DRUMMER CAFE

I am confused when it comes to figuring out accurate BPM measurements for songs in 3/4. 

Is the BPM determined per group of 3?  When I use the "tap in" function on my metronome, the number seems too high.  I'm pretty sure I'm tapping eighth notes, so do I divide by three or something?  When it's 4/4 it's easier to tell whether I just need to divide in half (counting eighths vs quarter notes or what have you).

I'm a "self-taught" guy; please forgive me if I'm using the incorrect terms (though feel free to correct me).

In 3/4, the quarter note has the pulse, the quarter note is usually used for tempo marking, and as there are three quarter notes to each bar of 3/4 you will be "tapping" three times per bar.

Ah, a "cardboard secretary" problem.

An engineer of my acquaintance many years ago explained about a problem-solving technique they used at his place of work.

Every now and then, everyone gets a seemingly intractable problem. At this particular firm, there was one of those secretaries who was good at spotting when people were troubled, and who would encourage them to sit down and explain the problem to her. She realised that although she had no expertise in their field, it often helps just to talk through a problem - to make yourself explain it in a different way. In doing so, the engineers at this firm often found they could see the solution because they were taking none of the mental "shortcuts" they would taken when thinking the problem through alone.

When they realised this, the engineers found they no longer necessarily needed to speak to the real secretary - they could substitute her even with an inanimate object (the "cardboard secretary") and still get the same results.

So. A "cardboard secretary" problem.