Bpm and Mpm tables and counting

It is not the speed, but the feel of the music that counts. Still, most dances feel most comfortable in a certain tempo range. This is counted in Measures Per Minute (mpm) or in Beats Per Minute (bpm). A measure contains two beats for Samba, Polka and (in most cases) Paso Doble, three for Waltz (both slow and Viennese), and four for the rest of the dances.

v Mpm tables for ballroom dances

Mpm (measure per minute) counts for ballroom dances
Type: International American Pro-Am
according to: NDCA ISDF IDCB Bronze  
Waltz 28-31 30 30 28-30 30-32
Viennese Waltz 56-60 60 60 54-56 54-58
Tango 32-34 33 33 30-32 30-32
Foxtrot 28-30 30 28 30-32 30-34
Quickstep 50-52 50 52
Peabody 60-62 60-62
Cha Cha 32-34 30 32 28-30 30-32
Samba 48-50 50 50 54-56 54-56
Paso Doble 60-62 62 62 58-60 58-60
Rumba 27-29 27 27 32** 32-36**
Bolero 24 24-26
Mambo 47 48-51
Merengue 29-32 29-32
Jive 44-52 44 44
East Coast Swing 36-40 34-36
West Coast Swing 28-32 28-32
Polka 60-62 60-62
Hustle 28-30 28-30
Nightclub Two-Step 16-22*
> Bpm tables for country dances

> Bpm counting; theory.

> Bpm counting software

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Last modified on: Saturday, October 9, 1999.