The count, the clave and the congas play. Press Play and try stepping first on “one”, then on “two”.
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Salsa On1 and On2 are danced to the same music and counted the same way, to eight. The difference is the beat of the break, the step on which the dancer changes direction. In On1 the break is on “one” and “five”, in On2 on “two” and “six”.
▶ The count on all eight beats
On1 is the Los Angeles style and, usually, Cuban salsa, casino. The steps are on 1-2-3 and 5-6-7, the pause on 4 and 8. The first step and the change of direction coincide with the strong beat, which makes this count easier for beginners to hear.
In New York style, also called mambo, the steps are also on 1-2-3 and 5-6-7, but the break falls on “two” and “six”. On “one” the dancer takes a preparatory step and changes direction on “two”.
▶ The count of the break: 2, 6
There is another way to dance on “two”: step on 2-3-4 and 6-7-8 and hold the pause on “one” and “five”. This is how Cuban son is danced, and mambo in the manner of the Palladium ballroom. In Spanish it is called contratiempo, “against the beat”.
On “two” and “six” the congas play the slap, the sharpest stroke of the tumbao, and the On2 break lands exactly on it. In the 2-3 clave the first stroke falls on “two”. That is why On2 is said to be danced with the drums and On1 with the melody.
▶ Just the congas and the count
Neither count is more correct than the other: they are different styles and schools. People usually choose what is danced in their city and at their parties. Moving from one count to the other is possible: the steps are the same, only the moment of the break shifts.
Switch on the count and the clave at a slow tempo, 120–140 beats per minute. First clap on the beat of the break, then walk the basic step. When that works, leave only the break beats in the count, “1, 5” for On1 or “2, 6” for On2, and then switch the instructor off and keep the count from the congas.
This is how the parts of the rhythm section fall on the dancer's count: eight beats over two bars, steps on 1-2-3 and 5-6-7. Clave 2-3: two strokes in the first bar, three in the second; in 3-2 the pattern starts from the second bar, and both bells and the cáscara shift with it. The timbalero plays the mambo bell instead of the cáscara in the loud sections, together with the bongo bell.
| Count | 1 | & | 2 | & | 3 | & | 4 | & | 5 | & | 6 | & | 7 | & | 8 | & |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clave clave | ||||||||||||||||
| Bongo bell campana | ||||||||||||||||
| Mambo bell campana | ||||||||||||||||
| Congas tumbadoras | ||||||||||||||||
| Bongos martillo | ||||||||||||||||
| Güiro güiro | ||||||||||||||||
| Maracas maracas | ||||||||||||||||
| Cáscara cáscara | ||||||||||||||||
| Piano montuno | ||||||||||||||||
| Bass tumbao |
On1 and On2 are two ways of fitting the basic salsa step to the music. In On1 the dancer changes direction on the first beat, “one”; in On2 on the second, “two”. The music and the count to eight are the same.
The break is the step on which the dancer changes direction: forward or back from the centre. In On1 it falls on “one” and “five”, in On2 on “two” and “six”.
On1: the Los Angeles style and, usually, Cuban salsa, casino. On2: New York style, or mambo. Cuban son is danced contratiempo, with steps on 2-3-4 and 6-7-8.
It is usually easier to start with On1: the first step coincides with the strong beat. On2 needs a confident ear for the second beat; the conga slap, which sounds on “two” and “six”, helps.
Listen to the congas: the sharp slap of the tumbao falls on “two” and “six”. In the 2-3 clave the first stroke sounds on “two”. On this page, choose the “2, 6” count on the Instructor card: it calls only those beats.