How do dancers count music in eights?

By the RepeatWatch team · Updated

Quick answer

Dancers count music in eights by counting each beat from 1 to 8, which covers two bars of 4/4 time. Find the steady pulse, count along from the first strong beat, and start over at 1 when the phrase restarts. Looping one eight-count in RepeatWatch lets you hear where 1 lands until it becomes automatic.

Try this now: put on any pop song and clap on every beat. Say "1" on the first big beat of the chorus and count to 8. Does the next 1 feel like a new start?

How to count music in eights with RepeatWatch

  1. Find the pulse. Play the song and tap your foot. The beat you tap without thinking is what you count. Most pop and K-pop songs are in 4/4.
  2. Find a 1. The start of the chorus is almost always a 1. Press A exactly there and nudge it by 0.1 s until the loop starts on the beat.
  3. Loop eight beats. Count 1 to 8 and press B just before the next 1. Leave speed at 1× and no pause, so the loop is seamless.
  4. Count out loud on every loop. Say "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8" each time it repeats. Add "and" between numbers for moves that land on the off-beat.
  5. Count a full phrase. Move B out to cover four eight-counts. Songs usually change something every 32 counts; notice where.
  6. Test yourself without the loop. Turn the A–B loop off, play the song from the top and count. Check that your 1 lands where the chorus starts.

Try it on an example: open the opening counts of a 4/4 tendu exercise in Remina Tanaka’s ballet barre music with a 20-second loop already set at 1×.

Try it on an example

5 common mistakes

  • Counting the lyrics or the melody instead of the steady beat underneath them.
  • Starting your count on the first sound of the song, which is often a pickup before the real 1.
  • Speeding up your counting when the music gets exciting. The beat stays the same.
  • Never saying "and". Off-beat moves are where most dancers fall behind.
  • Only counting while looping. Check yourself on the full song so you can find 1 anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Why do dancers count to eight instead of four?

Musical phrases in popular music are usually several bars long, and two bars of 4/4 make eight beats. Counting in eights matches how choreography is built and taught, so dancers can say "start on count 5" and everyone knows where.

What does "5, 6, 7, 8" mean before a dance starts?

It is the second half of a lead-in eight-count. Saying it out loud tells everyone the tempo and that the dance starts on the next 1.

How do I count music in 3/4 time?

Waltz-time music has three beats per bar, so dancers often count "1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3" or count bars instead of beats. Ballet teachers also count 3/4 exercises in groups of eight bars.

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