Category: Vocabulary

When talking about Milonga, there are 2 things that have to be addressed in a specific order: 1.) The Musical Component. And 2.) The Vocabulary Component.

The Musical Reminder.

Milonga, the musical style or ‘genre’, has a very specific rhythm which is called the ‘Habanera’. This rhythm is what gives Milonga its signature sound. You must first be able to hear the Habanera, and identify it. Secondly you must be able to discern it’s note structure clearly. Failure to do this and you’re going to have a bitch of a time later on. This is why you see so many people doing what I call ‘racing’ milonga. This is where they literally race around the room, thinking that just because they’re going fast, this is dancing Milonga. It’s not. It’s going fast.

What is the Habanera Rhythm ?

The Habanera consists of 4 notes that repeat constantly. A strong “1” beat note, followed by a strange note called the “El Golpe” Note (EGN), then a weaker “2” beat, and a clear closure “AND” note. This is the Habanera Rhythm as shown below:

This is the Habanera Rhythm > “1”, “EGN”, “2”, “AND” and it is what gives Milonga music its unique and signature sound. The funny part is that this rhythm is nearly identical across hundreds of Milonga songs. It never changes. Most rhythms in Tango music change with the wind or so it seems. Not so with the Habanera. This rhythm is in each and every Milonga.

What is the ‘El Golpe’ Note ?

Before we can talk about the ‘El Golpe’ note, we have to back up for a moment. I want you to imagine 4 notes that are equally distant from each other. And to create a bit of distinction here, I want to give each of these 4 notes a unique name.
The first note we will call it “Strong 1”. The second note we will call it “1st AND”. The third note we will call “Weak 2”. And the fourth note we will call “2nd AND”. So the structure of these four notes would look like > “Strong 1”, “1st AND”, “Weak 2”, “2nd AND”. Also remember that these notes are equally distant from each other meaning that they’re all played at the same tempo. Capice ?

The “El Golpe” note, which means “the hit” in spanish, would occur between the “1st AND” and the “Weak 2”, but is closer to the “Weak 2” than it is to midpoint between the “1st AND” and “Weak 2”. The “El Golpe” Note (EGN) is what gives Milonga Music its unique sound, and the Habanera Rhythm it’s signature “lilt”.

Candombe is NOT Milonga.

There are songs that are, unfortunately, played as Milongas that are NOT Milongas in a Milonga Tanda. A good example of this is “Toca Tango” by Juan Carlos Caceras. This is NOT a Milonga. It is at best a Candombe and even that’s a stretch. Or another confusing example that is NOT Milonga that is often played in a Milonga tanda is “La Colegiala” by Enrique Rodrigues. This is a FOXTROT and NOT a Milonga. And the way that you know that these are NOT Milongas is they DO NOT CONTAIN A HABANERA RHYTHM! Further if you are hearing actual drums in what’s being played in a Milonga tanda, this is more than likely a Candombe and NOT a Milonga. Further a Foxtrot is 4/4 time not 2/4 as Milonga would be. In the end when you hear a DJ mixing Candombe or FoxTrots as Milonga, IMO it is not only not desirable, it’s confusing at best and should not be done, ever IMO.

The Musical Facts.

Before you can start to do anything in Milonga. You must be able to hear the Habanera Rhythm and hear it clearly. You must be able to discern it, and tease it out each of the 4 notes of the Habanera. If you can not do this, then attempting to dance to the Music of Milonga and more importantly, dancing the Habanera, will be next to impossible. I do not want to intimidate you because there are so many teachers out there that talk about Milonga as it is easy and accessible. This is NOT true in my opinion. It is challenging and can be difficult to master. But that mastery starts with the discernment of first the beat of Milonga which is the “1”, “2” of the Habanera. Then to be able to clearly identify first the closing “AND”. And finally to tease out the EGN, clearly and consistently!

The Vocabulary Descriptions. 

This article serves as a reminder for the base vocabulary of Milonga. It’s a forerunner for a longer series that I have been sitting on for nearly 5 years, and I’m now in the process of editing for release. This video reminder leaves it to the viewer to play with these ideas musically and does not impose a solution as to how to interpret the music in its application. Further, this is NOT a deep dive of the vocabulary; it is only a cursory overview. The application of the technique in adherence with the Music will come later in the year. It’s an 10-part series that goes into great depth of Milonga’s vocabulary and how to use it with single-time Milonga as well as with the Habanera Rhythm itself!

