2191  Tango Rhythms Summary.

Date: Wed, 28 Jan 2004 13:41:47 -0700
From: Tom Stermitz <Stermitz@RAGTIME.ORG>
Subject: Tango Rhythms Summary.

Tango rhythms can be complex.

Starting simply and progressing to more complex, you have (at least)
the following rhythms:
- slow, walking beat emphasized in Di Sarli or 1940s Fresedo
- double-time or quick-quick-slow rhythm emphasized in D'Arienzo,
Biagi, older Canaro
- Dramatic pauses while beats slip away
- Habanero, like in Milonga Triste by Hugo Diaz
- 3-3-2 or long-long-short syncopations like Troilo,
- Melodic lines as in Calo, Canaro, Demare, De Angelis or other
1940s orchestras
- Expressive drama like in Pugliese, (but the underlying tempo remains steady)


Modern Tango

As for Piazzolla, he almost completely went over to the 3-3-2 rhythm,
plus imported a lot of Jazz and Classical ideas like tempo changes,
which explains why it is so difficult to dance with improvisation to
Piazzolla.

Color Tango and other modern orchestras are heavily influenced by
Piazzolla, complex compositional techniques, and the 1950s singing
tradition of tango, which was tango for concert, not dancing.

Only a few modern orchestras cultivate a "real" tango dance-beat,
like Hector Vargas or Miguel Villasboas, but you still wouldn't call
it traditional golden-age tango. Where is the golden-era revival,
like the 1990s swing or rockabilly revival?


Non-tango tango?

Some modern music, such as Gotan use a very heavy disco bass line,
which explains why people new to tango are able to hear the beat.
But, Gotan lacks the rhythmic complexity of intertwining rhythms or
melodies of 1930s & 40s traditional tango. In addition they lack the
"pre-lead", the tension-building drama which really defines tango (as
opposed to rock or foxtrot or whatever where this tension is absent.)

A lot of popular non-tango tangos and world or pop music uses the
habanero rhythm. For example, the ever-popular "Tango for Evora",
Lhasa's "De Cara a la Pared", or Fabrizio de Andre's "Crueza de Ma".

--

Tom Stermitz
https://www.tango.org/
stermitz@tango.org
303-388-2560

Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 20:51:03 -0600
From: Oleh Kovalchuke <tangospring@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Tango rhythm

Neeraj Korde wrote:

"Its kinda difficult to decide what to dance to, the lyrics slow you
down and the background rhythm speeds you up and switching between the
both requires a lot of skill. I wonder what others do in such a
situation."

This is exactly where the fun starts and you are well on your way to
explore it since you already hear several rhythms interweaved within
tango (most good tangos have a single time, double time and often
quadruple time beat for you to choose to dance to (I do not know if
quadruple is correct musical term, since I am not a musician, I do
hear it though)). You dance your partner to a slow rhythm while you
yourself dance to the quicker one. Occasionally you switch rhythms
between the two of you or do couple steps on the same beat.

--
Oleh Kovalchuke
https://TangoSpring.com




On 9/20/05, Neeraj Korde <nkorde@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi all,
> I was wondering if anyone has or could give the translation of a
> lyrical tango which I like, below is the spanish version.
>
> The version by Agustin has sort of slow intense lyrics and light but
> upbeat rhythmic music in background which comes in the foreground
> every now and then. Its kinda difficult to decide what to dance to,
> the lyrics slow you down and the background rhythm speeds you up and
> switching between the both requires a lot of skill. I wonder what
> others do in such a situation. Anyways here is the spanish version
> from todotango,
>
> Siempre carnaval
>
> ˇCuántos viven disfrazados