Writing about dancing is like designing buildings about singing.
Er, setting that aside, many popular dances have associated musical styles which go along with the sorts of rhythms used in the dances. The tango is a (relatively) recent example; you've probably got a pretty good idea of the kind of music that goes along with that particular dance.
Sure, the language of making buildings to describe singing is going to be rough, but everyone has enough synesthesia that you can make it happen. Broad, open, tall spaces reflecting someone throwing up their arms and opening up their throat at full volume, sets of parallel lines evoking musical staffs, low repeated masses on the ground to indicate bass support, intertwining works to mirror harmony....
I think it's a reasonable question. Is "dancing in D major" a wiki-oversight, or is it a known concept among people who design and practice dances, and if so, what would trying to revoke a certain musical key mean to them? I thought reflecting the mood a key is thought to have, minor ones being "darker" and more prone to dischord, major ones a little bigger and round, was a reasonable guess at what it *could* mean, but I'm ready to hear more (or less) specific attempts to describe it if only at a high level.
Actually, now that you mention it, I've heard that some old buildings were designed where the ratios corresponded to musical intervals, so you could build a room that represents a major chord... though, I don't know how you'd specify which major chord. Also, the "golden ratio" corresponds roughly to a major sixth.
In my query, I'd also settle for a video of someone dancing on-tempo but off-key.
OK. A dance is both a type of physical activity and a type of music. Physical activities don't have a key, but music does. So if someone speaks of a waltz in D they're talking about a piece of music in the key of D that is written in the waltz style. They're not as a rule talking about a particular style of choreography.
Similarly, the Blue Danube is a waltz, but there isn't a particular prescribed series of dance steps that someone is supposed to dance it to, and usually when it is played there are no dancers at all.
That's why I'm a bit confused about what wikipedia says.
I did a Google search for "Pachelbel Gigue" just now, and this paragraph makes me think maybe Wikipedia's just talking out its ass:
The Gigue that accompanies the Canon is written in a contrapuntal manner as well. Though it lacks the outstanding beauty of its companion, it is nevertheless a brief but lively piece, providing for a quirky aftertaste to balance the Canon."
Heh reminds me of "Famous last words? Lemme think here. All right, here we go. Ummm...Never have I waltzed to 'My Country 'Tis Of Thee,' nor met anyone who did. Still, it's a waltz, for it's written in waltz time." --Tom Waits
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-02-14 09:17 pm (UTC)Er, setting that aside, many popular dances have associated musical styles which go along with the sorts of rhythms used in the dances. The tango is a (relatively) recent example; you've probably got a pretty good idea of the kind of music that goes along with that particular dance.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-16 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-16 10:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-19 03:31 am (UTC)Sure, the language of making buildings to describe singing is going to be rough, but everyone has enough synesthesia that you can make it happen. Broad, open, tall spaces reflecting someone throwing up their arms and opening up their throat at full volume, sets of parallel lines evoking musical staffs, low repeated masses on the ground to indicate bass support, intertwining works to mirror harmony....
I think it's a reasonable question. Is "dancing in D major" a wiki-oversight, or is it a known concept among people who design and practice dances, and if so, what would trying to revoke a certain musical key mean to them? I thought reflecting the mood a key is thought to have, minor ones being "darker" and more prone to dischord, major ones a little bigger and round, was a reasonable guess at what it *could* mean, but I'm ready to hear more (or less) specific attempts to describe it if only at a high level.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-19 04:26 am (UTC)In my query, I'd also settle for a video of someone dancing on-tempo but off-key.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-19 04:54 am (UTC)Similarly, the Blue Danube is a waltz, but there isn't a particular prescribed series of dance steps that someone is supposed to dance it to, and usually when it is played there are no dancers at all.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-19 05:39 am (UTC)I did a Google search for "Pachelbel Gigue" just now, and this paragraph makes me think maybe Wikipedia's just talking out its ass:
no subject
Date: 2007-02-19 05:47 am (UTC)Tom Waits quote
Date: 2007-02-19 01:32 pm (UTC)"Famous last words? Lemme think here. All right, here we go. Ummm...Never have I waltzed to 'My Country 'Tis Of Thee,' nor met anyone who did. Still, it's a waltz, for it's written in waltz time."
--Tom Waits
LIKE-A THEEES!
Date: 2007-02-14 09:28 pm (UTC)