Dance Rhythms

Balkan & Middle Eastern Dance/Music Rhythms & Syncopations
This fabulous page is the work of Paul Collins & Dennis Boxell and was reproduced here, in part, without permission simply because it is such a fabulous educational resource for folkdancers and I'm sure they would want it to reach a wider audience. I extend both my thanks and my apologies to them.
Comments to me may be sent to the following email address: folkdance@blindjester.com
Authors & Contributors: Paul Collins, Dennis Boxell
(11/12/79, revisions 3/18/95, 3/27/98, 4/11/99, 12/25/00, 02/15/2003, 03/01/2004)

Meter	Counting Method 1	Counting Method 2	Examples
[Q = 1/2 beat = &, S = 1 full beat = 1] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)
2/4	SQQ	1-2&	U Šest (Serbia) Syrtos (Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria) Širto (Bulgaria) Lesnoto Oro (Macedonia) Kjucek (Bulgaria) Cocek (Serbia)
	QQS	1&-2	Kokonješte Kolo (Serbia) Kukunješko Horo (Bulgaria) Crnogorka (Macedonia)
		1&-2	Ovcepolska Potrculka (Macedonia) Kopacka (Macedonia)
		1&-2&	Šopsko Horo 2/4 (Bulgaria)
		1&-2&	Trite Puti 2/4 (Bulgaria)
		1&-2&	Pravo Trakijsko 2/4 (Bulgaria)
3/8	SSS	1-2-3	Zikino Kolo (Serbia)
5/4	SQQSSQQ	1-2&-3-4-5&	Zagorisios (Epirus, Greece)
6/8	SSSSSS	1-2-3-4-5-6	Zikino Kolo (Serbia, sometimes also played 7/8), Bojerka (Bosnia), Hora Mare Moldovaneasc (Romania) Tsamikos (Greece)
8/8	SQSQS (Get your papers here)	1&-2-3&-4-5&	Invirtita (Transylvania, Romania) Sokacko Malo Kolo (Banat)
	QSQSS	1-2&-3-4&-5&	Ca La Breaza (Romania)

Meter	Counting Method 1	Counting Method 2	Examples
[Q = 2 beats = 12 S = 3 beats = 123] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)
5/8	QS	12-123	Mori Odajo (Macedonia) Sarakina (Agean Macedonia) Dragaicuta (Romania)
5/16	QS	12-123	Pajduško (Macedonia, Bulgaria) Baiduška (Greece) Rustemul, Paidusca, Cimpoi (Romania)
7/4	1-2-3-4-5-6-7	123-12-12	Maškoto (Macedonia) Tris Fores (Agean Macedonia)
7/8	SQQ	123-12-12	Syrtos Kalamatianos (Greece) Cupurlika (Macedonia) Kupurlika (Bulgaria) Cupi Kosturcanki (Macedonia) Širto (Bulgaria) Pravoto (Lesnoto) Oro (Macedonia)
7/16	1-2-3-4-5-6-7	12-12-123	Eleno Mome (Bulgaria, Macedonia)
	QQS	12-12-123	Racenica (Bulgaria) Katanka (East Serbia, Bulgaria) Potrcano (Macedonia) Cigancica (Macedoina, East Serbia)
	SQQ	123-12-12	Cetvorno, Panagyursko, Dobro Nevesto, Ripna Maca (Bulgaria) Momirul (Romania)
9/4	QQQS	12-12-12-123	Kumovo Oro (Macedonia)
9/8	QQQS	12-12-12-123	Devetorka (Macedonia, Bulgaria) Niška Banja (Serbia) Karsilimas (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey) Kjucek (Bulgaria) Varnensko (Bulgaria) Sareni Corapi (Macedonia} Dzangruica (Pirin, Bulgaria)
	QSQQ	12-123-12-12	Fatiše Kolo (Serbia-Vranja) Devojce, Devojce (Macedonia) Što Me Je Milo (Serbia) Katuše Mome, Katuše (Macedonia)
9/16	QQQS	12-12-12-123	Dajcovo, Lilka (Bulgaria) Lile, Lile (Serbia)
	QSQQ	12-123-12-12	Grancarsko (Bulgaria)
11/16	QQSQQ	12-12-123-12-12	Kopanica , Gankino (Bulgaria), Osagovka (Macedonia), Ovcepolsko Oro (Macedonia), Stankino (Agean Maedonia) Marina (Agean Maedonia)
	SQQQQ	123-12-12-12-12	Patrunino (Agean Macedonia) Acano Mlada Nevesto (Maedonia)
	QQQQS	12-12-12-12-123	Neda Voda Nalivala (Bulgaria)
12/16	SQQSQ	123-12-12-123-12	Berance, Bajrace, Pušceno, Pušteno, Kucano (Macedonia) Leventikos, Pouscheno, Beratiko, Litos (Greece) Nešo, Berace (Kosovo, Albania)
	QQSQS	12-12-123-12-123	Dolgoto (Macedonia), Gajda Preshevare (Kosovo)
	QQQSS	12-12-12-123-123	Topansko (Macedonia)
13/16	QQQQQS	12-12-12-12-12-123	Petrunino (Bulgaria)
	SQQQQQ	123-12-12-12-12-12	Elenino Horo (Bulgaria)
	QQQSQQ	12-12-12-123-12-12	Krivo Sadovsko Horo (Bulgaria) Zensko Krsteno (Macedonia)
14/16	QQQSQS	12-12-12-123-12-123	Bicak (Bulgaria)
15/16	QQQQSQQ	12-12-12-12-123-12-12	Bucimiš (Bulgaria)

