4 1" count?

Question:I'm a bit confused by what is meant with the "3/4 1/4 1" count that is used in Ballroom Samba. I think it's supposed to go something like "1 and a 2," but I'm not sure. Could anyone clarify this for me?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm a bit confused by what is meant with the "3/4 1/4 1" count that is used in Ballroom Samba. I think it's supposed to go something like "1 and a 2," but I'm not sure. Could anyone clarify this for me?

As a very strong lover of both American samba and International style samba, I can help you....

The "quarter beat" timing is used definitely in International-Style samba.

The difficulty of course, is counting every "fourth", or "quarter" on the beat.

Samba, especially in International style, focuses on 2 beats, subdivided into 4 quarters for each beat. So......

1st beat: 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 (first four groups of quarters), and

2nd beat: 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 (second groups of quarters).

So, a total of 8 quarters, or 8 "1/4" parts, appear in those 2 beats.

The only samba pattern that does not have the quarter beat is the Rhythm Bounce, which is counted (1 2, 1 2). Also, any "volta" action in samba does have the quarter beat (1 (and a), but it is repeated sometimes several times before the full "1" beat.
For example... the Crisscross Voltas and most other volta
actions go....

1....(and) a 2....(and) a 3...(and) a 4
5....(and) a 6....(and) a 7...(and) a 8

But of course, the basic samba figures focuses on the quarter beat.

The Samba Whisk, The Forward and Backward Basic Movement, The Promenade Samba Walk, The Reverse and Natural Turn, and almost all Botafogo figures (shadow, in Promenade, Closed Hold, Open Hold, Contra), all have this
"quarter timing";

1 (and) a 2, 1 (and) a 2.

The "and" is used correctly by you to allow for some of the bouncing action in samba in most of those basic figures.

Therefore.....

The hint to mastering the 3/4 and 1/4 pattern is to think in quarters throughout. Think of these "quarters" as if your heart is beating too fast, or a metronome ticking at the fastest tempo---about 416 beats per minute, and this will help you think about the quarter beats in samba.

Hope all of this helps and happy samba dancing..,...