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What is the evident difference between a tango and a rumba?
Forgive me for the newbie question, but a little of your spare time could answer this question quickly.
I'm confused because both have the same 4/4 rhythm, and even the palmas sound the same. Is it the progression of the chords that make it a tango or a rumba? Sometimes the rumba is even slightly faster or more upbeat than the tango. But that doesn't really mean i favor the one over the other. I actually like tangos very much.
Here's a link in youtube played by Vicente Amigo it's called Tres notas para decir te quiero some people say it's a rumba but i tend, IMO to feel it more of as a tango.
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
I've been confused by the difference, at times. Most of the time, it's pretty apparent. But I can think of two excellent songs from the Vengo soundtrack (La Caita and Remedios Silva Pisa (I think I have these names right)). Those tracks sound like both tangos and rumba, to me.
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
lots of subtle distinctions between the two, and you'll hear a lot of arguments about it.
A couple of things that I've heard, that make sense to me: David el Gamba of Jerez, in a palmas class, said that Tangos uses the foot, ie a stomp on the 1, and rumba doesn't. Rumba, he says, is volando, flying freely. I'd definitely characterize the Vicente piece as volando
Also, a cajon player friend, Patric Oliver of POP percussion, says that tangos emphasizes the 2, in both palmas and cajon, and rumba either drops it entirely or softens it.
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
-tango is (usually) not played in minor key -tango is (usually) slower played then a rumba -rumba has different accents and more syncopated feeling. -tango has (usually) the first beat silenced, rumba starts on beat 1. -...more?
though imo vicente's tres nota's has definitely a rumba feeling not tangos.
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Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
basic rhythmic difference is the rhythmic accents. Tangos accents in 4 count are on 2 and 4....the up beats. Rumba it is important that the accent happens on the & between 2 and 3, but 4 is accented the same. Also, it is ok to have the down beat accented in rumba more so then in Tangos. Truth is the two feels can inter mix somewhat, I say flamencos do many rumbas with more of a tangos feel then vice versa. But it depends.
Here is a good example of a fast tangos that retains the tango feel instead of going all "rumba" just because it is fast:
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
It's the compas that differentiates the two. Note that compas is more than how many beats there are in a bar; it's the "intention" and aire of the music.
I don't have much time at the moment to give you some youtube examples - I'll see if I can find some over the days and post it.
But there definitely are pieces/songs that sit dead between the tangos and rumba. I think Vicente's piece above is one of them so don't pull your hair out trying to define it (I used to, until my teacher - whom I miss terribly since now I live a long way from him - said "It's just music! It's just flamenco!).
Vicente has often mentioned that he likes to create music that is just "music" and does not belong to a palo. You can certainly see that in many of his pieces.
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to CarloJuan)
Rumba has also usually a bit more song form (letra-estribillo-letra-estrbillo), tango's structure is more flamenco, a combination of letras, falsetas, remates. This can mix anyway. Try to listen to the singing (the melody and structure).
RE: distinction between T & R (in reply to felipe)
quote:
ORIGINAL: felipe
Rumba has also usually a bit more song form (letra-estribillo-letra-estrbillo), tango's structure is more flamenco, a combination of letras, falsetas, remates. This can mix anyway. Try to listen to the singing (the melody and structure).