[Tango-L] Musicality

[Jay Rabe]

Random comments about recent thread on musicality:

Like many, I have taken several "musicality" classes. I have not found them as totally worthless as some have posted. I agree an individual's amount of musicality in dancing is limited by the musicality they hear, which is like an innate skill, which is difficult/impossible to teach. But that being said, here's what worked for me and for other students I've talked to:

At the most basic level, learning/hearing that musical phrases in tango are usually 8 or 16 beats, and putting a pause at the end of a phrase, or placing the last step of a pattern (eg a 3-step molinete) on the very last note/beat of the phrase, or starting a new phrase (esp if it comes on powerfully) at the very beginning of a phrase, were all worthwhile techniques that can be taught.

For valz, because of the rhythm structure, check/rock steps (Q-Q-S), like setting up an ocho cortado, then the follower's side-check & cross to finish it (also Q-Q-S) fit very well if synchronized to the music, as does a 3-step molinete. These are all musicality things that can be taught.

For dancing to something more variable, but very expressive, like Pugliese, it does indeed help immensely to know the music well. Then you can be moving when the music is moving, and quiet or pausing when the music is likewise.

Other things that can be taught:
Listening to milongas and learning to recognize/hear when it's appropriate to do traspie.

Listening to lyrical tangos and learning to recognize the sections that are all lyrical/melodic, ie have no bandoneon or pulsing strings to mark a beat, vs. those sections that do have a discernible beat, and what steps work for each type (eg slow turns for lyrical/melodic).

But I completely agree that the clapping to the beat thing doesn't seem to do much at all.

     J
     TangoMoments.com



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