Hear the Beat, Feel the Music - Joseph James

How do you count music? What’s an 8-count? How do you find the beat in a song?

This book, along with more than 20 YouTube videos, will teach you how to count music the easy way—using the 8-count, the way dancers count. If you struggle to stay on the beat, the music lessons in this book are a mini-course in how to get rhythm. Being “rhythmically challenged” is not a lack of ability, it’s a lack of training.

Want to clap to a song the right way and feel like you’re a member of the band? Want to develop your musicality? Want to appreciate music viscerally—in your body, not your head? Then take the first step: learn how to count beats in a song. It’s easy because the 8-count, which is used by professional dance choreographers, is related to music theory but simpler. (The two systems can coexist, really.)

In this book you will learn:

• A foolproof method for hearing the beat of music.
• How to count the sets of 8, also called the “8-count” or “dancer’s 8.”
• How to clap to music.
• How to identify a waltz.
• How to count the musical structure—the phrasing—and predict where the music is going.
• Plus, start moving your body to music!

Check out the short, free, instructional videos at HearTheBeatFeelTheMusic.com (no email or login needed, but internet required; due to music copyright law, some may only be viewable in the United States).

This book is for anyone who wants to find their groove while listening to music. Whether you workout to music; or do dance fitness (aerobics, Zumba, etc.); or do ballet or partner dancing; or do hip hop on your kitchen floor; or want to choreograph dance; or want to deejay; or simply want to enjoy listening to music more, this book has the instruction that beginners need to unlock their natural rhythm. If you want to be a musician, it’ll even help with timing issues when playing an instrument.

JAMES JOSEPH is an author and rhythm coach who helps people develop a deeper connection to music. He first cracked the code to music and dance in his 2010 book, Every Man’s Survival Guide to Ballroom Dancing. He’s on a mission to teach people how to hear the beat, discover their natural rhythm and begin moving to music.