Question about beaming in 6/4 and irregular beaming
In 6/4 can I beam by 2/4 + 2/4 + 2/4 or is it strictly 3/4 + 3/4?
And also I didn't find a good explanation of irregular beaming in cases where time signature constantly changing from bar to bar (not alternating but literally changing, e.g., I have four measures, and they're all different in time, e.g., 6/4, 4/4, 5/4, 9/8) in that case, can I beam the 4/4 measure like 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 + 1/4 or even 3/4 + 1/4? Especially if it looks more convenient on paper than regular 2/4 + 2/4 and will not distort the entire picture because that bar is one of a kind?
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6/4 is universally subdivided into 2 groups of 3 quarter notes. When I encounter music written in 6 but grouped in 3 groups of 2 it’s usually written in 3/2. If you really want to write 6/4 in 3 groups of 2 quarters to keep a strong quarter note pulse going during an odd meter section I suggest writing 2+2+2 over the bar to make your intentions clear but I think @Tim ’s suggestion or writing a 4/4 and a 2/4 is better.
A bar of 4/4 divided into 3+1 is generally not done unless it is a very simple rhythm like dotted half-quarter or quarter-half-quarter. You could also write the 3+1 subdivision over the 4/4 bar but beaming 3 beats together in 4/4 time is unusual and I wouldn’t recommend it.
You can beam your piece however you want as long as it makes musical sense and it's readable by whoever has to play it..
It's not unusual to see 6/4 occasionally beamed as 2+2+2, but if you're doing that a lot you might want to consider another time signature like 3/2
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