Comments on The Unlikely Salsero - Don Baarns: Musical Pulse: Explicit and Implicit (Part 1)

Does a salsa cover of Forget Me Nots exist? If it...

2010-01-17T00:03:35.039-08:00

Does a salsa cover of Forget Me Nots exist? If it doesn't, I think you should make one (or convince someone to), because I think it'll be *hot*!

Deborah: Thanks - I'm always learning and growing,...

2009-06-11T15:57:43.036-07:00

Deborah: Thanks - I'm always learning and growing, and I re-read most of my articles weeks or months later and find plenty of room for improvement. Most of the time I simply get sick of the edit process and throw them out the door, then tune them later.

I always appreciate feedback!

I think you write excellent articles Don. Deborah...

2009-06-11T12:13:14.845-07:00

I think you write excellent articles Don. Deborah Fields Perez
Dance Instructor & Studio Owner

Zannahdoll: Yes... this pulse discussion is part o...

2009-06-08T14:34:08.503-07:00

Zannahdoll: Yes... this pulse discussion is part of my class. Musicians always know the underlying pulse (AKA "count"), and when dancers understand it it's also helpful.

DanceIf: I got my West and East coast swing mixed ...

2009-06-08T14:31:58.244-07:00

DanceIf: I got my West and East coast swing mixed up.

I took about 6 one hour lessons in East coast swing BEFORE I started with salsa. All I remember is triple-step, triple-step, rock step. It took 6 counts to complete the sequence and I remember thinking how interesting that it went over the bar line as you put the sequences together.

I'm way over my head when we start discussing swing, so I have to be more careful with my comments there in a dance context. (I've played big band/small group jazz as a young musician...)

I appreciate your clarifications and comments!

PS: I did edit the original article in an attempt to make it clearer.

Great song selection - the count was very strong. ...

2009-06-08T14:24:34.454-07:00

Great song selection - the count was very strong. I also enjoyed your explanation of implicit vs. explicit. It this a taste of your musicality workshop?

The swing world has a triple step concept that cut...

2009-05-30T20:06:05.125-07:00

The swing world has a triple step concept that cuts through the music and at points, actually ignores the music. (In musical terms: It goes over the bar lines...)In west coast swing, a "pattern" will frequently go over a bar line, but for a triple step to do so (deliberately) is rare.

Which is to say
walk walk triple step [bar] triple stepand
walk walk [bar] triple step triple stephappen often, but
walk walk triple [bar] step triple step walk [bar] walk triple step triple [bar] stepalmost never do.

If we kick the discussion level up a notch or two, then maybe it happens sometimes. If we break the movement down....

step step step ball-changeis our standard "walk walk triple step". So what's this:
step step ball-change stepThere are some benefits to thinking of this as "step triple-step step", in which case then yes the triple could go over the bar lines.

That said, the prevailing thought at the moment is that we are really still dancing
"walk walk triple step", using a rhythm syncopation on the triple. From that mind set, the triple doesn't cross the bar.

Of course, if you throw in a bar with an odd number of beats in it, all bets are off.

BTW - In the Dance Dictionary link you posted look...

2009-05-27T15:13:50.609-07:00

BTW - In the Dance Dictionary link you posted look at the definitions of "Count" and they relate directly to my "Pulse" concept.

DanceIf: Thanks for the feedback! I'll look at rev...

2009-05-27T11:50:44.673-07:00

DanceIf: Thanks for the feedback! I'll look at revising this and republishing to make things clearer.

Skippy's "pulsing" is different than my definition of pulse. The swing world has a triple step concept that cuts through the music and at points, actually ignores the music. (In musicial terms: It goes over the bar lines...)

Skippy has forgotten more about dancing than I've ever known, and I have great respect for her and her system. I'm still evaluating some aspects of it to see the musicial fit.

Some things don't fit for me, and I'm figuring out if it's simply my ignorance, or just a different point of view.

I'm always learning!

Two thoughts 1) is "pulse" the term you want to u...

2009-05-27T06:36:54.744-07:00

Two thoughts

1) is "pulse" the term you want to use, given that you are using it in a way distinct from Skippy et al? (See Pulsing: http://www.swingworld.com/dance_dictionary.htm)

2) You could really improve the comprehension of your audience by defining your terms (explicit vs implicit) much earlier in this essay.

Haha, I was watching Men In Black just before I re...

2009-05-26T23:28:13.621-07:00

Haha, I was watching Men In Black just before I read this post-- how weird! Keep up the great work!