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Ballroom dance3 minutes

Hearing the Quickstep beat: How to hit the fast tempo

By Mary De LucaUpdated

In a nutshell
  • Quickstep is danced in a fast 4/4 time at about 50 to 52 bars per minute.
  • The typical rhythmic pattern consists of a combination of slow steps on two beats and quick steps on one beat.
  • To mentally manage the tempo, focus on the strong beats one and three when listening.
  • By consciously ignoring the off-beats while counting, the perceived speed of the music is halved.

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The Quickstep fascinates with its dynamics, but its rapid tempo causes mental blocks for many beginners. With the right method, the fast pace of the music can be decoded and processed in a relaxed way.

What you need for rhythm training

  • A Quickstep music track with a clear drum or bass beat
  • A quiet room without visual distractions
  • A few minutes of undisturbed concentration

The mental brake for the fast Quickstep rhythm

The Quickstep is the undisputed sprinter among the ballroom dances. With a speed of often over 50 bars per minute, it presents dancers with an enormous mental challenge. The secret lies in not perceiving the rapid tempo as a stress factor, but in breaking the music down into larger rhythmic units. Instead of chasing every single beat, it helps to focus on the strong counts. This gives the brain valuable milliseconds to plan the movement in advance. Anyone who learns to actively analyze the music beforehand loses the fear of the speed. A solid foundation in recognizing the beat in ballroom dance takes the hectic pace out of the Quickstep and transforms the supposed chaos on the dance floor into pure, controlled dynamics.

Master the Quickstep in four steps

  1. Isolating the bass

    Completely fade out the vocals and the brass instruments and focus only on the low-pitched instruments like the double bass or tuba. These reliably mark the rhythmic foundation of the piece.

  2. Finding the one

    Look for the loudest, most heavily accented beat in the measure, which marks the one. As soon as you have found this emphasis, you have the entry point for your timing.

  3. Learn to count in half

    Count along out loud to the beat of the music, but only say the numbers one and three. By staying silent on the two and four, you halve the perceived speed of the music in your head.

  4. Feel the pulse physically

    Now clap your hands on every second beat to physically anchor the rhythm. Once the clapping harmonizes effortlessly with the bass, you have mentally processed the tempo.

Standard courses near you

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Rhythm training in comparison

Correct

  • Only actively count the accented beats one and three
  • Clap the rhythm with your hands while sitting first
  • Fade out the melody and listen only to the bass

Wrong

  • Trying to count every single one of the 200 beats per minute
  • Trying to do the steps to the fast tempo immediately
  • Getting distracted by fast trumpet solos

Your training plan for rhythm

Before listening

Preparation

When listening to music

While

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Quickstep is played in 4/4 time. This means that each measure consists of four quarter notes, or four beats, with the first and third beats being particularly emphasized.

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