Musical Structure of Argentine Tango
It’s easy to spot the Argentine tango as a dance.
If a couple is dancing in a close embrace, with the man leading and the woman following, they are most likely dancing the Argentine tango. If their movements exude a sensual, dramatic quality, that’s another clue.
The Argentine tango is a very particular dance.
However, if you shift your focus to the musical structure, you’ll find that it, too, is quite specific.
Dancing the tango can seem impossible for beginners if you don’t understand Argentine tango musicality.
Of course, experts will say to rely on your partner and your emotions when you dance, but if you don’t understand the musicality, you’ll never be able to follow your partner’s lead properly or feel what the music is trying to convey.
It’s true; dancing the Argentine tango isn’t just about the music, but the two will always be inseparable because music is integral to dance.
So, what does Argentine tango music sound like and how is it structured? What makes it so different from other types of music?
Tango dance is prevalent worldwide, and it’s high time you discover how tango music can also touch your soul.
A Brief History of Argentine Tango Music
You can trace tango’s origins back to the late 1800s in Buenos Aires. At the time, the city was a melting pot of cultures, with people from all over Europe and South America coming to live and work there. Tango music emerged from this cultural melting pot, drawing on various influences.
According to MasterClass,
tango music combines European salon music and traditional dances like minuet with African rhythms.
You could find tango in other countries, but Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay were where the music really became a new genre. Musicians like Rosendo Mendizábal, Vicente Greco, and Carlos Gardel further developed it until it reached other parts of the world.
Tango music went through eras and ages.
From 1935 to 1952, the music was in its Golden Age, and leading bandleaders from the United States started to bring this new genre to the mainstream.
During this age, tango also had a schism when bandleaders perpetuated established tango styles and brought them into more experimental realms. And years later, the “new tango” emerged.
Tango nuevo, or “new tango,” was pioneered by tango evolutionist Astor Piazzolla.
MasterClass said:
“There was mutual admiration between Piazzolla and New York jazz musicians, which further engrained tango into the culture of the United States. In newer forms of tango, such as the jazz style of tango music, improvisation is common, blending jazz with the influences of European classical music and Latin American folk music in traditional tango.”
Tango music’s development is a story of defiance and innovation. Tango’s history is full of people willing to break the rules, experiment, and take risks.
Even now, there are various tango subgenres that you can enjoy. But, no matter what form it takes, one thing remains the same: Argentine tango music always has that unique, inimitable sound. How so?
The Basic Tango Structure
Tango structure is best understood when you start from the beginning.
In music, the basic unit of measurement is the beat. Without the beat, a song would be a mess of sounds.
Tango, however, doesn’t stick to a 4/4 time signature, unlike other genres. You’ll find that tango has a 2/4 or sometimes even a 3/4 time signature (tango vals).
This detail alone gives the music a particular lilt you can’t find in other genres.
Most tango music, according to Tangology 101, has the following elements:
Five sections
Four phrases per section
Four measures per phrase
Four beats (two “strong” downbeats and two “weak” beats) per 4/4 time measure
You can describe tango’s structure as “ABAB” or “ABABC,” with C having a different structure than the other sections. Sections can be long or short, and tango dancers must listen for when each section starts and ends.
Tangology 101 looks at A sections as verses and B sections as the chorus or refrain. The first A section is almost always instrumental, and the second and third can either be the same or sung. These depend on the orchestra and on whether they use a singer or not.
“In tango, the verses are usually musically similar. So, if you pay attention to the first verse, it is likely that the next verses will follow a similar pattern. Also, verses are usually more melodic in nature.”
On the other hand, B sections are usually repeated twice. They typically sound and feel more upbeat and rhythmic than A sections, but variations can also happen. The “C” in “ABABC” is usually an instrumental solo that follows a different structure from the A and B sections. Not all tangos follow this musical structure, but this is the most common form.
Tango Rhythm, Melody, and Phrases
In any genre, it’s usually challenging to differentiate rhythm and melody. But according to Tangology 101,
the rhythm is each individual sound, and the melody is the waveform of those sounds.
The challenge for listeners and dancers is identifying which of the two is dominant.
For dancers, if both are equally dominant, the leader will decide how they dance accordingly.
As mentioned earlier, every five tango sections have four phrases, and every phrase has four measures or eight single-time beats. You have a total of 32 single-time beats. But, phrases are not just in the single-time beats. Understanding it isn’t about consciously counting the beats. Instead, it’s about “feeling” where the phrases start and end. Tangology 101 beautifully described phrases as:
“I like to think of a tango as a story, each section as a paragraph, each phrase as a sentence and each beat as a word. While words (beats) do convey meaning, the sentence (phrase) is really the most important thing to express.”
When listening to tango music, dissecting the rhythm, melody, and phrases will help you identify the song’s structure. Understanding every section, phrase, measure, and beat will make sense of the whole piece. Doing so is also critical for dancing because it will help you know when to start and end each move.