Lastly, what’s above is only a sample video of the first piece of vocabulary. If you want to see the rest, then please register as a subscriber to watch the full video above. What’s here will be a description of that overview of the vocabulary of the Dance (Milonga). 

1.) ‘Scissor Steps’ (Part 1 Duration 05:54 | Part 2  – Duration 05:15) are cross-body steps that engage ‘opposition’ in order to function properly. If you are not aware of what ‘opposition’ is or why it’s important, then please refer to the tangotopics lexicon on this subject. Scissor Steps are where the Lead is facing perpendicular to the lane (not line) of dance, and steps across their walking position from left to right, and the Follower is led to step right to left at a 45-degree angle perpendicular to the lane of dance. Typically, Scissor Steps are done in the line of dance, down the line of dance. While they are typically done in a linear fashion, they can be done on the circular. However, in this video, they’re only shown on the linear. It should be noted that doing them on the circular would go against the line of dance at some point, which is why they’re not taught or done on the circular. Further along those lines, you can do them on the circular but only when there is lots of space ahead of you and behind you. Typically, Scissor Steps are the basis of everything you do with Milonga vocabulary. They’re also the basis of Milonga Traspie Vocabulary (Pron: ‘Tras-PEE-Ay’).

Side Bar: Milonga Traspie is based on a step that’s very similar to this idea. Where the step is partially weighted on each beat very similar to a ‘Check Step’ or ‘Incremental Step’ in Tango. The only difference is the timing is usually done on the El Golpe note which doesn’t exist in Tango or Vals but does exist in Milonga.

2.) ‘Box Figure’ (Duration 05:30). These are typically, 1 step forward, 1 step back and 2 step sides for either role. The steps form a box or a square. This pattern usually creates a problem navigationally IF and ONLY IF they are not angled properly so that the ‘BOX’ forms a diamond shape within the LANE of dance. The problem is if you employ the typical box step ( See Pattern Below ) within the LANE and LINE of dance, then the Lead stepping back is taking a step backwards against the LINE of dance! Which we do not want to do. So to prevent this from happening we ‘angle’ or rotate the box so it becomes a diamond shape within the LANE of dance. And now the backstop doesn’t interfere with the LINE of dance! 

Lead > Forward on the right, Collect with the Left, Side with the Right, Collect with the Left, Back with the Left, Collect with the Right, Side with the Left and Collect with the Right.

Follower > Back with the Left and Collect with the Right, Side with the Left and Collect with the Right, Forward, on the Right and Collect with the Left, and Side with the Right and Collect with the Left

Typically Box Figures are done in a Parallel system and in outside partner fashion. Meaning that the Lead is stepping outside the Follower’s standing foot. This ’figure’ also employs opposition on both forward and back steps. Typically. However, they can be done in a Cross system. However, doing so creates unintended and awkward movements that are not typically done in Milonga. You’ll note that in the description above of the Box Figure, that the implied weight changes are all done with the partner. These are known as ‘with weight changes’. Meaning to change the weight WITH your partner at the same time. If the Lead changes weight, or changes the weight of the Follower, intentionally or unintentionally, then the couple has moved from a Parallel system into a Cross system, which will create problems that can only be resolved in an Ocho variation or a Traspie variation. And the OCHO variation in this case is either Type 1 (Lazy) or a Type 3 (Traveling), or a Type 7 (Milonga).

It’s important to recognize that we want the Box Figure to be small and contained. We do not want this figure to take up too much space, no more space than a Baldosa Tile. The Baldosa Tile is/was a standard tile size in Argentina for a time, and refers to a specific size and style of floor tile that was common in all hard surfaces in most ‘dance halls’ in Argentina. Typically those dance halls were in converted basement or 1st floor spaces that contained big patterned tiles. And those tiles are called Baldosa tiles. And those tiles are where the figure gets its colloquial name from > The Baldosa Box Step! Because the step usually traces the corners of the tile size and shape!.

One last thing, the Box Figure itself has a series of Traspie Variations that can be employed on every step > Forward, Side, or Back depending on where you are in the Habanera in relation to the figure itself.

