Slowquickquick

Slowquickquick is a descriptive term used in some music and dance contexts to denote a rhythm or tempo pattern that moves from a slow beat to two quick beats. It is not a standardized musical term with formal definitions in major dictionaries, but it appears in informal education materials, tutorials, and discussions where shorthand descriptions of timing are helpful.

In music pedagogy, slowquickquick may describe a pattern where a single long or held note aligns with a slower portion of the measure, followed by two shorter, quicker subdivisions. For example, in a 4/4 measure, a pattern might allocate two beats to a slow element and one beat each to two quick elements, totaling four beats. This usage is typically meant to illustrate contrast in tempo within a short musical phrase rather than to codify a specific rhythmic rule.

In dance and movement instruction, slowquickquick often appears as counting guidance to help students internalize a step sequence. The pattern can correspond to one long step followed by two quicker steps, again emphasizing a shift in tempo or energy.

Etymology is straightforward, deriving purely from the plain-language sequence slow, quick, quick. Because it is informal, meanings and applications can vary between instructors and communities. See also tempo, rhythm, syncopation, and counting systems in dance and music.