Tango DJ-ing
- Thread starter ardix
- Start date
opendoor
Forum Master
Two questions first:
1. Do you want to choose the DJ software based on the operating system, or vice versa? Not every app is available for every OS, let alone cross-platform applicability.
2. Do you want to play locally stored audio files or rather stream music from the Internet?
To start? Spotify or some other streaming service. You can get a feel for it with a lot less upfront investment of time and money
If you decide it's something you want to spend a lot of time doing, the shortcomings of these streaming apps will eventually become apparent and you will then transition to downloaded music and a DJ app (there are many choices - I use Embrace for Mac)
itwillhappen
Forum Master
And consider the money lost, the time anyway.
It remains a hobby for 99% of the DJs.
Just like 99% of dancers do not get reimbursed for their dance shoes.
I'd recommend being a reasonably competent AT dancer first AND have some knowledge of popular orchestras through the ages together with some contemporary bands/groups and alternatives. Just because it's playing tango on a poor recording from some early orchestra doesn't make it good. Not everyone will like your choices. Oh, and some reasonable cortinas.
You either need to be active and read the mood of the dancefloor, or settle for a reasonably curated, but fixed, playlist. I'd concede the 2nd option isn't dj'ing, but it's better than either poor choices or nothing.
Just having a playlist which works well is a good start, and you get that with most apps. Do not rely on having internet access!
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ardix
Active Member
Very good questions and points here, thanks everyone!
I 'll try to address them all together, for the sake of consistency.
1. I want to choose the software based on the operating system, so Mac.
2. Locally stored, though internet-based can also work (can most of the time connect via phone).
3. I am familiar with Spotify but I would like to go beyond that.
4.Well, I have to give it a shot first, before deciding how much time I'll want to spend on it so yes, a hobby going further than Spotify .-)
5. True about the knowledge of the music and the cortinas, but I take this as a matter of personal responsibility.
Much obliged...
I 'll try to address them all together, for the sake of consistency.
1. I want to choose the software based on the operating system, so Mac.
2. Locally stored, though internet-based can also work (can most of the time connect via phone).
3. I am familiar with Spotify but I would like to go beyond that.
4.Well, I have to give it a shot first, before deciding how much time I'll want to spend on it so yes, a hobby going further than Spotify .-)
5. True about the knowledge of the music and the cortinas, but I take this as a matter of personal responsibility.
Much obliged...
itwillhappen
Forum Master
Okay, then you need a strategy how to collect and apply tango music.
There will be many opinions, here is one, at least for traditional tango:
Summary and Conclusions
The Tango DJ plays an important role in providing an enjoyable dance experience to dancers at a milonga. Providing music without a clear rhythm, with a varying tempo, without emotional intensity, leaves dancers feeling disconnected and uninspired, perhaps sitting in their seats and going home early. Much can be learned from Buenso Aires tango DJs regarding the best music to select for dancing. Surveys of tango DJs worldwide and of the preferences of tango dancers are also informative. There is agreement that recordings of the orchestras of Carlos Di Sarli (1940s, 1950s), Juan D’Arienzo (late 1930s, 1940s), and Anibal Troilo (early 1940s), the instrumental tangos of Osvaldo Pugliese (1940s), as well as milongas by the orchestra of Francisco Canaro (1930s) are popular with dancers and preferentially played by tango DJs worldwide. Assuming careful selection and experienced dancers, the instrumental tangos of Pugliese recorded in the 1950s are also an appreciated addition. Tango DJs contribute significantly to the enjoyment of dancers by including the music from these orchestras at every milonga. Selecting at least 2 tandas from each of these 5 orchestras is unlikely to dissatisfy dancers. In fact, a DJ could provide the following tandas of music:
- Di Sarli 1940s tango with vocals (Rufino, Duran and/or Podesta)
- Di Sarli 1950s tango instrumentals
- D’Arienzo 1930s tango instrumentals
- D’Arienzo 1930s vals instrumentals
- D’Arienzo 1940s tango with vocals by Maure
- Canaro 1930 (fast and/or slow) milongas
- Troilo early 1940s tango (instrumentals and/or vocals by Fiorentino)
- Pugliese 1940s tango instrumentals
which would comprise about 40 – 50% of the music for a 3 to 3.5 hour milonga. Dancers probably would not complain, sit in their seats, or go home early with a music program consisting primarily of these selections. (Dancers would probably want to hear additional music with vocals, and this can be provided in the remaining music for the milonga.)