Meter	Counting Method 1	Counting Method 2	Examples
Special Combinations - [Q = 2 beats = 12 S = 3 beats = 123] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)
1 "Cetvorno" + 1 "Gankino" 7/16 + 11/16	SQQ-QQSQQ	123-12-12 + 12-12-123-12-12	Jove Male Mome (Bulgaria) Janino Oro (Macedonia)
2 "Cetvornos" + 1 "Gankino" 7/16 + 7/16 + 11/16	SQQ-SQQ-QQSQQ	123-12-12 + 123-12-12 + 12-12-123-12-12	Sedi Donka (East Serbia, Bulgaria) variant 1 Sedi Donka (East Serbia, Bulgaria) variant 2
2 "Dajcovos" + 2 quicks or 1 "Dajcovo" + 1 "Krivo" 9/16 + 13/16	QQQS + QQQS + QQ or QQQS + QQQSQQ	12-12-12-123 + 12-12-12-123 + 12-12 or 12-12-12-123 + 12-12-12-123-12-12	Sandansko Horo (Pirin, Bulgaria)

Meter

Counting Method 1

Counting Method 2

Examples

[Q = 1/2 beat = &, S = 1 full beat = 1] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)

2/4

SQQ

1-2&

U Šest (Serbia)
Syrtos (Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria)
Širto (Bulgaria)
Lesnoto Oro (Macedonia)
Kjucek (Bulgaria)
Cocek (Serbia)

QQS

1&-2

Kokonješte Kolo (Serbia)
Kukunješko Horo (Bulgaria)
Crnogorka (Macedonia)

1&-2

Ovcepolska Potrculka (Macedonia)
Kopacka (Macedonia)

1&-2&

Šopsko Horo 2/4 (Bulgaria)

1&-2&

Trite Puti 2/4 (Bulgaria)

1&-2&

Pravo Trakijsko 2/4 (Bulgaria)

3/8

SSS

1-2-3

Zikino Kolo (Serbia)

5/4

SQQSSQQ

1-2&-3-4-5&

Zagorisios (Epirus, Greece)

6/8

SSSSSS

1-2-3-4-5-6

Zikino Kolo (Serbia, sometimes also played 7/8), Bojerka (Bosnia), Hora Mare Moldovaneasc (Romania)
Tsamikos (Greece)

8/8

SQSQS
(Get your papers here)

1&-2-3&-4-5&

Invirtita (Transylvania, Romania)
Sokacko Malo Kolo (Banat)

QSQSS

1-2&-3-4&-5&

Ca La Breaza (Romania)

Meter

Counting Method 1

Counting Method 2

Examples

[Q = 2 beats = 12 S = 3 beats = 123] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)

5/8

12-123

Mori Odajo (Macedonia)
Sarakina (Agean Macedonia)
Dragaicuta (Romania)

5/16

12-123

Pajduško (Macedonia, Bulgaria)
Baiduška (Greece)
Rustemul, Paidusca, Cimpoi (Romania)

