One of the biggest stumbling blocks for newcomers to salsa is understanding
the music. Salsa music is easy to enjoy, but when it comes to clearly
identifying the beats, some people fall apart on it. The details below
offer some helpful information to guide you in understanding the beat
of salsa music and how it relates to dancing.
The 8-Count
Let's begin with something most, if not all, people are familiar with
and that is the 8-count. When musicians and dancers begin to do
their thing, they begin by saying, "five, six, seven, eight" and then
everyone begins on "one" in sync continuing with a rhythm that goes
something like this:
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
and so on...
Music flows on eight beats, which are also considered two sets of four
beats. A set of four beats (one, two, three, four) is called a
"measure". The next set of four beats (five, six, seven,
eight) is also a "measure". The term "measure" is very important and
used a lot when teaching/learning how to dance salsa. For a visual
reference, take a look at the table below.
| Count |
Beat 1 |
Beat 2 |
Beat 3 |
Beat 4 |
Beat 5 |
Beat 6 |
Beat 7 |
Beat 8 |
| 8-Count |
one |
two |
three |
four |
five |
six |
seven |
eight |
|
The 6-Count
Salsa music is based on two musical measures amounting to the original
eight beats. However, this is where everyone gets confused. The 8-count
is converted into a 6-count by incorporating a "pause" on "four" and
on "eight". This changes:
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight
...
to
one, two, three, "and", four, five, six, "and"
one, two, three, "and", four, five, six, "and"
...
Notice how four and eight are replaced with the pause "and". Although
you're counting six steps, the reality is that those six steps are
occurring over eight beats. Why? Because two of the steps are being
spent with a pause. It is noteworthy to mention that
depending on the song, salsa music is played at different speeds.
Some are slow, some are medium and some are darn fast! The faster
the song is, the smaller your steps should be so you can keep up
with the beat, but the basic concept of counting the beat remains the
same. You'll just be counting faster or slower.
When listening to salsa music, you can hear the musicians creating a
six-beat with the instruments although the reality is that there are
two standard measures of time. This six-count is the root of the
structure of salsa dancing and is paramount to learning how to
dance salsa. In salsa dancing, a measure refers to three steps and a
pause taken in time with the musical measure of the song. Sometimes
the beats of a 6-count are identified by using the words "quick, quick,
slow, quick, quick, slow". Here's the updated
table that compares an 8-count with the 6-count.
| Count |
Beat 1 |
Beat 2 |
Beat 3 |
Beat 4 |
Beat 5 |
Beat 6 |
Beat 7 |
Beat 8 |
| 8 Count |
one |
two |
three |
four |
five |
six |
seven |
eight |
| 6 Count |
one |
two |
three |
and |
four |
five |
six |
and |
| 6 Count |
quick |
quick |
slow |
quick |
quick |
slow |
|
Don't Worry!
This may sound complicated when described in words but actually, learning the
six-count is very easy. Once you learn the six-count, which is the
root of the salsa dance structure, you'll begin to branch off from
there learning all the steps and combinations that make up the vast
world of salsa dancing. Before you know it, you'll be dancing structured
salsa executing moves that will impress your family and friends.
