DANCE BEAT NOTE: THIS PAGE ADDRESSES DANCE RHYTHMS ONLY.
Beat is the connection between rhythm and dance. If a
rhythm is such that a person hearing it will hear/feel repeated points
of emphasis, in an understandable order and at a pace known as
"dancing speed", that rhythm is said to have a dance beat.
The main problem in producing a danceable rhythm is
the failure of the composer/arrager or the performer to emphasize a
main beat. Even when the main beat series is so odd as to be totally
unfamiliar to the dancers, emphasizing it solves the problem.
A performer may be able to play a single rhythm with
several different beat sequences. There are four methods to find a
correct (danceable) one.
1. Dance or tap your foot to it.
2. The loudest note or a bass tone will often be a
part of the danceable beat series.
3. A particular hand or note will repeat in a pattern
similar to a beat.
4. Notating the rhythm will usually make the dance
beat obvious, if it exists.
A multilinear rhythm will have only one main dance beat. Some of the
individual parts may have this beat, some may have another, and others
may have none at all. The main one, the dance beat, is the one that
stands out from the rest. If none stands out, blame the
composer/arranger.
When performing with other drummers, what you decide
to play may have a different natural beat than the main one. This will
create one of two situations.
1. You have to change and play the main beat because
your beat would be distracting.
2. Your different beat does not matter because the
main beat is so dominant and/or your "off" beat complements
it.
Sometimes, in playing a single rhythm, you will want
to emphasize a different beat series than the obvious one. This
usually only occurs in polymetric rhythms.
To project your beat, you must express it physically.
If you don't, you can't expect people to enjoy it as much or to dance
to it. You can put beat into your rhythm by playing it slowly at first
and tapping your foot to the beat. You use your foot because the leg
muscles will rock and influence your whole body. You will then be
better able to feel the beat relationship. As you pick up speed, you
will no longer be able to tap your foot, but your body will still move
and influence the sound. Using notation and playing slowly at first
will make this process easier. (Also see SOME
DIFFERENT WAYS OF FEELING OR PLAYING A RHYTHM
Often, in order to be able to relate to what you are
playing and accompany you, a good drummer or dancer will ask you where
the beat is (if it is not obvious). If you don't know, it looks like
you don't care about one of the main reasons drumming exists; dance.
On the other hand, many people are lazy and just don't
want to take the time to learn the beat to what the are playing. This
makes their drumming sound flat.