7/4

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

123-12-12

Maškoto (Macedonia)
Tris Fores (Agean Macedonia)

7/8

SQQ

123-12-12

Syrtos Kalamatianos (Greece)
Cupurlika (Macedonia)
Kupurlika (Bulgaria)
Cupi Kosturcanki (Macedonia)
Širto (Bulgaria)
Pravoto (Lesnoto) Oro (Macedonia)

7/16

1-2-3-4-5-6-7

12-12-123

Eleno Mome (Bulgaria, Macedonia)

QQS

12-12-123

Racenica (Bulgaria)
Katanka (East Serbia, Bulgaria)
Potrcano (Macedonia)
Cigancica (Macedoina, East Serbia)

SQQ

123-12-12

Cetvorno, Panagyursko, Dobro Nevesto, Ripna Maca (Bulgaria)
Momirul (Romania)

9/4

QQQS

12-12-12-123

Kumovo Oro (Macedonia)

9/8

QQQS

12-12-12-123

Devetorka (Macedonia, Bulgaria)
Niška Banja (Serbia)
Karsilimas (Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey)
Kjucek (Bulgaria)
Varnensko (Bulgaria)
Sareni Corapi (Macedonia}
Dzangruica (Pirin, Bulgaria)

QSQQ

12-123-12-12

Fatiše Kolo (Serbia-Vranja)
Devojce, Devojce (Macedonia)
Što Me Je Milo (Serbia)
Katuše Mome, Katuše (Macedonia)

9/16

QQQS

12-12-12-123

Dajcovo, Lilka (Bulgaria)
Lile, Lile (Serbia)

QSQQ

12-123-12-12

Grancarsko (Bulgaria)

11/16

QQSQQ

12-12-123-12-12

Kopanica , Gankino (Bulgaria),
Osagovka (Macedonia),
Ovcepolsko Oro (Macedonia),
Stankino (Agean Maedonia)
Marina (Agean Maedonia)

SQQQQ

123-12-12-12-12

Patrunino (Agean Macedonia)
Acano Mlada Nevesto (Maedonia)

QQQQS

12-12-12-12-123

Neda Voda Nalivala (Bulgaria)

12/16

SQQSQ

123-12-12-123-12

Berance, Bajrace, Pušceno, Pušteno, Kucano (Macedonia)
Leventikos, Pouscheno, Beratiko, Litos (Greece)
Nešo, Berace (Kosovo, Albania)

QQSQS

12-12-123-12-123

Dolgoto (Macedonia),
Gajda Preshevare (Kosovo)

QQQSS

12-12-12-123-123

Topansko (Macedonia)

13/16

QQQQQS

12-12-12-12-12-123

Petrunino (Bulgaria)

SQQQQQ

123-12-12-12-12-12

Elenino Horo (Bulgaria)

QQQSQQ

12-12-12-123-12-12

Krivo Sadovsko Horo (Bulgaria)
Zensko Krsteno (Macedonia)

14/16

QQQSQS

12-12-12-123-12-123

Bicak (Bulgaria)

15/16

QQQQSQQ

12-12-12-12-123-12-12

Bucimiš (Bulgaria)

Meter

Counting Method 1

Counting Method 2

Examples

Special Combinations - [Q = 2 beats = 12 S = 3 beats = 123] (Q=Quick, S=Slow)

1 "Cetvorno" +
1 "Gankino"
7/16 + 11/16

SQQ-QQSQQ

123-12-12 +
12-12-123-12-12

Jove Male Mome (Bulgaria)
Janino Oro (Macedonia)

2 "Cetvornos" +
1 "Gankino"
7/16 + 7/16 + 11/16

SQQ-SQQ-QQSQQ

123-12-12 +
123-12-12 +
12-12-123-12-12

Sedi Donka (East Serbia, Bulgaria) variant 1
Sedi Donka (East Serbia, Bulgaria) variant 2

2 "Dajcovos" + 2 quicks

or

1 "Dajcovo" + 1 "Krivo"
9/16 + 13/16

QQQS + QQQS + QQ

or

QQQS + QQQSQQ

12-12-12-123 +
12-12-12-123 +
12-12

or

12-12-12-123 +
12-12-12-123-12-12

Sandansko Horo (Pirin, Bulgaria)