[TANGO-L] syncopation

[Philip Seyer <philipseyer @ILOVEMUSIC.COM>]

Dance teachers don't tamper with words like tempo, meter, musical phrasing.
I don't think it behooves them to make up a new meaning for syncopation.
What is really irritating is when they say things like, "In *music* a
syncopation is a splitting of the beat into two parts."

A double time step is not such a surprise that it deserves the term
"syncopation."  Most dances, when you get beyond the basics have double time
steps.

I'm heartened that a number of dance teachers have begun  rejecting the term
"syncopation" when what they really mean is a double time step. If we start
saying double time when we mean double time, then we can start talking about
real syncopations and how to dance to them.  When you don't have a term for
something, often you are blind to it. But if you know the precise meaning of
a term, your mind is expanded.

By understanding the true meaning of syncopation, dancers and dance teachers
can make their dancing much more expressive.  That's why I keep harping on
it.

           http://www.ilovemusic.com/syncopat.htm provides more details.

I love those marvelous syncopations at end of tangos tunes where the
expected final chord comes a beat late! If you know the music and are ready
for this syncopation, you can have a lot of fun with it.

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