Polka
The polka is a fast couple dance in 2/4 time that arose in Bohemia in the 1830s. From the ballrooms of Prague it spread quickly via Vienna and Paris. Its name is usually traced back to the Czech word půlka, “half”.
- Time signature
- 2/4, also alla breve
- Tempo
- fast
- Rhythm
- short – short – long (eighth note, eighth note, quarter note)
- Origin
- Bohemia, 1830s
- Name
- usually traced to Czech půlka, “half”
A dance from Bohemia
The polka arose in the 1830s in Bohemia, today’s Czech Republic. It is a fast couple dance in 2/4 time, less often written in alla breve. From the ballrooms of Prague it reached Vienna and Paris, where people spoke of a veritable “polkamania”, and went on to London and America.
Name and rhythm
The name is usually traced back to the Czech word “půlka”, “half”; this is taken to refer to the half-sized step of the dance or to the short duple time. Another interpretation sees the name as a tribute to Poland. Typical of the polka is the rhythm short – short – long: two short notes, then a longer one.
Short – short – long
Our own example in C major: in the first three bars two eighth notes and a quarter note, short – short – long. Each bar has two beats.
For comparison: bass and chord in duple time
Our own example: in 2/4 time each bar has only two beats, here a bass note on one and a chord on two. In the waltz the same distribution needs three beats: bass on one, chords on two and three.
Polka and waltz
Both dances were popular in the ballrooms of the 19th century, and the Strauss family in Vienna wrote both. The difference lies in the time signature: the polka has two beats, the waltz three.
| Feature | Polka | Waltz |
|---|---|---|
| Time signature | 2/4, also alla breve | 3/4, also 3/8 |
| Beats per bar | two | three |
| Name | usually traced to Czech půlka, “half” | from German “walzen”, to turn |
Bedřich Smetana included a polka in his opera “The Bartered Bride”. Among immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe it long remained popular in America; in the US state of Wisconsin it is today the official state dance.
Common mistakes
- Counting the polka in triple time: The polka has two beats per bar; the waltz has three.
- Shortening the quarter note: The “long” in the rhythm is a full quarter note, twice as long as an eighth note.
- Equating the polka with Poland: It comes from Bohemia; the interpretation of the name as a tribute to Poland is one of several.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
Two-four timeAlla breveWaltzMarchMazurkaDanceRomantic eraEighth note
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 4 October 2026
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