Yes!! I kept getting confused due to some discrepancy between how people counted / explained vs. danced Zouk. With this video, things became crystal clear for me. Thank you!!
I love how you are explaining this! I teach zouk and a lot of times we have to stick with the 1,3,4,5,7,8 or Doom Chick Chick being really rigid at first (like you showed!) so that beginners can understand it but it really isn't how we clap to or recognize. When you point out how the tresillo sounds like zouk but the 1,3,4 doesn't that's the exact sticking point I have with students as they advance because most people don't have a music background. So I have to explain it without musical terms....so I usually end up having to sing it or make sounds to emphasize the tresillo rather than a rigid 1,3,4 haha
This sounds correct, thank you! I wonder why they teach it as boom chik chik instead of boom boom chik. It'd make more sense that way. (I know the boom represents the regular 4 beats, but it's more confusing that way.)
If you’re dancing boom boom chik then you’re not stepping on that syncopated beat (the one in the middle of the tresillo pattern). If you’re dancing boom chik chik, then you are stepping on that syncopated beat that comes 1/16 note before beats 2 and 4.
This is so amazing!!! I've struggled a lot to find what works musicality. I love what you just did here. Please do a follow-up video with such breakdown for Zouk. Thank you!!
As someone who doesn't dance Zouk, but is studying music and how it influences dance, I found this very helpful! One question though: What counts are you supposed to be stepping on? Most dances I've watched seem to dance on the "1", "2" and "2&", but some people also step on the "1", "1a", "2&" (If I was naming the semi-quavers like 1 - e - & - a - 2 - e - & - a, the 1a would be the second note of the tresillo). Thanks!
According to the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council, Braizilian Zouk is danced on beats 1 2&3 4&. And when you dance on these beats the "a" syncopation gives the music a feeling of suspension during the long steps. However, Zouk is danced to many genres of music, and there are lots of songs where the tresillo beat is much more prominent, and I see dancers, including highly regarded pros, gravitate to "1__a__&_3__a__&_" ... and often pros will dance this way while saying "1__2__&_3__4__&_" in sync with their steps. My hot take is that there are four syncopated beats in the rhythm, on which we take three steps. The official stance is that you should step on "1___2_&_3___4_&_" and that's how you should dance if you're competing. Otherwise dance to whichever timing you feel in the music, just stay on time and be clear in your movements.
I'll also add that in my dancing I think that stepping on "1___2_&_3___4_&_" has a quality of movement that feels like ocean waves, where the long steps feels like a wave coming in and the short grounding steps feel like the waves pulling back before the next one. Stepping on the tresillo "1__a__&_3__a__a_&_" to me feels more like flying, and I like to use it for a traveling basic.
I'm a musician and a zouker. When it comes to dancing, just listen, feel it, and flow with it, lol...but since we are discussing technicalities here, a question arises. Tresillo is the same as triplets, as far as I'm concerned. But what zouk songs use for the "clap" pattern is definitely a 16th note subdivision. Simple math: you'd have a 12 note subdivision instead if you were to divide every beat of a 4/4 bar into 3 notes each...maybe I'm missing something, in which case I'd love to be enlightened. Thanks in advance : )
There's some ambiguity over the way that the word "tresillo" is used in different music traditions because the word literally does mean triplet. In Afro-Cuban music, the tresillo is a rhythm played as 3/8, 3/8, 2/8. This is the more common definition for tresillo when we speak (in English, where we already use the word 'triplet' for three equally spaced notes) about popular music in the US (which draws from many musical traditions, and sometimes we borrow words from other languages to add to a vocabulary mainly based on classical European music theory). There are lots of good TH-cam videos that explain how the tresillo is used in popular music, and this Wikipedia is also quite good if you understand music theory basics: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tresillo_(rhythm)
GUYS THIS IS NOT COMPLICATE ZOUK WAS BORN FROM KOMPA AND IT S A VERY SIMPLE 2/4 OR 4/4 TIME SIGNATURE YOU ALWAYS DANCE ON THE 1ST BEAT ,THAT S WHY THEY CALL IT A ZOUK OR KOMPAS 1-2. THE KICK PLAYS 1/4 NOTE ,THE RIMSHOT OR KATA IN CREOLE PLAY A 1/16 NOTE THIS IS WHAT HE CALL TRESILLO OR CLAPS IN THE DRUM MACHINE. THE BEST WAY TO DANCE IS TO COUNT 1-2 AND LET YOURSELF GO WHILE FOLLOWING THE MUSIC.
Edwin I like this explanation, count 1-2 and let yourself go. When you count 1-2, are you counting the rimshots? (The first two hits in the tresillo rhythm?)
