PolkMusic

Rhythm

Polka, waltz and other folk dance rhythms

Every folk dance follows a rhythm you can count. Once you can hear where the strong beat falls, the steps make sense and you can tell which dance the band is playing.

Find the pulse

Put on a polka and tap your foot. The steady tap you settle into is the beat. In most folk dance music, the bass instrument plays on the strongest beats, so listening for the tuba or the accordion's low notes is the easiest way to find it. Counting out loud helps: "one and two and" for a polka, "one two three" for a waltz.

The grids below show one bar of each rhythm. Each column is a count. A red ACC marks the strongest accent, a green cell means the part plays on that count, and a blank cell is a rest.

Polka: oom-pah2/4
Bass (tuba, left hand)
  1. 1ACC
  2. &·
  3. 2play
  4. &·
Chords (accordion, banjo, guitar)
  1. 1·
  2. &play
  3. 2·
  4. &play
Melody
  1. 1play
  2. &play
  3. 2play
  4. &play
Waltz: oom-pah-pah3/4
Bass
  1. 1ACC
  2. 2·
  3. 3·
Chords
  1. 1·
  2. 2play
  3. 3play

Polka in 2/4

A polka has two main beats per bar, counted "one and two and." The bass plays on one and two, and the chords answer on each "and." That alternation of low and high gives the oom-pah. Dancers hop on the "and" just before the first beat, which is why polka dancing looks so bouncy. Tempos vary a lot: some regional styles are fast and driving, others slower and smoother.

Waltz in 3/4

A waltz has three beats per bar, with the first one strongest: "ONE two three." The bass plays on one and the chords on two and three, giving "oom-pah-pah." Dancers take one step per beat, and the stronger first beat tells them when to start each new pattern. Folk waltzes are often slower and gentler than polkas.

Schottische4/4
Bass
  1. 1ACC
  2. 2·
  3. 3play
  4. 4·
Chords
  1. 1·
  2. 2play
  3. 3·
  4. 4play
Mazurka3/4
Bass
  1. 1play
  2. 2·
  3. 3·
Chords
  1. 1·
  2. 2play
  3. 3play
Dancers stress
  1. 1·
  2. 2ACC
  3. 3·

Schottische in 4/4

The schottische is counted in four, and it moves at a more relaxed speed than the polka. Its basic pattern takes two bars: three steps and a hop, three steps and a hop, then four step-hops. The name looks like the German word for "Scottish," but the dance spread through the ballrooms of central Europe, and how it got the name is unclear.

Mazurka in 3/4

The mazurka comes from Poland and is in 3/4 like the waltz, but it feels different because the accent often falls on the second or third beat instead of the first. Dancers mark that accent with a hop or a stamp. If a tune in three sounds like it "leans" away from the first beat, it is probably a mazurka.

Telling them apart

DanceCountHow it feelsBasic step
Polka1 and 2 andQuick and bouncy, two beats per barHop, step, close, step
Waltz1 2 3Smooth and turning, strong first beatBox step
Schottische1 2 3 4Relaxed, with a hop every fourth countThree steps and a hop
Mazurka1 2 3Accent on beat 2 or 3Glide, close, hop

Practice at home

  1. Pick a recording and clap on the bass notes only.
  2. Now clap on the offbeat chords instead. You are playing the "pah."
  3. Count out loud while you listen, and notice where each phrase starts. Most dance tunes have phrases of eight bars.
  4. Walk around the room, one step per beat. Then try the steps in the polka guide.