This entry is part 4 of 5 in the series Music and CountingThe biggest difference between straight and rolling count is when the weight transfer between the beats happens: either directly in the middle of the beat, or closer to the upbeat. However, there is another significant difference between the two forms of counting. Each… Continue Reading
Tag Archives: straight count
A Two Beat Dance
This entry is part 3 of 5 in the series Music and CountingAlthough west coast swing is composed of six- and eight-count patterns, the actual dance itself is a two-beat dance. Every movement in west coast swing goes through a downbeat-upbeat pair. Those pairs of downbeats and upbeats are then joined together into a full… Continue Reading
Straight and Rolling Counts
This entry is part 1 of 5 in the series Music and CountingIn west coast swing, there are three common ways to count music: straight count, rolling count, and swung count. This post will discuss straight count and rolling count; a follow-up post will take up the differences between rolling and swung counts. At a… Continue Reading