Tango’s musical structure becomes even more challenging when you consider its variations.
Different orchestras play tango music differently, so you’ll find that some aspects vary from song to song. The tempo can also change, which is essential for dancers to know.
Once you’ve become familiar with the basic structure of the Argentine tango, you can start exploring the variations.
Tango Music Instruments
It’s also astounding when you begin to decipher which instruments are played in a typical tango orchestra.
You’ll find it beguiling to know every instrument that makes this and that sound and how all of them come together to produce the unique Argentine tango music the world knows and loves.
According to MasterClass, traditional tango and its orchestra feature the following instruments:
Double bass
Guitar
Bandoneon
Violin
Flute and clarinet
Piano
Vocals
The number of each instrument depends on the size of the orchestra.
For example, a larger orchestra will have more than one bandoneon, violin, flute, and clarinet. The double bass or contrabass is the glue that ties the sound of the tango orchestra together. It provides the music’s foundation or “pulse” by playing the lowest note in each chord.
The bandoneon is a type of accordion that’s closely associated with Argentine tango music. You’ll find that most tango orchestras have at least one bandoneon, and sometimes two or more.
The guitar usually plays the lead melody in tango music, but it can also play chords to support the bandoneon and other instruments. The piano is another instrument that plays both the lead melody and chords.
The flute, clarinet, and violin often play together in a “tango trio.” As said by Hello Music Theory, the flute provides the “soprano voice to the tango ensemble.” The clarinet is often played by the same musician that plays the flute. And, the violin’s range of notes increases “the drama of any tango song.”
Vocals are not always present in tango music, but when they are, they usually sing the lead melody line.
Tango Musicality
If tango is such a complex musical genre, how is it possible for dancers to make movements flow with the music?
Tango musicality is the ability to feel and express music through movement. Musicality is not just about moving to the beat or rhythm of the music, it’s also about understanding the melody, harmony, and phrasing of the music and using this knowledge to inform your movements.
Dancers with good musicality can make even the most simple movements look and feel like they’re a part of the music.
Musicality often separates “good” dancers from “great” dancers. Musicality is also what makes tango such a beautiful and captivating dance to watch.
When done well, it looks like the dancers are floating across the floor, their movements seemingly effortless and perfectly harmonious with the music.
Tango is “complex,” but as Endre Tango said,
“Tango music is built of predictively repetitive parts!… Simple in its complexity. Try to hear the repetitive sequences in other songs too! All classic tango music can be dissected the same way.”
You don’t have to rush your musicality. Tango is a lifetime dance and music; your musicality will grow and develop over time. The more you dance and listen to tango music, the more tango imprints on your body and soul. And, the more you have tango in yourself, the more you’ll be able to express the music through your movements.
Those Who Made Tango Music
You can develop a more profound interest and appreciation for tango music by learning about the people behind its creation and evolution. After all, Argentine tango is a living music genre that continues to evolve.
Rosendo Mendizábal
Rosendo Mendizábal was the first tango musician of note, and Vicente Greco was one of the first tango bandleaders who introduced the tango sextet ensemble.
Singer Carlos Gardel was the one who popularized singing tango, and his untimely death was the beginning of the music’s Golden Age.
Astor Piazzolla pushed tango nuevo with “Adiós nonino” and his other compositions. And generation after generation, the world saw countless noteworthy tango musicians, such as Julio Sosa, Carlos di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, and more.
If you listen to these tango musicians, you can hear how the music genre has evolved. Each artist and composer put their own spin on tango, making it more interesting and rich in tango flavor.
The more you explore tango music by different artists, the more you’ll understand its musical structure and feel its unlikeness.
Argentine Tango: Music For Your Soul
It can be intimidating to start learning the Argentine tango. But, as you can see, there’s so much more to this dance than meets the eye.
Tango is a complex and beautiful music genre, perfect for those who want to explore the depths of their soul.
After all, much like Naxos Musicology International says:
“In truth, tango is a multidimensional popular art form that encompasses dance, music and poetry.
Distinct musical elements identify tango such as rhythm, instrumentation, phrasing, form, harmony and melody. Distinct dance elements visually define tango such as the embrace, a connection between partners and an expression of the music through basic steps and figures. Distinct literary elements, often unnoticed outside of the Spanish-speaking world, also describe the tango, especially themes of sadness, lost love, betrayal, nostalgia, loss of innocence, the fallen woman, disillusionment and fatalism.”
With tango, especially the music, you can express yourself in ways you never thought possible. When you learn about its musical structure, it’s natural to feel lost and overwhelmed, but that’s part of the learning process.
Musicality is about identifying all the layers that make up the music and understanding how they work together to create a beautiful melody.
Tango music requires time to appreciate the complexities. As you continue to explore tango music, you’ll find it more interesting. Take your time, enjoy the journey, and let the tango music speak to your soul!