How to Count Bhangra: The 8-Count on the Dhol Chaal

You hear the dhol, you feel the bounce, and then you lose the 1. Bhangra sounds simple until you try to put a count on it. Here is the count dancers use, where to listen for the 1, and a way to drill it.

Short answer: count bhangra in eights

Count bhangra in eights, grouped 4 + 4, with an & between every number: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 &. Lead in with 5 6 7 8, then start on 1. The lift lives on the &, and the strongest accent falls on the 1.

Bhangra is danced to the beat of a dhol, a double-headed drum. That drum gives the music a syncopated, swinging feel, with accents on the weak beats. So the count is straight and regular, but the music leans against it. Your job is to keep the count steady and let the dhol swing around it.

Here is the pattern at a glance, as the Count Studio count library has it:

Step by step: count the 8 and add the &

Start without moving. Say the count out loud before you put any steps on it.

Count the 8 out loud

Say it as two groups of four: "1 2 3 4, 5 6 7 8." If the 8-count is new to you, learn that first. Everything in bhangra choreography hangs on it. Clap on each number until the groups feel like two halves of one sentence.

Add the &

Now put an & between every number: "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &." The & is the half beat in the middle. In bhangra it carries the bounce, so do not skip it. Say it lighter than the numbers, and keep it even.

Put one move on each number

Bhangra uses vigorous kicks, leaps and bends of the body, often with upraised arm or shoulder movements, and traditional bhangra is danced in a circle, according to the same Wikipedia entry. Pick one simple move for each number. Try a kick on 1, a bend on 2, and an arm up on 3 and 4, then repeat the idea over 5 to 8. The exact steps change from team to team and teacher to teacher; the count stays the same.

Lift on the &

The bounce is the lift between the numbers. Let your weight drop on the number and lift on the &. Count Studio's library describes the chaal as a bouncing, swung beat with the lift on the &. When the count feels stiff, the lift is what's missing.

Find the 1 in the dhol

The dhol is a double-headed drum. The thicker skin gives a deep, low sound and the thinner one a higher sound. The bass stick is called the dagga, and the thinner, more flexible stick for the higher head is the teeli. That gives you two voices to listen for: a low one and a high one.

Chaal is one of the common dhol rhythms. The same article lists bhangra, dhamaal and kaharva among them, and notes that kaharva is called chaal in the UK style. When you hear the chaal, listen for the low hit. The strongest accent in the count falls on 1, so the deep sound of the dagga is your best clue to where the phrase begins.

A quick way to check yourself: clap the eight count over the track. If the lowest, heaviest hit keeps landing on your 1, you have the 1. If it lands somewhere else, shift by one beat and try again. For more on this skill, see how to find the 1 in any song.

Common problems when you count bhangra

You rush the &. The & should sit evenly between the numbers. If you hurry it, the bounce turns into a trot. Slow the track and say the & out loud.

You count it dead straight. Bhangra swings. Keep the count even, but let the lift and your accents follow the dhol's swing. Think of the numbers as the floor and the swing as how you move on it.

You lose the 1 when the drum changes. A dholi does not play one pattern all song. The player plays various beats to create the different bhangra segments, so the feel can shift between sections. Keep counting the 8 through the change, and use the low hit to find the 1 again if you drift.

You start on the wrong number. Dancers lead in with 5 6 7 8 and begin on 1. If the whole group starts late or early, agree on the cue before the track starts.

Once you are comfortable here, the rest of the bhangra and Bollywood counting guides build on the same eight.

Practise it with Count Studio

Drill the count in three passes. First, say the 8 with the & and no music. Second, clap it over a slow track. Third, add your moves and the lift, and bring the tempo up toward the top of the range as it gets easy.

Count Studio counts the Bhangra (dhol chaal) pattern in the count library as an 8-count in 4/4, grouped 4 + 4, with a 5 6 7 8 lead-in and the lift on the &. The library lists 85 to 110 BPM for practice. Count Studio is coming November 27 to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

Bottom line

Count bhangra in eights, grouped 4 + 4, with an & between every number and a 5 6 7 8 lead-in. Listen for the low hit of the dhol to find the 1, then lift on the &. Keep the count steady and let the dhol do the swinging.