Re: [TANGO-L] Musical Theory on Tango

[Tom Stermitz <stermitz @TANGO.ORG>]

Tango music has a characteristic suspension & surge, often expressed in
the music as a rising crescendo prior to the strong beat at the start
of a phrase or even leading to  individual beats.

The bandoneon (resting on the players knee) often starts to express a
note BEFORE the beat; then the player slaps his foot to the ground
causing a hrr-UMPPF sort of sound

There are many other musical and rhythmic elements, but the above is
most distinctive to tango, and not present with such dramatic intensity
in other kinds of music, e.g. foxtrot,  habanero, jazz or world music.

These other forms feel timid or light in comparison, due to this lack
of tension & release.


A tango dancer often expresses this hrr-UMPPF by surging slightly
before the beat, feeling the partner engage, then arriving to a
footstep ON the beat


On Dec 29, 2004, at 4:44 PM, norbert wrote:

> Hi
>
> This is the Question I pose to you: What, in a formal sense of musical
> theory, defines a specific piece of music to be "tango" - a metrum? a
> rhythm? Use of specific harmonies? Use of a specific formal pattern?
> Are
> there any webresources on this question? (For simplicity it might be
> best to
> ignore the tango nuevo first.But even "normal" tango and tango valse
> are
> quite different in rhythm...)
>
> Greetings
> Norbert
Tom Stermitz
http://www.tango.org

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