How to hear the beat of music | Music - Rhythm

To hear the beat, you need to train your ear to hear the “8 count.” You do this by trying to count the 8 count whenever you hear a song.

The 8 count, also known as a “set of 8,” defines the beat. Most popular, mainstream music is structured in sets of 8. All dance is choreographed to the 8 count (ballroom, freestyle, hip hop, jazz, etc). All dance fitness is choreographed to the 8 count (aerobics, Zumba, etc).

At first, counting is not easy. Best to see it in action (4:06 minutes – 3 songs):

4:06 min. – 8 count

Do this next:

Scroll down this page if you want to see more videos of me counting the 8 count.
Click here to go more deeply into the 8 count, including why it’s important in dance and how it relates to the musician’s 4-beat measure.
Click here to go more deeply into counting, clapping, the waltz, tempo, phrasing, and moving to music. (This web page is also the youtube playlist for my book, Hear the Beat, Feel the Music.)

How to hear the beat – Coaching

Stuck on a song? Need a quick test to see if you’re counting correctly? Want to bring the beat from your head (counting) into your body (by feeling)? I may be able to coach you with a video chat, but it’s harder now because Skype has been shut down. Send me an email, I’m happy to discuss your problem to see if I can help, no charge – jim@ihatetodance.com