Last week we talked about what musicality is versus just musically expressing yourself.
Musicality means you are working with the music. Imagine that you (and your partner) are part of the band. As dancers it's your job to make the sound visible. If you can do that you have musicality.
Musicality is not the most important aspect when it comes to being a great dancer. But if you want to take your dancing to the next level there's no way around it.
So what can I do to improve my musicality?
First you have to understand the music you're dancing to. That means being able to identify the section and the rhythm of a song. Once you are capable of doing that you can consciously make music visible.
To some people that comes easier than to others. Those are mostly people that have a musical background or listen to music actively.
I recently discovered an amazing little tool that helps you to better understand Bachata music.
But before you go and play with it you need to have a basic understanding of the musical structure.
Luckily for Bachata that's rather simple!
#1 The structure of Bachata music
There are three key components to every song:
Sections (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Mambo, Outro)
Frameworks (Derecho, Majao, Mambo)
Rhythms
The current section dictates which frameworks can be used. The current framework dictates which rhythms an instrument can play.
Example: During the verse the instruments usually play in the derecho framework. The derecho framework defines which rhythms are available to each instrument.
Why? The derecho is usually a calmer rhythm that allows the singer to shine. And as we learned last week the verse is where the singer tells the story. Therefore it makes sense that the instruments keep it relaxed.
Why does Bachata music need frameworks?
A framework makes sure that all the instruments fit together. It's a constraint that allows them to collaborate in a way that makes musical sense. Just like in any art form, constraints drive creativity. As dancers we will also make use of these frameworks.
#2 For every section the available frameworks are clearly defined
Except for the intro & outro - where all rules go out of the window - for every section the available frameworks are clearly defined:
Intro/Outro - No fix rules
Verse -> Derecho. How to spot it: The Guira plays on every half beat
Chorus -> Derecho or Majao. How to spot it: The Guira play on every beat
Mambo -> Majao or Mambo. How to spot it: Where the Guitar goes crazy
There are more sections but these are the most important ones
Ok I got it! So what’s this tool you’re telling me about?!
It’s a little application that lets you break down Bachata songs into individual pieces. It helps you to understand which section/structure the song is currently in and you can play around with all the instruments.
Click on the image to access it. Have fun!
Here’s the direct link: http://emusicality.co.uk
Give it a few seconds to load the tracks. Some people also reported that it doesn't work well on mobile.
Once again, all credits go to DJ Pierre for creating this amazing little tool
Why do you force me to learn all this?!
Remember, musicality comes from a place of understanding. You have musicality when you know when it’s appropriate to do certain things (footworks, styling, turns, figures) and when not. In order to know that you need to understand the music.
See you next week where we'll talk about how you can use your newly gained musical knowledge to improve your dancing.
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