[Tango-L] milongas for musicians

[Keith Elshaw]

Dear me - hooked on P.S.'s?!

What can I do?
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Musicians:

Master of milongas?

Canaro.

Listen to his slow ones (wow!). The medium ones. The fast ones.

If you wish to please dancers, stick to what the best already found out is
the max over decades of playing live.

Little secret:

There are not all that many good milonga dancers (male).

If you are playing fast, fast, fast, you will see dancers on the floor
having a good time, for sure.

Arms and legs will be flailing - lots of pretty unflattering body
movements will be on display. Bumping, etc.

Look around. If you have an eye, you will see lots of good dancers sitting.


Now, play a medium or slow milonga.

You'll see more people on the floor. Things won't look so ugly.

I GUARANTEE you that if Miguel Zotto (one of THE BEST) is in your dance
hall, you might want to play a fast milonga like he does on stage. If you
do, he will sit.

You play a slower one in the style of Donato or Canaro, and he will light
up the floor.

Who do you want to please?

If the answer is yourselves and not dancers, you will understand how you
are missing the boat.

Dancers have certain needs.

Musicians who want to be great need to understand them.

What YOU think is great is what YOU think is great.

We think you are great for what you do, but we want good music for dancing
- not good "musicianship" - if you know what I mean.