Every meter can be counted at any tempo.
The last meter we will look at is 7. 7 comes up just about as much as 5 does and is used in similar ways in movement as 5. 7 is counted like any other meter, only with seven beats for each measure. The meter would be counted - 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…and so on. With more beats in each measure, we can do some really fun things with accents and groupings. As the meters get larger, all we need to do is find all of the smaller numbers that can add up to the meter. For example, 7 can be broken up in these ways: 4+3 = 7, 3+4 = 7, 2+2+3 = 7, 2+3+2 = 7 and 3+2+2 = 7. Then put accents on beat 1 of each of those number groupings and you can get some wild and super challenging phrases.
Another way we can have a huge impact on how a meter feels is by using a range of tempos. Remember that tempo refers to the speed and how fast or slow we are counting the movement. Tempo is measured in beats per minute, or BPM. 20-60 BPM is considered quite slow, 70-110 is medium tempo, and 120-180 is quick. One confusion about tempo and meter is that some folks will think that a smaller meter means a quicker tempo…mostly because there are less beats in each measure. We might hear, “Let's speed up and do this phrase in a 3 instead of a 6”...which is a bit confusing. Bringing up the speed of the song means raising the BPM and has nothing to do with what meter you are in. Every meter can be counted at any tempo.
For those who are going to be teaching counted material in a class, having some deeper understanding of tempo can really add range to your class. I highly recommend downloading a free metronome app on your phone. This is how we practice counting/playing/moving at different tempos. You can set the metronome at a slow BPM, like 45 and then increase it dramatically to 145. Listen and feel how different those two tempos are. Then try something more subtle like comparing 95 to 105. Some metronomes will have a “tap” feature that lets you tap to set the tempo. This is great to see what tempos some of your favorite counted songs are using.
Have a discussion on what the students think about tempo in dance. How do they use different tempos in different movement situations? Do they have any favorite tempos? Finding music in 7 will be even more challenging than songs in 5. Find a few that are very clear. Are they using any of the accent groupings above?
Check in with everyone and make sure each student feels comfortable finding the pulse, clapping or tapping the beat, counting the meter and deciding if the tempo is fast, medium or slow. Then ask the students to briefly improvise some movement to the music while keeping the count of 7 top-of-mind. With the remaining time, ask each student to put in their headphones, find a piece of music in 7 and to make a short teachable phrase to that music.