3.) ‘Common Box Figure Variation’ (Duration 05:54). There are loads of variations of the Box Figure itself. However in this example we are only adding a singular common variation, which is to add a 2nd walking step!

Lead > Forward on the Right and THEN forward with the Left and Collect with the Right. Then Side with the Right and Collect with the Left. Weight Change. Back with the Right, Collect with the Left. Side with the Left and Collect with the Right.

Follower > Backward on the Left and THEN backward with the Right and Collect with the Left. Then Side with the Left and Collect with the Right. Weight Change. Forward with the Left, Collect with the Right. Side with the Right and Collect with the Left.

The variation occurs in the 2 forward steps for the Lead and the 2 backward steps for the Follower, as well as calling out the necessary weight change to maintain the Parallel walking system. Failure to invoke that weight change and we end up in the Cross system and a stumble! The result is that the Follower will stumble because they’re being led to a side step that IS NOT possible from a standing or weighted foot. Their weight is on their RIGHT, and they’re being asked to move a weight foot which is NOT possible, hence a potential stumble. I say potential because the Follower may solve the problem by moving the free foot, in this case their LEFT, which will generate a Cross system solution and further repetition. Where the only way back to the Parallel system is either Ochos, 3-track walking, or a weight change in the Lead. 

And again, this variation has a problem, like all Box Figures, that it only works in the Line of Dance IF and ONLY IF it is angled and rotated slightly. Remember that the Lead’s backstep should NOT go directly backward, but rather ‘curves’ a bit on the diagonal towards the inner track of the lane of dance.

This variation works really well employing the idea of musical alternation. Where we invoke a Box Figure, then a Box Figure Variation, then a Box Figure, and another Box Figure Variation. This variation also works really well with a host of Traspie variations on every single step!

4.) Horacio’s Figure or El Antilugio (Duration 04:10) This is a very, very recent addition to Milonga vocabulary that has become popular in certain places. It’s best described as ‘cross step’, ‘touch-tap’, ‘cross step’. Meaning that the couple crosses as though they were in a scissor step (cross step), and then extends the free leg and then touches the floor in a tap (touch-tap) very similar to Traspie, and then does an opposite cross-step in the opposite direction, and then repeats. This vocabulary is typically done in the LANE of dance and angled perpendicular to it.

5.) Milonga Rebotes (Duration 08:55)  These are best described as disassociative moves for one or both roles at the same time (think of a Linear Ocho), where we then engage in an extension (forward, side, or back), and then resolve in one of two ways: a.) Back to the position we started in, OR b.) Into another Rebote. Typically the Rebote is done in the Lane of Dance and perpendicular to it.

6a.) The Milonguero Turn – See The Existing Articles on Technique. This turn is insanely perfect for Milonga. The reason ? Is that it can be done in 2 or 3 notes, and the best part is that there is NO disassociation, which means it’s only straight walking and crosses! As a result, it can be applied in various sub-divisions of the Habanera (detailed below).

6b.) Follower’s Molinete/Lead’s Giro Turn – See The Existing Articles on Technique. This turn has a slight problem with it. It’s the disassociations that take place, they need to be short, and compact. Further the 3 steps don’t necessarily fit because the length of the steps have be very short. I’m not saying that it can’t work, but there’s a way that it can work if you do one thing > Shorten the Side Step to the point of a weight transfer! Doing this makes a Habanera subdivision work just fine. Oh and BTW this solution also works really well for Vals!

7.) Media Luna – See The Existing Articles. This is another PERFECT turn for Milonga and part of the reason it works is because it’s 3 steps. But again, you have to shorten the side step to a weight transfer.

8.) Linear or Circular Ocho Cortado – See The Existing Articles on Technique.
9.) Single Axis Turn (example shown only for subscribers)  – See The Existing Articles on Technique.
10.) Argentine Cross (example shown only for subscribers)  – See The Existing Articles on Technique. This particular crossing step can work in Milonga but you have to do some set up to make it work.

Total Duration – 13:10. These last 5 are common moves borrowed from Tango. The only difference here is that they’re done in time to the “1”, “2”, “AND” of the Habanera. It should be noted that the “El Golpe” note is excluded for obvious reasons.