Totally agree, and @dj to your question, the value for me would be Zouk content specifically while touching on the music theory and even production. I don't DJ or edit much, even for my own practices- however it's growing because I've begun to realize that I have to choose and understand the ingredients deeply in order to make the perfect dish.
(might delete, b/c you may have answered this, [background in reply to myself]) ------------------------- Do you know the name of the rhythm used in "Lambada"? I always hear "Lambada is Zouk reversed" Zouk Slowww, quick quick Lambada Quick quick slowww I can't seem to find an accurate answer. The closest I've found was asking ChatGPT. It said "Carimbó", but I'm not sure if I can trust that answer. Plus, I couldn't find a consistent piece of sheet music for Carimbó (but I was able to for Tresillo).
I hadn't watched the full video yet I watched JUST 0:00 - 2:10 Then I literally spent 5 hours learning this rhythm by counting so I could specifically dance zouk 1/2 speed to any song I learned Tresillo contextually (like I believe many Zouk students have) So there's always been variation in what people teach. Some have literally taught it as a true triplet, instead of a "false triplet" that's caused by the syncopated "ah" and "&" ( "1 x x ah" "x x & x" )
OMG, yes, 2:40, TWO FORTY, that's the incorrect rhythm that I've been taught by some instructors. (1, 2, &) ( 1 x x x 2 x & x ) Thank, god you included this in the video.
Generally I like to keep it from 70 to 90 bpm for zouk. If there are a lot of lamba dancers at the social I'll go higher, mid 90's. But not for very long.
Yes!! I kept getting confused due to some discrepancy between how people counted / explained vs. danced Zouk. With this video, things became crystal clear for me. Thank you!!
I love how you are explaining this! I teach zouk and a lot of times we have to stick with the 1,3,4,5,7,8 or Doom Chick Chick being really rigid at first (like you showed!) so that beginners can understand it but it really isn't how we clap to or recognize. When you point out how the tresillo sounds like zouk but the 1,3,4 doesn't that's the exact sticking point I have with students as they advance because most people don't have a music background. So I have to explain it without musical terms....so I usually end up having to sing it or make sounds to emphasize the tresillo rather than a rigid 1,3,4 haha
Thank you for explaining the timing and counting not lining up on the 1,3,4
Finally! Thank you so much for posting this! ☺️☺️☺️
This sounds correct, thank you! I wonder why they teach it as boom chik chik instead of boom boom chik. It'd make more sense that way. (I know the boom represents the regular 4 beats, but it's more confusing that way.)
If you’re dancing boom boom chik then you’re not stepping on that syncopated beat (the one in the middle of the tresillo pattern). If you’re dancing boom chik chik, then you are stepping on that syncopated beat that comes 1/16 note before beats 2 and 4.
Thanks a lot mate. I've been pretty confused about this and that helped a lot so thanks.
THIS WAS SO BEYOND HELPFUL!!!
I dance salsa and bachata. I am brand new to zouk. Thank you for the video. It helped.
i have been contemplating this also, thanks for visually breaking it down
This is so amazing!!! I've struggled a lot to find what works musicality. I love what you just did here. Please do a follow-up video with such breakdown for Zouk. Thank you!!
This helps every student so much. Thank you!!
Very helpful, thank you!
Thank you for the video, it helps a lot, i'm desperating in learning counting the zouk beat and this makes things are a lot easier
Thank you for this clear explanation, this is very informative!
You're welcome!
very cool explanation!!!!
As someone who doesn't dance Zouk, but is studying music and how it influences dance, I found this very helpful! One question though: What counts are you supposed to be stepping on? Most dances I've watched seem to dance on the "1", "2" and "2&", but some people also step on the "1", "1a", "2&" (If I was naming the semi-quavers like 1 - e - & - a - 2 - e - & - a, the 1a would be the second note of the tresillo). Thanks!
According to the Brazilian Zouk Dance Council, Braizilian Zouk is danced on beats 1 2&3 4&. And when you dance on these beats the "a" syncopation gives the music a feeling of suspension during the long steps.
However, Zouk is danced to many genres of music, and there are lots of songs where the tresillo beat is much more prominent, and I see dancers, including highly regarded pros, gravitate to "1__a__&_3__a__&_" ... and often pros will dance this way while saying "1__2__&_3__4__&_" in sync with their steps.
My hot take is that there are four syncopated beats in the rhythm, on which we take three steps. The official stance is that you should step on "1___2_&_3___4_&_" and that's how you should dance if you're competing. Otherwise dance to whichever timing you feel in the music, just stay on time and be clear in your movements.
