East Coast Swing Count: The Rock Step and the Triple Step

East Coast swing looks fast and loose, but the footwork is one small pattern, repeated. Say six counts, hear a four-beat song underneath, and you can dance it. This guide takes the rock step and the triple step one at a time, then sets them against the music.

How do you count East Coast swing?

East Coast swing is a six-count: a rock step and two triple steps. With the rock step first you count 1 2 3&4 5&6. With the triples first you count 1&2 3&4 5 6. Both group as 2+2+2 and use the same footwork. The Count Studio count library lists the triples-first version, with a lead-in of 5 6 before the first count.

Pick one order and stay with it until it's automatic. Classes differ. Neither is wrong.

Step by step: the rock step and the triple step

The rock step (counts 1 2)

The rock step is a step back and a step in place: you step back on one foot, then replace your weight on the other. That is two weight changes in two beats. According to Wikipedia, the rock step always begins on the downbeat, and in the common rock-step-first timing it takes counts 1 and 2.

Say it flat and even: "1, 2". Nothing skipped, nothing added.

The triple step (3&4 and 5&6)

A triple step is three steps in two beats: step, close, step. You count it with an "and" in the middle: "3 and 4", then "5 and 6". The numbers land on the beat. The "and" is the quick step between them, and it sits halfway through the beat.

Because a triple takes the time of two counts, the whole pattern still adds up to six: 2 for the rock step, 2 for the first triple, 2 for the second.

Rock step first or triples first

The same six beats can start in two places. Here is how the two versions compare.

Rock step first is the common beginner approach, and the library lists it as its own rock step first count. Triples first puts the rock step at the end of the pattern, on 5 and 6.

Where is the 1 in the music?

Swing music is built on four beats to a measure, but the step repeats every six. The Wikipedia article on East Coast swing describes the pattern as six steps against four-beat music, so three measures of music cover two cycles of the step. That means the 1 of your step will not always land on the 1 of the measure.

Start by listening for the downbeat of each measure and step on it. Use the lead-in 5 6 to get your weight ready, then start the pattern on a downbeat. When you can do that, the shift against the measure stops feeling strange.

What are the common variations?

The basic stays the same while the footwork around it changes. Wikipedia lists a few:

• Standard East Coast swing. Six counts, with triple steps or double steps in the places where the pattern calls for them. It is also called triple swing.
• Single-time swing. The triples become single steps, each worth one beat, so the six-count still finishes in six beats. Some teachers say "quick, quick, slow, slow" for it.
• Double swing. A tap-step footwork pattern in place of the triples.
• Slower songs. Dancers often swap in a triple or a double step when the tempo drops, for example rock step, triple step, triple step.

Whichever one you dance, the count underneath is still six, and the rock step still begins on a downbeat. That is the part to keep steady when the footwork changes.

What goes wrong when you count East Coast swing?

• The triple turns into three equal steps. Keep the "and" quick and light. The two outer steps carry the beat.
• You rush the rock step. It has two full beats. Give it both.
• You lose the 1 after a few cycles. The step and the measure only meet again every three measures. Check yourself on the downbeat of the music, not on your feet.
• The song is too fast for triples. Try single-time swing: each triple becomes single steps worth one beat each, sometimes said "quick, quick, slow, slow." Wikipedia notes it suits faster music.
• The song is slow. That's easier: you have room for a full rock step and two triples.

If you also dance other swing styles, the six-count in swing is not always the same shape. See West Coast swing 6-count and 8-count patterns for how that dance counts its own six.

Practise it with Count Studio

Drill it in three passes:

1. Count with no feet. Say 1 2 3&4 5&6 out loud, clapping the numbers and whispering the "and".
2. Add your feet, no music. Rock back on 1 2, then triple on 3&4 and 5&6, saying the count the whole time.
3. Add a song. Find the downbeat of each measure, say 5 6 as the lead-in, and start on the next downbeat. Then try the other order.

Count Studio is coming November 27 to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. It counts East Coast swing in both orders, rock step first and triples first, with the lead-in 5 6 and the grouping 2+2+2, so you can see the count under the song while you practise.

Bottom line

East Coast swing is a six-count: a rock step on two counts and two triple steps. Say it as 1 2 3&4 5&6 or 1&2 3&4 5 6, pick one, and check yourself against the downbeat of the music. Once the "and" is quick and the rock step is even, the rest is repetition.