From the category archives:

beat of the music

Counting 32-beat major phrases (video: 6 min, 40 sec.)

January 15, 2010

Phrasing in ballroom dancing is an intermediate-level concept but I beg you, O Humble Beginner, to begin actively listening for the major phrases in all music (this video goes with the book so it’s also posted on the Freebie Video page):

This will help you to hear the sets of 8, hence, how to hear the [...]

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New videos – how to hear the beat in music

January 14, 2010

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Beware of tempo

June 10, 2008

I have an issue with tempo.
I went through a long period where I could dance okay in class but I was terrible at a dance. Some of that had to do with a lack of familiar partners (read: my leading sucked and partners at a dance were not familiar with the step patterns I learned [...]

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Not all music is dance music

April 14, 2008

Not all music is dance music, although most popular music is danceable. Dance music varies in difficulty so some music is better for dancing than other music, which is, in part, a personal preference. But some music is just not danceable. The jazz music of Count Basie, known as swing, is usually good dance music [...]

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