Milonga Lisa and Milonga con Traspie.

Once, not that long ago, Milonga Lisa was all the rage. It was all anyone danced. It was thought, at the time, that to attempt to dance all 4 notes of the Habanera was considered fun, crazy, but fun. As time passed people began to drop one of those notes and danced the “1”, “2”, “AND” structure or danced one of the 4 common sub-divisions of the Habanera Rhythm. And then along came Daniel Trenner, Pedro “Tete” Rusconi, and Daniel’s Bridge to the Tango videos that introduced people to the idea of a “Traspie” or a stumble step (which is what Traspie means) as a way to access the EGN and Milonga con Traspie was born. Oddly enough there is a relationship between the EGN (which means ‘the hit’) and the Traspie and that relationship is a controlled contained deliberate stumble. Which is more like a touch tap more than anything else.

The reason I mention any of this stuff is because all of that material above can be danced as Milonga Lisa or Milonga con Traspie!

The Miles Musical Milonga OPINION. 

Now that I have reminded you of the vocabulary of the dance, I would be remiss if I didn’t remind you of the overall importance of learning HOW to hear the Music of Tango above all else, and then using that same information to apply to Milonga. First, we must hear clearly:

a.) The Beat of Milonga (the “1”, or the “1”, “2”)
b.) The Habanera Rhythm and the Subdivisions. (see below ‘dancing the habanera’)
c.) The Musical Pauses of Milonga.
d.) The Sincopé (pron: Seen-Coh-Pah) and 332 elements.
e.) The Overall Structure of a Song.

It’s only at this point that, in my opinion, I ‘break milonga’ and focus on hearing the Habanera by itself, independent of everything else. I believe, and this is a hill I will die on, that learning to pick out the Habanera above all else forces you to be clean in applying the vocabulary above. Because if you can’t hear what you’re dancing to, there’s no point in doing anything!

Notation: When it comes to tango music, I don’t count beats, I label them, but don’t count them. I believe that counting beats is useless and teaches the dancer nothing about what specifically they’re supposed to be listening for. I teach listening skills, not counting skills. Below when you see “1”, “2” these are labels to help identify what you’re hearing, and nothing more than that.

There are 5 ideas to Dance to the Music of Milonga (note what I said – the Music of Milonga):

1.) Milonga in Single Time means that you’re dancing on EVERY other beat, or on the “1”. What this does is a.) Divorces the Habanera Rhythm itself from the Beat of the Music. And truth be told there are Milongas where the Habanera literally disappears and you have to keep time until it comes back. b.) It changes the tempo of Milonga from a 2/4 time signature to a 4/4 time signature. Which in layman’s terms means that we just slowed down the Milonga. What this does is makes the music and its nuances that much more accessible because we’re no longer focused on the tempo of the music. I have an entire video on doing precisely this > go look at “Milonga-In-Single-Time”. 

Now if you want to be fancy, and really play with a toy, you could dance on the “2” and only the “2” of the Beat structure, and not necessarily the “2” of the Habanera. Because while the “2” is there in the Habanera, there are Milongas where the Habanera is partially obscured and/or goes away entirely for a portion of the song!

There are some very important reasons why we would want to engage in Milonga in Single Time. One of them is that typically what happens with Milonga, which MOST FOLLOWERS HATE, is the ‘racing’ around the floor bits that happen because the Lead only hears the comingled tempo and rhythm/beat and thinks that this is Milonga. It’s not. It’s racing the Follower around the floor which is NOT desirable. So instead we engage in a Milonga-in-Single-Time to alleviate this problem. And in my opinion this is ideally how you would start the tanda. It keeps the music of milonga and the vocabulary accessible to yourself and your dance partner! Imma jus sayin’. That whole > ‘here! let’s race around the floor for 3 minutes’ thing isn’t a whole lot of fun. You want to build up to it and do it in a constructive clear way. This is one way to get there.

2.) Milonga in Normal Time means that you’re dancing the same thing as Milonga In Single Time, only this time you’re hitting the “1”, “2” ONLY, but not the ‘El Golpe Note’ or the following “AND” at the end of the Habanera. This is slightly harder to do than it sounds, and to do well. Further still in order to complete the sequence of clarity in what you’re attempting to do, you’re RESPECTING THE PAUSES. Failure to do this and you’re, again, racing around the floor! Which is NOT desirable. However, this is NOT dancing the Music of Milonga. It’s dancing to the BEAT of Milonga. It’s respecing the Beat but not the notes of the Habanera.

