Counting the Beats

·         Salsa music has a regular tempo, utilizing a 4/4 rhythm, and is counted as four beats per measure. Measures are grouped into phrases of two measures or eight beats each.

·         Dancing salsa is always based on the beat. The basic movement is to step quick-quick-slow two times over the eight-beat phrase.

·         Only six of the eight beats are used: 1, 2, 3 and 5, 6, 7.

·         The key instrument that provides the timing and rhythm of a salsa song is the conga drum, which is specifically hit to mark the beats 2 and 6 in the music.

·         Phrase boundaries are easy to distinguish because the vocalists and melody instruments seem to pause and change key between phrases. Also, most of the rhythms in a typical salsa song repeat over the interval of the phrase instead of over the interval of the measure.

WARNING: Not moving according to the rhythm increases the possibility of collision.