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Music Master

The Treble

General Comparison || Time of Music || Identifying of Music || Some Hints || Indian Classical || Sample Dance Music || Beats & Bars || Beats! What's it? ||

Music
Prior to learning to dance one must know a little about music, such as the beats, bar, tempo, phrase, etc.

Beats
This is the regular thumping one hears in the music. Most of us know of this, at least subconsciously, since the introduction to music starts from the childhood. One example to demonstrate this is the singing that occurs in a group when on a picnic or such other activity. Assume that there is no accompanying musical instrument. In such a case there would invariably be the clapping of the hands. This clapping of the hands are the beats.

Bar
For all the dances falling under the Dance-Sport one can safely assume that the bar is a set of beats, and there are two, three, or four beats to bar (set). Generally the first beat is distinct from the rest.

Phrases in Music
Laaaa, La la laaaa, are phrases. Any musical instrument can give such phrases as well. These phrases normally start and end at the first beat of the bar. The start and end of the phrase could have a single or a couple of bars between them. In the diagram below, is a hypothetical case; the various coloured curving lines are the various phrases in a piece of music.
When you tap with the beats there should be no sound from the tap. However the feeling should be that the tap sound is coming from the music in the form of the beats.

It would be advisable to confirm your knowledge of the beats and the bar, from a dance or the music expert, even if you are sure. The other alternative is to check with at least ten of your friends; and if at least seven of them agree with you means that you are on the right track.

General Comparison || Time of Music || Identifying of Music || Some Hints || Indian Classical || Sample Dance Music || Beats & Bars || Beats! What's it? ||