How to improve musicality

[ArbeeNYC]

3-4 classes at a time were devoted to just one step at a time, showing how to change its speed, shape, size, level, system, direction, and so on.

I took one workshop where this was done (attempted) and it was very interesting. The trick is to be prepared to use it/implement it when it's appropriate rather than arbitrarily. It needs to become one of your tango "reflexes."

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I remember watching a beginner's eyes pop out when I showed him six or seven ways for a leader to accompany follower ochos, and how to stop mid-ocho to take little sidesteps.

Maybe I should study with you from now on.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Perhaps worse, beginner leaders don't know when or how to shrink, curve, insert pauses into, or abort sequences to react rapidly to floor conditions at the milonga.

Unfortunately, it's not only beginner leaders.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

To a beginner, those are all different steps, so they'll get their "cool moves" fix. No need to mention that it's just different expressions of the same move!

A friend once said to me "There are only two steps in tango--a step and a pivot."

 

[JournalInTime]

I took one workshop where this was done (attempted) and it was very interesting. The trick is to be prepared to use it/implement it when it's appropriate rather than arbitrarily. It needs to become one of your tango "reflexes."

Indeed.

At the school where I started my journey, the "level system" used 15-week sessions, leaving a seven-week period each year – during the summer's hottest period – that wasn't long enough to complete a level. Setting aside one failed attempt to compress levels into half the usual time (a terrible idea . . . lots of hot, tired, cranky people), they let teachers offer any workshops they liked, be they one-offs or mini-sessions of two to seven weeks. As the go-to accompanier living 10 minutes away, I got called in for a lot of these.

One was all about ocho variations. That was it, for four 90-minute sessions. Six hours of ochos: regular and overturned; static and moving, both linearly and circularly; pivoting and "milonguero" (crossing); in half and double time; with reversals, rebotes, and pauses; and even ochos locos, which aren't truly ochos. Followers learned to dance all of that. Leaders learned a pile of different ways to lead and accompany it all . . . classic sidestepping, curved sidestepping, contramovement, static lower body with strict torso lead, mirror ochos, opposed ochos, con sacada, etc. As the teacher said, "You could dance all tango with just ochos for the rest of your life and never run out of options."

Another was all about molinete variations. That was it, for four 90-minute sessions. Six hours of molinete: the usual front-side-back-side (FSBS); all the step variants (FFFF, FSFS, BSBS, etc.); changing direction mid-molinete on each step (F, S, and B); changing step variant mid-molinete on each step; changing number of steps to complete 360°; changing pacing from SSQQS; curved vs. linear sidestep; and mutual molinete with all of these variations. Followers learned to dance these things. Leaders learned the tricks to leading them in ways that break the pre-programmed FSBS in SSQQS that most followers do automatically. Leader accompaniments weren't a priority, but we still learned when and where to best use sacadas, enrosques, lapices, etc.

I feel that those sorts of things shouldn't be special workshops, but the standard way movements are taught. Of course they can be broken up across a few levels in schools that have levels.

 

[Naddrin Kentlar]

A friend once said to me "There are only two steps in tango--a step and a pivot."

As a mental exercise one could see the pivot as the "aiming" part in the step. Most steps require little to no "aiming", while the pivot is actually only the"aiming" without the actual movement of the center of mass projection on the floor. Found this particularly useful in identifying what's actually happening in a pivot.

 

[opendoor]

..Most steps require little to no "aiming"..

Sorry, that statement was wrong. Every step needs aiming. And we call aiming projection today!

 

[Rabbit]

As a mental exercise one could see the pivot as the "aiming" part in the step. Most steps require little to no "aiming", while the pivot is actually only the"aiming" without the actual movement of the center of mass projection on the floor. Found this particularly useful in identifying what's actually happening in a pivot.

I really do not understand the usage of the word "aiming" in this paragraph or how it explains anything.

 

[Naddrin Kentlar]

I really do not understand the usage of the word "aiming" in this paragraph or how it explains anything.

The aiming would be the alignment of the pelvis in order for a step to be performed forward/backwards. What @opendoor refers to projection would be just a stylistic preference to use as needed in order to express the music in certain way.

After some point it becomes quite difficult to express into words what is felt on the inside..

 

[itwillhappen]

Another was all about molinete variations. That was it, for four 90-minute sessions. Six hours of molinete: the usual front-side-back-side (FSBS); all the step variants (FFFF, FSFS, BSBS, etc.); changing direction mid-molinete on each step (F, S, and B); changing step variant mid-molinete on each step; changing number of steps to complete 360°; changing pacing from SSQQS; curved vs. linear sidestep; and mutual molinete with all of these variations.

Also a way to spend your time. But since everyone is learning the timing to the same music, it can get pretty stressful to chaotic for the less gifted.

Today I tapped my feet while washing up to a milonga tanda by Pedro Laurenz and a tango tanda by Aníbal Troilo. That must be enough for now to improve my musicality.

 

[TTanguero]

A friend once said to me "There are only two steps in tango--a step and a pivot."

I'd add a weight-change (though it could be argued that's a zero-length step), and I guess one could get into philosophical discussions about pauses!

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I feel that those sorts of things shouldn't be special workshops, but the standard way movements are taught. Of course they can be broken up across a few levels in schools that have levels.

That's a dizzying number of variations to teach and learn though.

 

[Brummbaer]

A friend once said to me "There are only two steps in tango--a step and a pivot."

It's not what you do; it's how you do it.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I'd add a weight-change (though it could be argued that's a zero-length step), and I guess one could get into philosophical discussions about pauses!

One could, yes. But in terms of actual movement. It's just that most things, aside from a few of the more outlandish movements, really are that simple in terms of their components.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

It's not what you do; it's how you do it.

Pretty much.