I'll also add that in my dancing I think that stepping on "1___2_&_3___4_&_" has a quality of movement that feels like ocean waves, where the long steps feels like a wave coming in and the short grounding steps feel like the waves pulling back before the next one.
Stepping on the tresillo "1__a__&_3__a__a_&_" to me feels more like flying, and I like to use it for a traveling basic.
When I was starting to dance Zouk I tried boom... chik chik and boom... chik... chik, and the latter felt more natural and worked better.
Great breakdown. Btw what app is that?
Thanks! I did this in FL Mobile, an iOS version of FL Studio.
@@djconxn Thx for the quick response!
⚜️ Make the type of kassav band.
I'm a musician and a zouker. When it comes to dancing, just listen, feel it, and flow with it, lol...but since we are discussing technicalities here, a question arises. Tresillo is the same as triplets, as far as I'm concerned. But what zouk songs use for the "clap" pattern is definitely a 16th note subdivision. Simple math: you'd have a 12 note subdivision instead if you were to divide every beat of a 4/4 bar into 3 notes each...maybe I'm missing something, in which case I'd love to be enlightened. Thanks in advance : )
There's some ambiguity over the way that the word "tresillo" is used in different music traditions because the word literally does mean triplet.
In Afro-Cuban music, the tresillo is a rhythm played as 3/8, 3/8, 2/8. This is the more common definition for tresillo when we speak (in English, where we already use the word 'triplet' for three equally spaced notes) about popular music in the US (which draws from many musical traditions, and sometimes we borrow words from other languages to add to a vocabulary mainly based on classical European music theory).
There are lots of good TH-cam videos that explain how the tresillo is used in popular music, and this Wikipedia is also quite good if you understand music theory basics: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tresillo_(rhythm)
GUYS THIS IS NOT COMPLICATE ZOUK WAS BORN FROM KOMPA AND IT S A VERY SIMPLE 2/4 OR 4/4 TIME SIGNATURE YOU ALWAYS DANCE ON THE 1ST BEAT ,THAT S WHY THEY CALL IT A ZOUK OR KOMPAS 1-2. THE KICK PLAYS 1/4 NOTE ,THE RIMSHOT OR KATA IN CREOLE PLAY A 1/16 NOTE THIS IS WHAT HE CALL TRESILLO OR CLAPS IN THE DRUM MACHINE. THE BEST WAY TO DANCE IS TO COUNT 1-2 AND LET YOURSELF GO WHILE FOLLOWING THE MUSIC.
Edwin I like this explanation, count 1-2 and let yourself go. When you count 1-2, are you counting the rimshots? (The first two hits in the tresillo rhythm?)
Please more content like this! Would subscribe snd prob pay $
Thank you! I've been thinking about it. Are you interested in more Zouk content specifically or music theory and production in general?
Totally agree, and @dj to your question, the value for me would be Zouk content specifically while touching on the music theory and even production. I don't DJ or edit much, even for my own practices- however it's growing because I've begun to realize that I have to choose and understand the ingredients deeply in order to make the perfect dish.
what is this program/APP ?
FL Mobile, on an Android phone
(might delete, b/c you may have answered this, [background in reply to myself])
-------------------------
Do you know the name of the rhythm used in "Lambada"?
I always hear
"Lambada is Zouk reversed"
Zouk
Slowww, quick quick
Lambada
Quick quick slowww
I can't seem to find an accurate answer.
The closest I've found was asking ChatGPT.
It said "Carimbó", but I'm not sure if I can trust that answer.
Plus, I couldn't find a consistent piece of sheet music for Carimbó (but I was able to for Tresillo).
I hadn't watched the full video yet
I watched JUST 0:00 - 2:10
Then I literally spent 5 hours learning this rhythm by counting so I could specifically dance zouk 1/2 speed to any song
I learned Tresillo contextually (like I believe many Zouk students have)
So there's always been variation in what people teach.
Some have literally taught it as a true triplet, instead of a "false triplet" that's caused by the syncopated "ah" and "&" ( "1 x x ah" "x x & x" )
OMG, yes, 2:40, TWO FORTY, that's the incorrect rhythm that I've been taught by some instructors.
(1, 2, &) ( 1 x x x 2 x & x )
Thank, god you included this in the video.
From your DJ experience, what are the range of tempos you tend to play? I see this is 80bpm. What’s your lower and upper limits?
Generally I like to keep it from 70 to 90 bpm for zouk. If there are a lot of lamba dancers at the social I'll go higher, mid 90's. But not for very long.