It is often asked, how one can distinguish the music of a Waltz from a Foxtrot? or a Rumba from a Cha cha cha? It is extremely important to dance ‘on time’, this is only possible if the music is suitable, if not, then it simply won’t work and you will know it.
In our classes the appropriate music is selected for the dance, but in the real world you must learn to recognise these rhythms.
The ability to recognize music is a skill acquired through experience. There are clues in most music that we listen to, unfortunately the melody, harmony, words or even the title tell us nothing about the dance. “Till I waltz again with you”, for example is a Foxtrot, not a Waltz. What we dance to is the beat or more properly the rhythm. We could dance to a drum alone (many peoples do). The beat is made up of several elements. A Waltz for example is danced in 3 / 4 time (3 beats to the bar) with an accent (or emphasis) on the 1st beat. This doesn’t mean the 1st beat is louder, in fact it could be quieter than the other beats, but it’s deeper and sounds like a down beat, it somehow has more presence. You will learn to recognise the “1” beat. We can count it 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (Click icon for audio demo)
Where as the Foxtrot like most dances has a 4/4 time stamp with an emphasis on the 1st and 3rd beats.
We count it as 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4 (Click icon for audio demo)
Most Sambas and Merengues are written in 2/4 time with an unaccented beat half way between the two counts,
we could count it as 1 & 2, 1 & 2, 1 & 2 (Click icon for audio demo)
Latin dances have unique challenges related to the beat. In Rumba there is a visible "holding" of the beat from the 4 to the 1. So you have "2, 3, 4 (wait)." During the ‘wait’ the body continues to move as weight shifts but the feet don't move. In Cha cha cha there is a split beat on the 4 where the feet do a chassé step, three quick steps often called the "cha cha cha." So you have "2, 3, 4and1" or "2, 3, cha cha cha."
The Rumba, Cha cha cha, Jive and Tango all use 4/4 timing while incorporating various other elements to produce their distinctive rhythms, but a more detailed description is beyond the scope of this article. There is no substitute for experience, listen to the beat behind the music and try to recognize the dance, it will come, so enjoy.
By clicking on the links below you can see an extensive list of modern and traditional music categorized by dance.
