Learning Tango

Alberto Betancourt

Tango is a pattern of four eight-note beats in a measure of 2/4. This rhythm was originated in Argentina. Some lead sheets of Tango in USA Editions appear in 4/4. There is a great variety of styles and patterns in Tango. The essence of this rhythm is to mark steady the four beats of each bar.
Some Tango patterns for drums:

snare bass-drum

&

r
rhythmic chors in right
C

Basic Piano patterns:

? walking bass in left

j j F j j

G7

.
C

tango-habanera

. b

Let us see some examples of framents in classical tangos: Volver by Carlos Gardel: 8 first bars:

& b j ? b J
Dm

#
G m6 A7

Dm

C7 F

>

> J

## ##

& b .. ? b
C7 Bb6 F

The great Singer and Composer Carlos Gardel was dead in an airplane accident in Medellin, Colombia, in 1935. From then throu our days there is a great love and devotion for tango in that city.

Learning Tango

First 8 bars of "Uno" by Marianito Mores:

# # # n # n # D F # 7/C # Bm A m6 B Em j j j j # # . ? ## J & ## n & ? ## n .

C

##

A7

j n

A7

j .

E m7

E m+5 E m6 Em E m+5

Other fragment of "Uno" from bar 23:

## & . ? ##
D

j # . ... ...

D +5

D6

Em

j # ... ... .

# . . . . . . nnbb
3

## . & ? # # j .
E m6

F#m

# #
F +5 D D M7

# # J j
Em

C#

b b

nnbb

Notice the break effect in rhythm in first 9 bars, and the great force when tango feeling appears again in bar 10.

Learning Tango

First 4 bars of "Nostalgias" by Juan Carlos Cobian:

^ ^ ^ bbb & # > > > n n Cm F m/A b G7 Cm J G7 ? bb n n b n n n

Notice the chromatic bass line in 3 first bars and counterpoint in bar 4.

Other fragment of "Nostagias" from bar 29:

b & b b b ? b bb j b &bb ? b bb
Fm C 7-9

n . . .

b b b n b
j

n . .

. .

n . .

n . .

. nnn nnn

n b n

. jJ

Notice apoggiatura in first beat in bars 1 - 4.

Learning Tango

See left hand with bass line in octaves in "Adios Pampa Mia" by Marianito Mores:

&
C6

. .

C6

..

? >> > > > > > >> & .. j j .. ? >> > >>
C6

G9

> > > > > >> > >

> > > > >> >> . r

> > > > > >> > >

G9

>> >>

Please study all these examples and you will get the tango feeling. As you can see here, left hand has a very creative job in tango. Search your favorite tangos in:
http://www.todotango.com/spanish/biblioteca/partituras/partituras.asp

Good luck and enjoy tango.