I would agree I haven't heard triplets in tango, vals, milonga. I'm sure the musicians on the list will chime in if they exist.
I think the confusion is being caused by the idea of "one-two-three" in music based on four beats. This is the same as quick-quick-slow (where the first three beats have a beat on each, and they are all the same - with a 'hold' on 4). In contrast, a true triplet in four-beat time is what is called "two against three" and is a break from the regular beats. It's as if you took a ruler and measured an inch in quarters (2 sets of 2), then measured the same inch in 2 sets of thirds. The marks would fall at different places -- straight 4/4 = .25, .5, .75, 1.0 (4 beats) -- triplets = .165, .33, .5 (first 2 beats of 4) and .67, .83, 1.0 (second 2 beats of 4). As you can see they don't line up on the ruler. If the predominant rhythm is in 4 beats, the triplets sound off-beat. The reverse is true of dancing two beats to vals. Vals is triplets (.33, .67, 1.0) for each beat and the two-beat step will sound off-beat (.5, 1.0). I agree that I have seen lots of people dancing two steps to vals; I was taught that was a no-no. Kind of a geeky explanation but maybe it will help some. CS steve pastor wrote: > Jay wrote, > "Was it Janis or Steven who wrote: > >> There are two rhythms in milonga: >> >> 1) double rhythm -- two steps in two beats of music; and >> 2) triple rhythm (called traspie) -- three steps in two beats of music (like >> a triple step in swing). > > I'm not a trained musician, except for piano lessons as a pre-teen, but the > three steps/notes in two beats sounds like what I remember being called a > "triplet" in musical notation. For the life of me I don't think I've ever > heard such a thing in tango, except rarely, and certainly not to an extent to > justify its being a description of a class of milonga songs. OTOH I have > heard and seen a lot of traspie done to double-time or half-beats or > (incorrectly but popularly called) synchopation. In this mode, you've got 4 > notes/steps in two beats. > > I'd be interested in some examples of milongas that use triplets with three > steps/notes in two beats." > > See the score for Milonga Triste at this url... > http://www.todotango.com/english/biblioteca/partituras/partitura.asp?id=254 > > Happens 6 times (that I see) in this score. > > I'd say that any time something has been going along as 1/4 notes, then has > a few 1/8 > notes, or 1/2 notes followed by a few 1/4 notes, (what Jay is calling > double time or half beats, and note that I put quote marks around > synchopation in my previous post) makes it > feel like you can or should take that extra, in between step. > Triplets, double time? Hey, who's counting? > > Looking at the scores can make a person crazy. It seems like it's much > easier to just listen > to the darn music. That's because not only is there both the treble and > bass clef going if it's > a piano, but there are usually several instruments, and they often take > turns regarding who > is playing the most obvious line at any given time. > > Anyone who is taking baby steps on this like I am, may find this url helpful > http://www.musictheory.halifax.ns.ca/19triplets.html > > With apologies to those of you who are "real" musicians. This is part of my > learning process. > > P.S. I don't think I wrote the text Jay referred to. > > > > --------------------------------- > Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. > _______________________________________________ > Tango-L mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l > -- Carol Ruth Shepherd Arborlaw PLC Ann Arbor MI USA 734 668 4646 v 734 786 1241 f http://arborlaw.com your company's contract corporate counsel _______________________________________________ Tango-L mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/tango-l
