[Tango-L] Milonga rhythms

[Jeff Gaynor]

Jay Rabe wrote:
> Was it Janis or Steven who wrote:
>
>   
>> There are two rhythms in milonga:
>>
>> 1) double rhythm -- two steps in two beats of music; and
>> 2) triple rhythm (called traspie) -- three steps in two beats of music (like
>> a triple step in swing).
>>     
>
> I'm not a trained musician, except for piano lessons as a pre-teen, but the three steps/notes in two beats sounds like what I remember being called a "triplet" in musical notation. 
The rhythm is one of QQS or SQQ usually (S = slow, Q = quick). A triple 
would have three *equally* spaced pulses. There are a few Milongas that 
have triplets in the melody, but people manage to ignore those just 
fine. Practically, ain't nobody doing triplets in Milonga. Now, a lot of 
folks still won't do triples even in Vals....

<RANT>
Which gets me to a minor gripe with a lot of dancers who do Vals. How 
many times have I seen it where they do not follow the triple rhythm and 
instead put 2 against three. So what should be

beat: 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3    or    1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3
step: x   x | x   x | x   x | x   x          x x   | x x   | x x   | x x

we get

beat: 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3 | 1 2 3
step: x  x  | x  x  | x  x  | x  x

I've ever heard a fair number of instructors who unwittingly tell 
students during class to do Vals as duple by saying to do QQ in each 
measure.  Yes, others get it right, but what to do? Might I suggest 
using the correct pattern  of QS QS QS QS or  SQ SQ SQ SQ? If you are 
telling students to do Vals with QQ at any point you are misleading them.
</RANT>

Now I feel better....

Cheers,

Jeff