[Tango-L] Milonga rhythms

[Carol Shepherd]

I would agree I haven't heard triplets in tango, vals, milonga.  I'm 
sure the musicians on the list will chime in if they exist.

I think the confusion is being caused by the idea of "one-two-three" in 
music based on four beats.  This is the same as quick-quick-slow (where 
the first three beats have a beat on each, and they are all the same - 
with a 'hold' on 4).  In contrast, a true triplet in four-beat time is 
what is called "two against three" and is a break from the regular beats.

It's as if you took a ruler and measured an inch in quarters (2 sets of 
2), then measured the same inch in 2 sets of thirds.  The marks would 
fall at different places  -- straight 4/4 = .25, .5, .75, 1.0 (4 beats) 
-- triplets = .165, .33, .5 (first 2 beats of 4) and .67, .83, 1.0 
(second 2 beats of 4).  As you can see they don't line up on the ruler. 
   If the predominant rhythm is in 4 beats, the triplets sound off-beat.

The reverse is true of dancing two beats to vals.  Vals is triplets 
(.33, .67, 1.0) for each beat and the two-beat step will sound off-beat 
(.5, 1.0).  I agree that I have seen lots of people dancing two steps to 
vals; I was taught that was a no-no.

Kind of a geeky explanation but maybe it will help some.

CS

steve pastor wrote:
> Jay 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. For the life of me I don't think I've ever heard such a thing in tango, except rarely, and certainly not to an extent to justify its being a description of a class of milonga songs. OTOH I have heard and seen a lot of traspie done to double-time or half-beats or (incorrectly but popularly called) synchopation. In this mode, you've got 4 notes/steps in two beats.
> 
> I'd be interested in some examples of milongas that use triplets with three steps/notes in two beats."
>    
>   See the score for Milonga Triste at this url...
>   http://www.todotango.com/english/biblioteca/partituras/partitura.asp?id=254
>    
>   Happens 6 times (that I see) in this score.
>    
>   I'd say that any time something has been going along as 1/4 notes, then has a few 1/8
>   notes, or 1/2 notes followed by a few 1/4 notes, (what Jay is calling double time or half beats, and note that I put quote marks around synchopation in my previous post) makes it
>   feel like you can or should take that extra, in between step. 
>   Triplets, double time? Hey, who's counting?
>    
>   Looking at the scores can make a person crazy. It seems like it's much easier to just listen
>   to the darn music. That's because not only is there both the treble and bass clef going if it's
>   a piano, but there are usually several instruments, and they often take turns regarding who
>   is playing the most obvious line at any given time.
>    
>   Anyone who is taking baby steps on this like I am, may find this url helpful
>   http://www.musictheory.halifax.ns.ca/19triplets.html
>    
>   With apologies to those of you who are "real" musicians. This is part of my learning process.
>    
>   P.S. I don't think I wrote the text Jay referred to.
>    
> 
>        
> ---------------------------------
> Looking for last minute shopping deals?  Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.
> _______________________________________________
> Tango-L mailing list
> Tango-L at mit.edu
> http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
> 

-- 
Carol Ruth Shepherd
Arborlaw PLC
Ann Arbor MI USA
734 668 4646 v  734 786 1241 f
http://arborlaw.com

your company's contract corporate counsel