3.) The First Variation of the Habanera. In this idea we dance the “1”, “2”, “AND” but not the “El Golpe Note” (which is what defines it as Milonga). This is where you’re actually Dancing to the Music of Milonga. HOWEVER, you are not Dancing the Habanera.

4.) Dancing the El Golpe Note. This is where things get interesting. We can dance on one of a few subdivisions of the Habanera. Like > “1”, “El Golpe”, “2”. Or “1”, “El Golpe”, “AND”. Or “El Golpe”, “2”, “AND”. Subdivisions ? What does that mean ? It means that you can not dance all 4 quarter notes of the Habanera, not reliably well, and consistently. Doing so would be exceptionally tiring. So instead we make an informed and logical choice by grouping 3 of the notes together which can create some unique and really fun sub-divisions of the Habanera depending on the orchestrations. This is typically where we would invoke a Traspie specifically on the “El Golpe” note.

5.) Dancing the Ancillary. Typically, Milonga contains a lot of ancillary ideas such as trills at the end of the phrase, or ‘runs’ in the phrase, or sincopé at the beginning or ends of the phrase, and/or hitting the 332 of Milonga. If you dance to just these items and divorce everything else, it’s entirely possible to dance to the Music of Milonga in a very unique and interesting way. However, in this instance, you’re no longer Dancing to the Habanera. It’s only loosely dancing defined as dancing to a Milonga because there’s milonga music playing.

Dancing to the Music of Milonga vs. Dancing to the Habanera ?

Up until now I have made it appear that you want to dance ONE or THE OTHER. The fact is that you want to dance BOTH of these ideas. Read that again.

Let me be clear here. You do want to dance both of these ideas, but you want to do them one right after the other not together. You want to get so good to the point where you can turn it on and off like a switch. And that requires a lot of practice, and a lot of listening skills (both of those skills I teach thru a variety of methods).

In short you want to dance to the music of milonga, and then the habanera, one after the other in a structure. And what should that structure be ? Pairs of ideas!

Follow me on this one.

Typically there are an even number of Musical Pauses in a Paragraph. So for the sake of argument let’s assume that there are 6 in a given Milonga paragraph. When you hear a pause you change your vocabulary choices. So at the pause, you pick a piece of vocabulary and between one pause to the next is a “phrase”, and inside that “phrase” you would dance a figure. Capice ?

An Idea > you would dance two of the same figures back to back WITHOUT hitting the El Golpe Note (EGN) using the “1”, “2”, “AND” idea. And then you pick a new figure and dance those two figures back to back where you do invoke the EGN like so > “1”, “EGN”, “AND” or “1”, “EGN”, “2”. This leaves you 2 more pauses and 2 more “phrases” You would then dance 1 figure each of the preceding figures, one WITH the EGN, and one WITHOUT it. And so you really nail it, you would swap the figure that invoked the EGN with the figure that didn’t!

Using this kind of structured methodology creates a kind of ordered framework where you are deliberately choosing to hit the EGN in very specific places!

It should be noted, and this is a huge notation: There are times in a given paragraph where the EGN is present and there are times when it is NOT! You must be able to hear the differences. This is why I teach listening skills first and foremost before doing anything else in Milonga.

The Wrap Up.

Honestly, there is so much here that you could literally spend years on this stuff and never hit bottom. What’s above is the barest hint of playing with the Music and the Vocabulary itself.

My advice ? Learn to hear the music first and foremost. The vocabulary itself is secondary to that. Honestly, if you can walk on the strong “1” and weaker “2”, there’s nothing wrong with that. BTW doing so is actually a thing, and it is called > “Milonga Lisa”. It gets the job done. If you can apply the vocabulary above with that same methodology, then you’re starting to play with Milonga. Adding in the “El Golpe” note and its interesting sub-divisions is where Milonga and Milonga Traspie becomes a bit more interesting and challenging.

This process, if you do it right, should take you about a year of social dancing and clarity BEFORE you actually start dancing Milonga properly and safely.