 Likes
OK I checked Irish Washerwomen in 6/8 timing (or 3/4??)
The metronome ticks 1 strike per second and completes 1 measure. Which is equivalent to 60 bpm. However, the song tempo shows 180 bpm. So, I take it that the 3 beats in the measure triples up the tempo to a 180 bpm. So, it appears an up and down stroke together constitutes a beat in this case.
1 Like
4/4 = 4 Beats in the Bar (Measure) - If there are 8 8th notes in the bar it’s still 4 Beats. if there are 16 16th notes in the bar it’s still 4 Beats if the are 32 32nd notes in the bar it’s still 4 Beats
My understanding is the duration of the notes in the measure do not determine the BPM - It is the frequency of the beat is determined by how fast you Play the Beat
In a bluegrass band ‘our drum’ is the Bass Fiddle 
To The Bang of the Drum
Compare these two videos - LISTEN to how fast the BASS Drum is played, believe it or not they are both playing in 4/4 timing 4 Beats in the Bar The meter (speed) of the pace of the march is determined by the beat of the BASS Drum - Typically the snare drums will play much faster but the pace is set by the bass drum.
And in the case of the British Army - The Word of Command by the Officer on Parade or the Band Master’s Mace. Whether it be Quick, Slow or Double Quick Time
British Army quick marching pace is 120 paces to the minute - 120 BPM 
The British Light Infantry quick marching pace is 140 paces to the minute - !40 BPM
Now compare it to the SLOOOW MARCH
This next video starts off in SLOW TIME then changes pace to QUICK TIME - LISTEN to the BASS DRUM - It’s still 4/4 4 Beats to the bar. Remember it’s the frequency of the beat is determined by how fast you Play the Beat ---- BANG THE DRUM
British Army SLOW marching pace is 60 paces to the minute - 60 BPM
Further Study - Check out @Mr_G Music Theory Course
https://banjobenclark.com/courses/introduction-to-music-theory?from_track=beginner-banjo
1 Like
It’s not really about beats, the number of beats doesn’t change the fact that he’s playing 180 notes per every minute he plays.
As the OP I thank you for all these comments. It added a lot more to the subject than I intended or anticipated. My personal takeaway is that bpm by itself may not a very good measure of mandolin proficiency, simply because there can be a big difference in how a tune at 120 bpm is played. I can accompany the British March above because there are plenty of quarter notes in the melody. So I can play at 120 bpm. But Ben’s lesson on a tune like Cherokee Shuffle at his teaching speed (which is less than 120 bpm) I struggle with because it’s mostly non-stop eighth notes (apart from the technical challenges he introduces). So I can’t play at 120 bpm! Does that make sense?
2 Likes
Exactly. Thank you. And you’re looking to gage the technical difficulty of a piece or the competence of a player (strictly terms of how fast one needs to/is able to play) NOTES per minute is a much better measure.
1 Like
Have you tried playing along with the TAB Tef Files & TefView - You can slow / speed up the playback tempo to match your skill level. It’s the way I practice before attempting to play along with the mp3 tracks.
I’d also add that Cherokee Shuffle is a tough tune to play even on the banjo.
I do. It’s very helpful. Ben plays many of his intermediate and advanced lessons at about 105 bpm, which for him is probably a moderate teaching tempo. The closest I can ever get on the mandolin is 95 bpm. I just can’t breakthrough that wall.
In that case, it would be 360 bpm! As you strike 6 notes in a measure!
So it is interesting with Irish Washerwoman in 6/8 timing. 
120 bpm - if I use Archie’s march to the drum beat.
180 bpm - if I consider a beat to be only down strokes (i.e. down and up together as one.)
60 bpm - if I set it up in metronome for the tempo.
360 bpm - If you count every note like Shaky says (Piano players express the speed like that??).
The time signature is the only thing that defines what a beat is.
Pick direction does not define the beat, but the beat can define pick direction if you choose.
How you set a metronome is purely your personal preference and doesn’t affect the time signature.
Notes per minute 
Which note? The long ones, short ones, dotted ones, or the ones that are rests?
3 Likes
@Fiddle_wood, so how many beats are there in a 6/8 signature - 3 or 6? Again, it appears if a drummer uses the same song (Irish Washerwoman) in a march past, he might use a 2/4 signature??
All notes! lol. Counting it as 6 notes in the measure from 2 triplets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuMDjNQrdjY
Per this music theory video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxynOZ_vt6U, 3/4 (i.e. in simple time signature) is 3 beats per measure and 6/8 (i.e. in a comound time signature) is 2 beats per measure. By this, the IrishWasherwoman is 120 bpm. So then bpm is not a measure to indicate the speed with which a player has to play an instrument like guitar?? I give up. 
Time signatures can seem confusing. Especially when you go outside the box 4/4 or 3/4.
Lets try and simplify this.
Q. What does 4/4 & 3/4 have in common?
A. The number 4 at the bottom of the fraction - Both time signatures employ a Quarter Note to determine a passage of time. i.e. Quarter Note Beats The TOP Number 3 & 4 tells you how many.
Q. What is different between 6/8 and what we have learned from 4/4 & 3/4 above?
A. The number on the bottom. It’s 8 and NOT 4 - That is because it’s a different measurement of time. These are Eighth Note Beats and there are 6 of these in the measure.