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Posts: 3055
Joined: Aug. 30 2008
From: Boston, MA, U.S.A
Tempo Memorization
I've been finding it very useful to be able to roughly pick out certain bpms with no reference. I'll relate certain tempos to certain palos and feels. For instance, 140=relaxed spb/tangos 150=very chill alegrias, spb with a "stronger drive" good for solos 160=alegrias when dancer x is feeling tired, tangos when dancer z had his drink spiked with ecstasy 170=lively alegrias, almost jaleo speed 200=bulerias solo when i have a broken nail 215=fin de fiesta/party-ish bulerias etc.
There are some gray areas for me such as 100-120 and 180-200, where I don't use much outside of training material to get up to speed.
From what I've experienced so far, tempo is a tricky thing and can be affected by mood and energy level and gets worse when dealing with others who don't know about or may not care for metronomes.
So the question is, how can I be more objective with tempo and learn to be more accurate? Or do you think it's not so necessary to be super, super accurate?
Any tips or specific exercises would be really helpful!
So the question is, how can I be more objective with tempo and learn to be more accurate? Or do you think it's not so necessary to be super, super accurate?
Any tips or specific exercises would be really helpful!
You are on the right track, but what you need to do is be more specific rather then general with tempos. What I mean is you have to take a typical song in your head you know really really well, even just to hum it or whatever, get the EXACT tempo, and bam you always have that reference. Do that with a wide range of tempos so that no matter what you have at least one song you can think of that has that tempo.
For example if I want 107 or so, I think of PDL playing entre dos aguas live (the second part Em-D-C-B), for 115 Djobi Djoba of Gypsy Kings, 132 (some folks think of it as 264) is most fast virtuoso buleria such as Jucal or PDL black and white buleria, 144 there is a metal tune I know really well, 160 Cañaveral by Nuñez, 175 la barrosa, 190 zyrab ending, etc...so I think of a specific tune and I got the tempo I need more or less in range of 100 bpm to 200bpm. Anything outside that range can be determined simply by divide by 2 for slower tempo, or multiply by 2 for faster temp.
This will work for tunes you might not be able to play even, but can sing or hear in your head. Give it a try then test yourself later after you have memorized a bunch of tempo markings.
Awesome! Would I have to know how to play these songs or just kind of know them in my head?
And they don't have to be flamenco right?
What do you consider an acceptable margin for error? So say like 152, should I be able to hit that right on or is like 3+/- okay?
Sorry, added to orginal post, no that you don't need to play them, just hear em in your head. and it might be better that they are NOT flamenco so you are not influenced by your own playing too much what you hear in your head as initial tempo reference. Difference between 75 and 80 bpm seems like only 5 ticks, but double the speed and it is the difference between 150bpm and 160bpm. The faster the tempo the wider range of error you should allow for, but in general you will probably be accurate as you say by 3 or so using the "hear it in your head" method.
Difference between 75 and 80 bpm seems like only 5 ticks, but double the speed and it is the difference between 150bpm and 160bpm.
Whoa, that's a good point I haven't considered before. My group and I are working on trying to get a solea escobilla to transition over to solea por bulerias at a lively but comfortable tempo and it's pretty tricky to nail it.
Do you try to sync up a metronome while a song is playing to get its tempo? or is there a better way?
Thank you Anthony and Ricardo. What a great idea! I have never thought to do this but I can see that being able to memorize tempos this accurately is a skill that will be very useful (not just for life saving).
In CPR it is taught to think of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees as it has 103 beats a minute, close to the number of chest compressions needed for cardiopulmonary resuscitation to work.
In CPR it is taught to think of "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees as it has 103 beats a minute, close to the number of chest compressions needed for cardiopulmonary resuscitation to work.
No clue, hombre. Seems familiar though. I was searching for an "astonished face" on Google images and this one felt appropriate. Was just messin' around about Ricardo using a GKs song as a reference. Silly, I know...
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