When teaching people about the music of Argentine Tango, most teachers focus on the Beat. They gauge a dancer’s ability to “get” tango by how well they can hear and reproduce the beat of Tango Music. This approach is what I call Beat Methodology, and it forms the basis of what’s commonly known as the 8-Count Beat Method — this method is the foundation of the A/B Methodology which IS the standard framework for listening to and interpreting tango music that is typically taught.
Quick Recap
The 8-Count Beat Methodology is where you count the beats: 1, 2, 3, 4 … 8, and so on. There’s no break, no rest — just a continuous counting pattern that creates an arbitrary structure which may or may not actually reflect the music’s underlying storyline. Frequently it does NOT reflect it. But that’s a personal opinion. This method is a holdover from when tango was taught as dance form UNDER the ballroom umbrella. And it’s still there. Is it desirable ? No. Not in my opinion because it doesn’t actually help anyone to learn the music. It teaches and reinforces counting and not actually hearing the musical nuances.
The A/B Methodology uses that 8-count to form a simplified structure: every eight beats becomes an “A” section, the next eight a “B” section, and then back to “A.” But again — it’s arbitrary. It starts at the beginning of the song and just keeps going until the end.
Both systems impose an arbitrary numerical system on the music and often ignore pauses, rests, and — most importantly — the story of the music.
There is another method to accessing the music and that’s known as the 5 Pause Types Methodology. This method is defined here, and an free video lesson here, with open examples here. The 5 Pause Types method has identified 5 common ‘signature’ sounds that exist in every tango, milonga, and vals song. Those signature sounds are markers or ‘rests’ in the music. Those markers in the music create natural musical sentences or ‘phrases’ from a tangotopics perspective. The 5 Pause types respects the story of the music!
All three of these methods rely on an awareness of BEAT!
There’s another way to access the music — one that still includes the beat but doesn’t rely on it. And here’s the fun part: almost everyone, even the so-called beat-challenged, can do play with this stuff instinctively and more importantly without any training! That way is called The Melodic Method.
What is the Melodic Method ?
Tango music contains several specific elements we use when dancing: Beat (which is defined by the tempo or time), Pause, Phrase, Musical Paragraph, Instrument, Rhythm, Accent Note, Syncope (pronounced Sin-co-pah), the 3-3-2 structure, the Marked Rhythm, the Habanera, and of course, La Variación. Within all of that, one element often gets overlooked — the very thing most dancers aspire to interpret as they mature: The Melody.
The melody is more than a line of notes. Technically, it’s a sequence of repeating patterns that co-combine beat, pause, phrase, and parts of the rhythm. But that’s the dry definition. Functionally, the melody weaves together rhythm, beat, tempo, accent notes, syncope, and the singer’s phrasing — all in one coherent thread.
And here’s the beauty of it: none of this requires conscious analysis. You don’t need to know what’s happening technically to respond to it emotionally. You just hear it and think, “Hey! That’s a snappy tune!”
How to Access the Melodic Method.
The most common way is and what most people do is to ‘hum’ along to a song when it moves them. That simple act — humming — is how we access the Melodic Method!
Now here’s the really simple part > If you can hum it, you can dance it. Or more precisely: if you can hum what you’re hearing, then you can move to what you’re humming, and thereby you’re dancing to the melody!
Dancing to the Melody is not specifically dancing to the beat, or to a specific instrument, or rhythmic structure. Dancing to the Melody or what they can hum is NOT wrong. It’s actually one of the most natural ways to engage the music.
Why SOME Teachers Resist This Idea.
Most teachers dismiss this approach. They believe that if someone can’t stay on beat, they’ll never reach “advanced” levels of musical interpretation. And yet, dancing to the melody is an advanced level — it opens up endless possibilities for interpretation, phrasing, and more importantly improvisation.
The problem isn’t that people hum; it’s that teachers often either don’t know how to structure what comes naturally; OR that students do what’s easiest and skip creating clarity with the Beat Methodology. Both of which are valid concerns. I should also point out that failure of clarity in the latter creates the false sense of accomplishment that one doesn’t need to understand Beat Methodology, or the 5 Pause Types. Because if you can hum and dance, then you don’t need the other stuff. Right ? Ummm….Nope. You still do.
Practical Questions.
Does humming the music replace the Beat Methodology?
No. It complements it. Eventually, you’ll want to understand and replicate the beat because it gives your dancing clarity, structure, and definition. Without that foundation, your movements can look unanchored — like you’re wandering. Which is precisely what it does. It wanders.
Does the Melodic Method give you license to play?
Yes and No.
Yes, because melody invites creativity.
No, because creativity still needs form as reference that you are being creative — which is to say that you have to understand the rules before you can bend them.
Can you ignore the 5 Pause Types and just hum your way to Musical Interpretation ?
You could. I did — for years. But I always return to the 5 Pause Types because it gives my dancing structure. Melody inspires expression; pauses create architecture, and Beat defines that architecture!
Can you combine the 5 Pause Types, the Melodic Method, and the Beat Methodology?
Absolutely. In fact, the 5 Pause Types already integrates both! They’re the bridge between the precision of the Beat Method and the freedom of the Melodic Method. And they compliment one another. Whereas the 8 Count Beat Methodology, and it’s successor – the A/B methodology does NOT. In fact it works against it in certain cases.
3 Closing Thoughts.
The Beat gives you clarity.
The Pauses give you structure.
The Melody gives you expression.
And together, they give you a different way of dancing.
So Now What ?
Ok, Miles I hear you. I get what you’re on about. So the beat gives me clarity and I need to be very clean about that. Pauses gives me structure that respects the actual story of the music, and melody gives me expressive options. Do you have anything on your website that actually shows this idea ? Funny you should ask. I do. But for that, you’ll have to be a paying subscriber! There’s an entire section, about 10 videos, on How to Interpret the 5 Pause Types. Remember that the 5 Pause Types actually embeds dancing to the melody as an OPTION.
