[Tango-L] Milonga rhythms

[Bruno Afonso]

On 1/14/08, Carol Shepherd <arborlaw at comcast.net> wrote:
>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.

Can you easily distinguish triplets in music you hear? Every kind of
music has them... even rock. I don't see how this will lead anyone
anywhere. syncopation is a much stronger tool to use as far as
creating timming "fun". Syncopating a triplet may make it not become
so much of a triplet anymore. The music sheet is a guide that
performers will either try to follow precisely or not.


>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.

A triplet is putting 3 notes in 2-note time-space. If you have one
"time"/beat, and you put 3 half-notes/times on it, it's called a
triplet. That means that in fact each note is getting 1/3 instead of
1/2 of the time/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.

vals is a 3/4 time. That's where the feeling comes from. Just like
waltz. Some people will dance it in a more "strict" 3/4 feel, some
will in a more 4/4. It's all good as long as you make a good
interpretation of it. when I mean strict is the difference between
having  6/8 rythm or a 6/4. They're different. Just pick musics in 6/4
and 6/8. For some will be subtle, for others it will be obvious.

tango on
b