[Tango-L] Igor's Question: a woman's perspective

[Victor Bennetts]

Greg,
If you find dancing to the rhythm difficult you could try dancing to the melody instead. Personally I find that more difficult, but I think followers like it because there are a lot more pauses and slow steps for them to embellish. Just try listening for the voice or the violins and go with that part. A good song to try would be something like Pasional.

In terms of finding the rhythm, try anything by D'Arienzo, Biagi or Rodríguez where the beat is pretty strong. I would defy anyone not to find the rhythm in El Recodo where Biagi must have told his piano player to beat the piano like a drum. Plus it is one of the best tracks for dancing anyway. I just wish someone would invent a time machine so I could go back and hear those guys live.

Victor Bennetts


-----Original Message-----
From: tango-l-bounces at mit.edu [mailto:tango-l-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of WHITE 95 R
Sent: Wednesday, 3 October 2007 3:26 PM
To: Endzone 102; Tango-L
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] Igor's Question: a woman's perspective


Hi Greg,

I'm always puzzled by statements such as yours. I appreciate your contribution and courage to post your opinion, but I have to wonder what tango music you are talking about.... Maybe you are trying to find a steady, easy to follow beat to the music of Hugo Diaz' harmonica.... Otherwise I cannot believe that you can say that there is no known timing in Argentine tango music. ...The beat of danceable tango music is so pronounced and overpowering that you have to dance rhythmically.... The 4x4 and 2x4 of the tango is incredibly strong. Milonga and vals are also extremely rhythmical and the beat or timing is very easy to feel...

Still, I do believe you. I've met a number of guys and women who have the hardest time finding the rhythm of the tango. I don't know what it is, but some folks just have a hard time with music... I've taught in many classes by having the people tap their foot to the strong beats in tango, I've had them snap their fingers and even clap their hands to the beat. They seem to get it, but immediately after the exercise, they dance completely off the beat. It's amazing really, I wish there was something that could be taken or inhaled to make the beat accessible to more people... Please, try listening to Rodriguez of the 50's, Darienzo from the 30's and 40's, and definitely good old Di Sarli from the 50's. If you don't hear the the timing pretty soon, please go to some teachers and ask them to work with you to help you find and use the beat of the tango. I guarantee you that there is so much rhythm in tango that it's practically impossible to ignore.

Cheers,

Manuel


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> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2007 14:40:23 -0400
> From: endzone102 at gmail.com

> This tends to be the thing I find most guys around here struggle with.
> In ballroom dances, there's a known timing that you can find in the music.
> With Argentine Tango, there isn't. AT is more about feeling the music.
> That's a difficult concept to get across sometimes, especially when you're
> also trying to teach them how tango works. This gets more problematic when
> the music branches out away from traditional tango music.
>
> -Greg G

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