How to Count Bachata (and Where the Tap Goes)

Short answer

Count bachata as 1 2 3 _ 5 6 7 _, or "1 2 3 tap, 5 6 7 tap". It is an eight-count: three steps and a tap on 4, then three steps and a tap on 8. According to Wikipedia's bachata dance article, the basic is an eight-count side-to-side movement, with an exaggerated hip check on counts 4 and 8.

Count Studio's Bachata count is written the same way, with a 5 6 7 8 lead-in before the first 1.

Step by step

If you are new to the idea of eight beats in a row, start with what an 8-count is. Then the bachata basic is two short halves.

Counts 1 2 3 and the tap on 4

Counts 1 to 3 move to one side, starting with the left foot for the lead. Take three small steps, then tap on 4. The tap is not a step, so your weight stays on the foot you just stepped on.

Counts 5 6 7 and the tap on 8

Counts 5 to 7 move back the other way, starting with the right foot. Three more steps, then tap on 8. Then the pattern starts again at 1.

To start from a standstill, count yourself in with 5 6 7 8, then step on the next 1. Counting yourself in this way means your first step lands with the music, and not a beat late. Say it quietly if you are practising alone, or tap it with your finger.

Keep the steps small and the hips soft. Wikipedia notes that bachata can be danced with or without bouncing, so a bounce is a style choice, not part of the count.

Where does the tap go?

The tap goes on 4 and 8. Those two beats are where you would step if this were a four-step pattern, and the tap fills them without moving your weight.

Wikipedia describes the move on those counts as a hip check, and says beginners can do it as a tap or a slight lift of the foot. So there are two levels:

• Beginner: tap the free foot beside the other one.
• Next step: let the hip do the work. The hip lifts and the foot follows.

Think of the tap as a small breath: three steps, then an accent that resets the pattern. Either way, the tap is a full count. It takes its own beat, so don't rush it or skip it. If you drop the tap, the count turns into 1 2 3 5 6 7 and you land a beat early.

Find the 1 in the music

You need to know where the 1 is before you can count anything onto it. Bachata music is built around guitars. A typical group has 5 instruments: a requinto (lead guitar), a segunda (rhythm guitar), a bass guitar, bongos and a güira, and the lead guitar plays arpeggiated, repeating chords.

Listen for the guitar pattern repeating. It runs in cycles of eight beats, in two groups of four, so a good way in is:

1. Count 1 2 3 4 along with the beat until the guitar phrase starts over.
2. Mark the beat where it starts over. That's your 1.
3. Count the next 8-count from there: 1 2 3 tap, 5 6 7 tap.

If this is new to you, how to find the 1 in music goes through it slowly, with tracks in any style.

What tempo should you practise at?

Count Studio's count library lists bachata between 108 and 152 BPM. That is a wide range, and the dance is increasingly danced to faster music, so pick a speed you can tap at without rushing.

Learn at the bottom of that range. The count doesn't change when the music speeds up, but the room for each step does.

Common problems

• Stepping on 4 and 8. If you step, you add a beat and drift off the music. Keep your weight put and lift the hip.
• Rushing the tap. The tap has a whole beat. Let it land with the music.
• Losing the 1. When the guitar phrase restarts, your 1 should restart with it. If you are a beat out, stop and find the 1 again.
• Counting 1 2 3 4. Say "tap" instead of 4. It reminds your body that 4 is a different kind of beat.

For more of the same, see more bachata counts and guides.

Practise it with Count Studio

Drill the count slowly before you add music.

1. Say "1 2 3 tap, 5 6 7 tap" out loud with no music, tapping your foot on each tap.
2. Add the side-to-side steps at the slow end of the tempo range.
3. Add a hip lift in place of the foot tap.
4. Only then move up in tempo.

Count Studio shows the Bachata count as 1 2 3 tap 5 6 7 tap with the 5 6 7 8 lead-in, so you can count yourself in before the first step. It is coming November 27 to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Bottom line

Bachata is three steps and a tap, twice. The tap is the hip lift on 4 and 8, and it takes a full beat. Find the 1 in the guitar, count yourself in with 5 6 7 8, and keep the tempo low until the tap feels easy.