How to Notate Tango steps. Issue I.

How to Notate Tango steps. Issue I.

This is the first section of a notation system for tango steps that I created in 1997 and have perfected over the years. The system makes it possible to notate every possible tango step and every possible combination of steps without ambiguity or duplication. The system is copyrighted.

Steps

The basic unit of movement in tango is the step. All steps can be described by three terms:

d = adelante or forward step

t = atras or backward step

a = apertura or open or side step

Systems

Most steps happen in one of two systems:

p = sistema paralelo or parallel system (when one partner completes a movement with the right leg at the same moment that the other partner completes a movement with the left leg)

c = sistema cruzado or cross system (when both partners simultaneously complete movements with the right leg, or both partners simultaneously complete movements with the left leg)

Although it’s possible for one partner to execute many steps while the other is not moving, this is not ideal. In fact, it is the completion of movements in perfect synchronicity that opens the door for great complexity in lead and follow.

Feet

When we describe a step, we need to start off by stating two things: 1) which system it is in (parallel or cross) and 2) which foot the leader is moving. We notate the legs (left and right) with their abbreviations in Spanish:

d = derecha or right

i = izquierda or left

Before notating any step, we write a “p” or “c” to specify the system, and a “d” or “i” to specify which foot the leader is moving. With that information, we can determine which leg the follower is using. The following chart shows the 4 possible combinations of system and leg.

System & Leg	Leader’s foot	Follower’s foot
pd (paralelo-derecho)	right	left
pi (paralelo-izquierdo)	left	right
cd (cruzado-derecho)	right	right
ci (cruzado-izquierdo)	left	left

Clarification about Forward & Backward Steps

There are two ways to execute both forward and backward steps: 1) with the exterior side of the leg facing the partner (as in an ocho or giro); and 2) with the inside of the leg facing the partner (as in the first step of the 8-count basic). These steps have different functions so we name them differently.

d = adelante = forward step in which the outside of the leg is facing the partner (as in a forward ocho or the forward step of a giro)

di = adelante interior = forward step in which the inside of the leg is facing the partner (as in the follower’s first step of the 8-count basic)

t = atras = back step in which the outside of the leg is facing the partner (i.e. a backward ocho or the backward step of a giro)

ti = atras interior = back step in which the inside of the leg is facing the partner (i.e. the leader’s first step of the 8-count basic)

Initially, we’re going to work more with d and t (the forward/back steps seen in ochos and in the giro) than with di and ti.

Basic Notation of Steps

Steps are written from left to right, as in musical notation. The leader’s step is written on top and the follower’s step on the bottom. As in music, two steps arranged in a vertical column occur simultaneously.

For the first step of each sequence, we need to designate the system and the leader’s foot. These are written above the first step. For subsequent steps, we assume that leader & follower move naturally from one foot to the other as we do when we walk. We therefore do not have to specify which leg is used for any step after the first.

For example, consider the following sequence.

ci
a	a	a	a
d	d	d	d

The “ci” specifies that the step is in cross system and begins with the leader’s left foot. Since it’s in cross system, we know that the follower will be starting with her left foot as well. The leader first takes a side step (“a”) with his left, while the follower executes a forward step (“d”) with her left. Then, the leader steps side (“a”) with his right, while the follower steps forward (“d”) with her right. The third step of the sequence is exactly the same as the first, and the fourth is exactly the same as the second. As you can see, the sequence denotes a simple set of forward ochos.

When we want to specify the rhythm of a sequence, we place a number over each step to indicate which count of the phrase it occurs on. The following is a grapevine sequence, executed one step per beat.

pd
1	2	3	4
d	a	t	a
t	a	d	a

As you can see, in the grapevine sequence above, each time the leader steps forward (“d”), the follower steps backward (“t”) and vice versa. The sequence is in parallel system and moves in a line.

You’ll notice that, if we change the system to cross and have the leader and follower step backward simultaneously and forward simultaneously, then the sequence becomes an example of a giro:

ci
1	2	3	4
t	a	d	a
t	a	d	a

In the next issue, we will analyze “open forward” steps (“di”) and “open back” steps (“ti”). We’ll also look at the links between steps and go into more detail with reading and writing a “score” of tango steps.