Additional tandas from these orchestras which dancers would find enjoyable could be selected from among the following:
- Di Sarli 1940s milongas with vocals by Rufino
- D’Arienzo 1930s milongas
- Canaro late 1930s tangos with vocals by Maida and/or Fama
- Pugliese 1950s tango instrumentals
- Troilo 1940s valses with vocals by Fiorentino and/or Ruiz
- Troilo 1940s milongas
particularly in a milonga of longer duration (4 – 6 hours).
Tango DJ Fundamentals: Part 1 – Selecting Music for Dancing and Tanda Construction
The music selected for play by a Tango DJ at a milonga has a significant effect on the enjoyment experienced by dancers. The recordings selected by DJs in Buenos Aires milongas, as well as the st…tangovoice.wordpress.com
opendoor
Forum Master
Exactly! Start and let it grow. The basis should be YOUR favorite tunes, not the general standard program that every DJ plays. that would have no character. Then complete your collection around your favorite pieces. If you hear an unfamiliar piece at a milonga, ask the DJ or simply shamzam it.
The technology is irrelevant at the beginning. You'll be judged by your playlist, not by the technical effort you put in. Thus I will NOT recommend any specific programs, DA-converters or technical equipment. 97% is down to your musicality and taste. please leave the remaining 3% to us nerds.
And of course mail our organizers, a nordic DJane will have her chances!
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ardix
Active Member
Well, the reason I ask about technology is because I want to make things easier for myself ...
I was wondering whether there is technology that will help me get started, other than Spotify (I am not concerned with technical performance at this stage).
ArbeeNYC
Forum Master
There is a tango DJ forum on the hated Facebook but there are many, many experienced DJs who contribute there. Lots and lots of knowledge about software and hardware and music sources. To do this, aside from familiarizing yourself with tango music from the mid-twenties to the mid-fifties, you'll need to start building a collection of high-quality digital files. Assuming you intend to do this as a serious avocation. There are places where you can purchase the files and there are sources for high-quality CDs as well. An extensive catalog of tango songs can run to tens of thousands of files if you cover the bulk of the output. Not all of it is danceable.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
Well, there are a few gradations in between. I prefer ready-made tandas and a preliminary playlist of tracks I've "accumulated" since my last DJ set and then add tried-and-tested ones around them.
And I think it's important to have a regular local milonga to practice. Things can go wrong. When I'm "active", for example, it calms me down if I can preview the tracks and see the waveforms.
Tango Distance
Well-Known Member
We have a local DJ who likes to change the speed of songs. He generally slows them down.
itwillhappen
Forum Master
If you leave the simplicity and limitations of a streaming service, there are many new freedoms, but also many new tasks, in the medium term.
You could at least have plans for how to:
1) Organize your music files?
2) Organize your metadata?
3) Check the structure of your playlists and tandas?
4) Prelisten over headphones?
5) Adjust the sound?
6) Insert breaks between songs?
7) Make backups?
8) Mirror to backup devices (smartphone, tablet)?
9) Maybe also visualize information?
...
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itwillhappen
Forum Master
It's kind of like to start learning to dance. Of course you can start and dance to your favour, as it suits your character.
However, when you dance, you mainly have one partner who may suffer, as a DJ, it's more like a few dozen. I was rather cautious about both, if I remember correctly.