foot tapping / waltz

[smdc66]

hi - just wondering with waltz why you have to tap foot with the um beat only and not the pa pa beat and if one doesnt or tap at all even , what will / won't happen :?:

with tango i believe its ok to tap foot with the um, pa , pa , pa beats

i think someone mentioned a good sign from the audience is when they tap their feet - it doesnt matter how they tap :mrgreen:

hope the above question is not like asking why the sky is blue :?

 

[Glenn]

hope the above question is not like asking why the sky is blue :?

Well its all to do with the refractive index of the air not being constant for all visible wavelengths and at all angles.... bla bla bla...

 

[jarvo]

hi - just wondering with waltz why you have to tap foot with the um beat only and not the pa pa beat and if one doesnt or tap at all even , what will / wont happen :?:

with tango i believe its ok to tap foot with the um, pa , pa , pa beats

i think someone mentioned a good sign from the audience is when they tap their feet - it doesnt matter how they tap :mrgreen:

hope the above question is not like asking why the sky is blue :?

Who says so? The Foot-Tappers and Beat-Keepers Fascists ?..... I actually prefer to thump my heel on the um and tap the foot on the pah.................but then I dont play in a dance band and will probably never be competent enough to either.. :hb



and at Glenn .....smartypants ..... :b :lol: .......go on explain Somewhere Over The......light refracting something or other.......

 

[Anyanka]

Is there a Tapping Rule Book? I hope not...

Basically, do what works for you. I generally like to tap on the emphasised beat, i.e. Tap (two three) Tap (two three) in the waltz - but for a Schottische I would work with beats 1 & 3 in the bar: Tap (two) Tap (four).

If you're struggling with keeping an even tempo, or if the rhythm is complicated/syncopated then you might want to play the tune more slowly than normal and tap on every beat until you can speed it up.

 

[george garside]

My version of foot tapping for waltz ( or any 3/4) is foot down on the beat (UM) and foot up for the offbeats PA PA. It sometimes helps to do a little up and down wiggle on the PA PA something like down up up, down up up or whatever floats your boat.

george

 

[goldtopia]

The first beat as Anyanka says is the emphasis of a single foot tap. If you tap on all beats it may be possible to lose the emphasis and that could confuseany who are dancing to a waltz.

 

[george garside]

The first beat as Anyanka says is the emphasis of a single foot tap. If you tap on all beats it may be possible to lose the emphasis and that could confuseany who are dancing to a waltz.

Spot on Bill - and it helps if playing for actual people waltzing to synchronise a foot with that of the best dancer in the hall

george

 

[jarvo]

" Spot on Bill - and it helps if playing for actual people waltzing to synchronise a foot with that of the best dancer in the hall

George "

And how do you judge that exactly :?: Craig Revel Hall and Bruno Tolleoni (Or very similar without any insult intended) may just not be available as a phone a friend on this one ....................and surely they are dancing to what you....or the band are pushing out......I don't understand .........if your time keeping (however you stamp your foot ,bend a knee whatever) is okay then they should synch to you....no?

mystified................................................but curious :hb

 

[Anyanka]

I agree with Jarvo - the dancers should be following the music in this kind of setup. Playing for Morris is slightly different, in that there's a whole lot of them all needing to synchronise with the music and each other, but when playing for couples, the music should be leading.

 

[george garside]

in a sense its more of an art than a science. Whilst some tune books give a metronome speed for different types of dance at best this can only be taken as a rough guide or maybe a starting point. There are then several other factors to take into consideration, age and fitness of dancers, experience or otherwise of dancers, number of dancers on floor relative to size of said floor, hall or whatever. State of enebriation can also be a factor.

Also tunes need to be aimed specifically within a broad category eg a waltz can be quite brisk and 'swirly' or slow and 'smoochy' and many tunes can be used for either or anything in between.

Another factor effecting tempo and speed can be dictated by the 'caller' (as in person giving instructions to dancers in eg English Ceilidh dancing, barn dances or whatever you want to call them) The caller may signal for an increase or decrease in speed if difficulties are occurring on the floor!.

