Calling the techies,
I've noticed many times when reading the timing of a Samba figure which uses the rhythm of '1 a 2' that the 'a' is almost always placed near the '2' as: '1 a2'. But I understand that this timing is 3/4, 1/4, 1. The 1/4 beat being part of the 1st beat(3/4). So why doesn't the 1/4 beat rest next to the '1' as: '1a 2'. My tutor said I should just accept it; but I can't!

I would prefer to keep each element separate, and use 1 a 2 but it may help to see why the "a" appears near the 2 if you draw a time-line of the 3/4 1/4 1 periods. Now put a mark under the beginning of each element and you will notice that the "a" is nearer the 1 (beat 2) than the 3/4 (beat 1).

HTH

Think of every beat of music as being a section of time, rather than a point in time. Each beat consists of the entire length of time from the moment the beat begins right up until the moment the next beat begins. For example, if each beat lasts 1 second (4/4 time at 60 bpm), then the first beat consists of the entire length of time from 1:1:000 to 1:1:999. Beat two doesn't begin until 1:2:000.

When we speak of a note "belonging" to a particular beat, what we mean to say is that it falls within the range of time we define as that beat. Therefore, if you have a series of 4 sixteenth notes "1 e and a", they all "belong" to beat one, because they all fall within its range of time: 1:1:000, 1:1:250, 1:1:500, and 1:1:750.

The last of the four sixteenth notes may be very close to the next beat, and your ear may even perceive it as being "paired up" with the following note, but it is not actually IN the second beat. It is still within the scope of the first beat.

Hope this helps clear it up for you.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com

Simple. It's done so that when you write it out, it looks visually similar to the way the timing works and sounds. The basic samba rhythm is 3/4, 1/4, 1 and the first two steps are part of one beat. But the second step is much closer to the third step than the first, so it gets written closer to the 2 than the 1. As Jonathan explained, beats really have lengths in time and aren't just points in time. Another way to look at it is to break down the beats in quarters, like this: 1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&a. That's how I was taught to count it as a musician. Now just drop all the beats that aren't steps and you get: 1 a2 3 a4. Most people won't bother to put two spaces in between like I just did, but the general idea is the same. It's supposed to look like it sounds. Does this help?

Thanks for the help, Jonathan and Dronak. I can see now how the quarter beat is nearer the start of the second beat than the first.



Beat One Beat Two
1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4 1/4
--------------- ---------------
3/4 1/4 1
1 2 3

Made a small chart but the format didn't print correctly. But I now understand.

We all know , or should do, that in two bars of Voltas the count is 3/4, 1/4. 3/4, 1/4. 3/4, 1/4. 1. But to count this is too much of a mouthfull. So we count 1 and 2 and 3 and so on. If you are not carefull you will be dancing 1/2 1/2 1/2. At the completion of the two bars you may find that there is 1/2 left over, Changing to the next figure or the cross over to more Voltas you will be inclined to use that 1/2 beat. That of course is not correct, never was or ever will be. This is why the Samba is the most technical of all the dances, and by far the the hardest to understand, especially with its changing rhythms. Apply the same technic to a Boto Fogo, you will soon see the differences if it is not counted correctly. Incidently I am a disciple of Wally Laird , would not own any other book. Happy Counting Guys.