I have been dancing for a while, so counting music is not a problem for me, it happens naturally. But how do i explain counting music to newbies?

What aspect, and how do you explain it now?

Of course a musician would answer this much differently than a dancer.

If I really wanted to get at this with beginners I'd use Orff and Kodaly rythmic exercises:

Ta, Ta, Ti-Ti, Ta anyone?

But most beginning dancers (IMO) have difficulty finding the beat. "How do I know if it's a waltz or a foxtrot?" is a common question.

Try taking pieces of music and turn down all the treble/high frquencies. This should bring out the bass notes. The beat is established in the bass.

Have your students practice finding the strong beat in the bass:

ONE, two, three

or

ONE, two, three, four

There are even rythmic tracks available on some dance CDs that remove most of the melody and harmony and leave mostly the bass or bass drum.

Hope this helps.

OB

I've danced with people who can tell a waltz from a foxtrot, but who can't find the downbeat that starts each measure to save their life. So they'd start counting "1 2 3" on the 2nd or 3rd beat of the measure.

One teacher I know used to play the music and have people clap along, clapping harder on the down beat.

I think some people just have no idea about how music is put together, and so need to also learn that the melody can give a clue as to where the downbeats are. What I mean is, some people concentrate so much on trying to hear the 1 2 3 by listening to the bass that they don't realize that melody phrases also often start on the down beat, and they can use that as a clue to help them find the beginning of the measure and -- as they get more advanced -- the beginning of the phrase.

Laura,

What you say can be true but I think you'll find most melodies don't start on the downbeat.

Often melodies start with a "pick up" or "anacrusis" that occurs before the downbeat. This is neccessitated by the natural rythm of the language. Here's an example:

Hello young lovers where ever you are,

Where is the downbeat in this Viennese Waltz? Would you say HE-loh or he-LOH. The downbeat is on the 2nd syllable. So the melodic phrase starts before the downbeat.

Ain't Misbehavin (fox)-melody starts after the down beat

Begin the Beguine: as written it begins on the downbeat but mostly after that phrases start with a 1/4 or 1/8 note anacrusis.

I've Got You Under My Skin: every melodic phrase starts with an anacrusis 1/4 note before the downbeat.

etc.

Your clapping exercise is excellent. When we've taught beginners and children we've combined the clapping with walking. This is an Orffian approach. We actually don't have students listen for the bass for the downbeat.

We give them activities to feel rather than hear the downbeat.

OB

Most people when asked which is the accentuated beat in a Rumba played correctly will give the wrong answere.

The question has been asked. Most people do not know which is the accentuated beat in a correctly played Rumba. Well it isn't one, or two, and not three. That leaves only four.
Copied straight from the book. 'The time signature is 4/4 with promenent percussive accents associated with the fourth beat of each bar. Don't blame me guys. I only looked it up and quoted.

This just happens to be an excellent person I took this methodolgy with many years ago in university:

Joe Beraducci

http://www.excel-ability.com/Music/Programs/Orff.html

Check with your local colleges, etc. to see if anyone offers Orff-Schulwerk in your area. The whole program is aimed at internalizing music.

I know many of its activities would transfer well in dance situations.

OB