All that is basic stuff to take into account when playing for dancing , some of it being taken into consideration before you even start playing.

What I try to do is start off at a speed that is roughly likely to work well and then to watch one good dancer. If the good dancer is relaxed and looks like he/she is enjoying the dance all is probably ok. If the good dancer is tending to get a wee bit in frontof the music it may indicate that you need to speed up A LITTLE. If the dancer isn't quite where you think he/she should be at a particular point in a tune yhou may need to slow A LITTLE.

As well as watching feet I watch faces. the more happy smiling faces the nearer you are to getting it right.

There are other factors involved and it is essential that in the early part of a dance the members of a band follow the leader whilst slight speed adjustments are being made.

Its not unlike accompanying a solo singer where the musician follows the singer very closely but the audience thinks the muisician is leading the singer.

Any other thoughts on playing for dancing and indeed on accompanying singers would be of interest as would views on my views etc etc

george

 

[Anyanka]

If the majority of dancers are inexperienced, e.g. at a ceilidh/barn dance, then it might be advisable to keep it slower than 'proper' speed...

 

[george garside]

If the majority of dancers are inexperienced, e.g. at a ceilidh/barn dance, then it might be advisable to keep it slower than 'proper' speed...

Indeed! - this particularly applies to 'one off' ceilidhs/barn dances eg school PTA dances, weddings etc which I tend to play at something on the lines of a ''jaunty walk'' speed. Even that can respond well to ''adjustments'' on the hoof!



george

 

[jarvo]

Are we talking you playing solo here George ...or a band.......?

'Cos I don't see how a band could make the adjustments unless you have an eagle eyed drummist -person and you are all in synch with them....

as a soloist player then okay it's up to you and if this tempo changing works ,then fine...........

 

[george garside]

applies to both solo and band. Band members MUST listen to and stick to the leader like glue so as to make the adjustments required instantly.

Its not as difficult as it sounds and its more down to developing vital listening skills rather than playing ability. I incorporate it into band practices as , to me , it is one of the things that differentiates a ''band'' from a ''motley collection of musicians''.

There is also usually a helpful visual element as well. - watch the bandleaders foot and do the same!!


george

 

[Theo]

Spot on Bill - and it helps if playing for actual people waltzing to synchronise a foot with that of the best dancer in the hall

George

And how do you judge that exactly :?: Craig Revel Hall and Bruno Tolleoni (Or very similar without any insult intended) may just not be available as a phone a friend on this one ....................and surely they are dancing to what you....or the band are pushing out......I dont understand .........if your time keeping (however you stamp your foot ,bend a knee whatever) is okay then they should synch to you....no?

mystified................................................but curious :hb

The most enjoyable way of learning how to play for a waltz, is to learn to dance a waltz. True for other dances too.

 

[Glenn]

Nice idea Theo, but I fear that counts me out.
My 2 left feet are a standing joke in my family and unfortunately there is a body of home made video evidence from various parties and weddings to prove it.

 

[Theo]

I used to be like that too, you just need to find the right teacher. :?

I don't know how you can blame your feet though. Assuming that you can walk with your two left feet where you go left, other left, left, other left, left, other left?

Then in a waltz your feet go left, other left, left, other left, left, other left, or as we technically minded people say left, right, left, right, left, right, . .. now that's not too hard is it?

 

[Glenn]

easy for you to say..... :|

 

[george garside]

~Glenn

what Theo said

plus perhaps playing along with a DVD so as well as hearing the tunes you can watch what the dancers do thereto! I recommend the only DVD featuring Sir Jimmy Shand Dancing with the Shands RDVD064 available from http://www.relrecords.com as it provides a veriety of dance rhythms including the simple tunes My Bonny lies over the ocean and Oh dear what can the matter be played for a st Bernard waltz. It also has the Danish tune that is used for the dance Swedish Masquarade , the Beer Barrel Polka for a dance called the missisipi dip and the very well known tune Shell be coming round the mountain played for a Virginia reel.

And a lot more!

george