Tempos
Here are some “standard” tempos. In reality, there is no such thing as standard. But these are a good starting point.
In this chart the tempos are given in BPM, Beats per Minute. If you are looking for tempos on the web or in a reference book you might see it expressed as MPM. This means measures (or bars) per minute. You'll sometimes find this used for ballroom dancing.
- Beguine 112 - 124
- Bolero 96 - 104
- Bossa Nova 120 - 160
- Calypso 112
- Cha Cha 120 - 160
- Foxtrot 112 - 144
- Hustle 112 - 120
- Jive 120 - 200
- Mambo 192 - 204
- Merengue 116 - 128
- Oldtime Waltz 120 - 132
- Paso Doblé 232 - 248
- Peabody 240 - 248
- Polka 240 - 248
- Quickstep 200 - 208
- Reggae 72 - 108
- Rumba 96 - 176
- Samba 192 - 208
- Ska 60 - 86
- Swing 136 - 144
- Tango 112 - 132
- Twist 160 - 168
- Two Step 88 - 112 (in 2)
- Viennese Waltz 134 - 180
- Waltz 84 - 102
- West Coast Swing 112 - 128
For a good listing of tempo markings (ie. Allegro, Moderato) see this wikipedia entry:
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This page was last modified on 2024-03-21 |