I am a new student trying to find Waltz music and I have used some of your walt music ideas only to be told by my instructor that its not a waltz because its a 4 beat instead of a 3 beat. Im a bit confused your input would be helpful. Example: A Time for us by Ray Conniff. My instructor says is a 4 beat and therefore not a Waltz.

OK I have downloaded Henry Mancini's version of A Time for Us and it sounds excatly the save as Ray Conniff except mostly Piano. I also downloaded other songs that were on this web site as Waltz and he took issue with several others. He is an instructor at Arthur Murray's

your teach may have reason.

If the version of the song you have is like this
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006LHXI/103-7994968-9265422

then it is definitely not a waltz.

PS: It was a surprise for me as well that "a time for us" is played in 4/4 !!
PPS: I don't think arthur murray's teacher is that bad ...

Nothing strange or mysterious about 3/4 Waltz time. 3 beats = 1 bar of music.played at about 28 to 30 bars per minute.The first beat is accented, as is the Viennese Waltz which is played much faster, about 56 bars per minute.You should be able to easily tap with your foot or hand each of the beats 1 2 3. repeat 1 2 3. A good way is to find a Waltz that you like. Play and count, just keep at it.Then switch to 4/4 music Foxtrot for instance at about 28 bars per minute 4 beats to a bar.Good Luck.

It is a difficult question without being able to hear the arrangement by Ray Coniff. I know that the Mancini version is a Waltz..and I have heard other arrangements, all of which I recall as slow waltzs.

So, who can say? However, if you ahve downloaded several of the songs suggested on this website, and your teacher "has objections" to them...I would start to wonder. Take in something like Secret Garden, Nocturne or Run for the Roses by Kenny Loggins. These two are definitely watlzs though they are wuite different in style and tempo.

Many years ago when I first began training I worked in 3 seperate Arthur Murray studios. One was absolutely well run and had a very high standard of dance (largely due to the Dance Directors experience)...the other two were really quite poorly run and had very low standards of dance. In those studios and others I have seen a lot of "teachers" who have really only had 2 weeks of training class themselves! So, bad instructors are out there...and there are some unfortunately who would not be able to accurately choose music. It is however, almost impossible to miscount a Waltz!!

See if you can find out how long your teacher has been teaching...don't ask him/her...ask other students who have been in the studio for a long time. See what you can find out!

Best wishes, KC

Yes, I'll second that. If the song is the love theme from Romeo and Juliet, then I've only heard it played as a waltz, in 3. I suppose it's possible that Ray Conniff made or obtained an arrangement of the song in 4, but I think that would be unusual. So I think Laura's exactly right -- either the song is bizarre or your instructor's wrong and if he/she can't tell a waltz from other dances, find another teacher.

--
James Marshall
marshall@astro.umd.edu
http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall

That's so weird because if you mean "A Time for Us" that was used in the old Franco Zefferelli version of "Romeo and Juliet," it is definitely Waltz time. Either Ray Conniff's version is really weird or your instructor doesn't know what he or she is talking about. If it's the latter, find another teacher because a dance teacher who can't tell if something is a waltz or not is worthless.