Listening to music to improve dancing skill

[tangomaniac]

What to do in such situations was definitely not my point! My concern is that in the situations described, a leader hardly can adequately interpret the music! A tango isn't just a piece of music that you just dance to in any way. No, a piece has an internal structure, a tension arc, and conveys a story. This means that you can't do "rebotes, ocho cortados" at any point in the track without violating the music. Maybe your ears are so immune that you don't notice it. I'm certainly not, and that's why I'd rather sit than dance like a "deaf" person. (Sorry, I only know three deaf tangueros and they lead very musically. They get all the informations from the double bass.) Ultimately, I come to the conclusion that "listening to the music" tends to reduce the dancing skills of a sensitive and musical person.

HMMM. I've been to Buenos Aires and I didn't see the Argentines have problems interpreting music in tiny spaces. My teacher and I practiced dancing in tiny spaces. We danced in a corner with a chair indicating the space boundary. It took a lot of practice but eventually I was prepared for BA, tango festivals, and an encuentro.

I'm not deaf. I took 3 years of music theory and 3 years of piano lessons in high school. I resumed playing the piano two years ago.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

Ultimately, I come to the conclusion that "listening to the music" tends to reduce the dancing skills of a sensitive and musical person.

Hard to dance without listening to the music though.

 

[Bailango]

Hard to dance without listening to the music though.

I can’t speak for @opendoor. I think he meant if you are musically very sensitive, then you might get carried away by the music to have any cycles left for being able to dance to it. Either that or getting into a sort of analysis-paralysis on which layer of music to interprete when dancing.

 

[Rabbit]

I can’t speak for @opendoor. I think he meant if you are musically very sensitive, then you might get carried away by the music to have any cycles left for being able to dance to it. Either that or getting into a sort of analysis-paralysis on which layer of music to interprete when dancing.

It just proceeds via the unconscious-conscious-unconscious cycle

Most likely you'll end up doing patterns that are less random at the end. The random patterns could be more technically challenging, but often are not good dancing since they don't make sense choreographically

 

[ArbeeNYC]

I can’t speak for @opendoor. I think he meant if you are musically very sensitive, then you might get carried away by the music to have any cycles left for being able to dance to it. Either that or getting into a sort of analysis-paralysis on which layer of music to interprete when dancing.

This all sounds overly complicated.

 

[opendoor]

..sounds overly complicated.

Right the other way round. Its nothing learned or conscious.

 

[Rabbit]

The other problem is if you appreciate good music then half the music at an average milonga WILL be either boring, or deficient in sound quality, or monotonous due to other music that was recently played...

 

[arrowofsky]

The other problem is if you appreciate good music then half the music at an average milonga WILL be either boring, or deficient in sound quality, or monotonous due to other music that was recently played...

You sounded like you don't like Golden Age, but would be just fine with the Nuevo

Right the other way round. Its nothing learned or conscious.

Did you try to listen in packs? I mean, 4-4 packs, maybe summarizing it in even 8s. When I divide the song in sections, phrases and draw staccato/legato, it also imbues another way to remember and interpret accordingly (when I find an example I did before, or I did again for a specific song, I will attach here).

 

[Rabbit]

You sounded like you don't like Golden Age, but would be just fine with the Nuevo

I dance both. Unfortunately most of the DJs just don't understand what they are doing.

Did you try to listen in packs? I mean, 4-4 packs, maybe summarizing it in even 8s. When I divide the song in sections, phrases and draw staccato/legato, it also imbues another way to remember and interpret accordingly (when I find an example I did before, or I did again for a specific song, I will attach here).

When you really understand the music, you won't need to consciously try to count, analyse or remember anything, you will just feel the structure automatically.

 

[opendoor]

Did you try to listen in packs? ..it also imbues another way to remember and interpret..

Absolutely not. And I don't want to analyze, divide, summarize, remember, interpret or whatever you suggest.
I just go with the music, I let myself drift and be inspired on the fly. I'm a scientist by profession, so I don't want to spend my free time thinking about music. Dancing is an intuitive art form, not a construction task.

You sounded like you don't like Golden Age, but would be just fine with the Nuevo..

The differences within the Golden Age music are greater than those compared to Nuevo! The first is a period the latter is a style.

 

[arrowofsky]

It is not "the need" to deliberately make analyses, just another way of entertainment. Neither I am suggesting memorizing and all. To begin with, I never liked choreographies or similar "this part should be done like this" stuff. Making an analysis is not solely for people "who can't understand or get inspired by music.". You may not do that, but it is much more
To clarify my comparison with Golden Age and Nuevo, I am emphasizing the sound quality in particular, whatever the structural differences among them, Nuevo is newer and had higher record quality. The rest is cultural and personal taste.

 

[Bailango]

Absolutely not. And I don't want to analyze, divide, summarize, remember, interpret or whatever you suggest.
I just go with the music, I let myself drift and be inspired on the fly. I'm a scientist by profession, so I don't want to spend my free time thinking about music. Dancing is an intuitive art form, not a construction task.

Totally agree. Only when coming up with a choreography for performances, I witnessed it being approached like a construction task.

The differences within the Golden Age music are greater than those compared to Nuevo! The first is a period the latter is a style.

This!!

 

[Paja]

To clarify my comparison with Golden Age and Nuevo, I am emphasizing the sound quality in particular, whatever the structural differences among them, Nuevo is newer and had higher record quality.

I was true 15 years ago, now is lot of records renovated to original sound quality. And nowadays with AI I expect new records of Golden Age in even better sound quality, then originally was
I like records from early years of Golden Age, or even older. Canyengue style with his "heavy walk".

 

[opendoor]

..now is lot of records renovated to original sound quality. And nowadays with AI I expect...

I'm torn. I know three internationally successful tango musicians. Their skills, their training, their authenticity are far superior to those of the tango musicians of the golden age, including their iconic orchestra leaders. So why not play the new productions in stereo? I myself play shellacs. I DJ with vintage analog gear. People like the crackle and the hiss. What you're suggesting is neither fish nor fowl.

 

[ArbeeNYC]

People like the crackle and the hiss.

Some people.