Need help with 12/8 time

I am lousy at timing when I'm just banging away on my own, sans drummer. I hope someone can help me understand 12/8 time. Like how I count it out, I understand 3/4 and 4/4 okay
but this seems to elude me....thanks in advance for any info.

I usually see the 12/8 as an extent of the 3/4... I think that it's only useful in very fast lines, when you have to notate them in an understandable way... But to your ear, it's only a groups of 3 beats system... Well, to mine it is...

Okay so let me see if I have a clue here.:confused: I count
1 and 2 and 3 and 2 and 2 and 3 and 3 and 2 and 3 and. Am I like even close. I notice some slow blues and even Pink Floyd's shine on you crazy diamond is in 12/8 if I am not mistaken.
thanks
p.s. The weather is fabulous here in Memphis Tennessee today. You are only about 6 degrees faren. less than us here. Hope you get to enjoy it.

12/8 is like 4/4 with the triplet getting the beat.
9/8 is 3/4 with the triplet getting the beat.

You can tell 4/4 and 12/8 apart by what the drummer plays on the ride cymbal, if he's playing triplets your in 12/8; if he's playing 8th notes then your in 4/4.

I'm always fighting with other people about what I hear about triplets... I hear a very fast 3/4 instead of the 12/8 you just explained...

o.k.
1st of all 12/8 is not an odd meter, its even, so therefor it should be associated with 4/4.
Each of the 4 beats would be broken up into a triplet. So a measure of 12/8 would be counted 123 223 323 423.
The differnce between 9/8 and 3/4?
You know how when you play a measure of 3/4 you emphasize the downbeat of 1 (waltz feel), in 9/8 each of the downbeats would be emphasized, and again the triplet feel would be introduced over the beat.
This is hard to explain without being able to play it for you, since we are talking about sudtle differences. For an example of 12/8 check out the classic motown song "When A Man Loves A Woman" and listen for the implied triplet feel.
Ciao

That's my problem, I hear it like a fast 3/4 or a veeeeeery slow 12/8... Is it bad doc? ;)
I guess it comes from my autodidactic years, I found answers that worked for me, and now all I can play sounds weird, feels weird, looks weird...

Each of the 4 beats would be broken up into a triplet. So a measure of 12/8 would be counted 123 223 323 423.

Thank Chris Mood. I think that cleared it up for me . I was trying to think of it as 4/4 times 3. Thanks to all of ya.
I will sit down now and learn Shine on you crazy diamond by Pink Floyd now.