Bachata – Music and Dance Theory Part 1

 When it comes to knowledge about Bachata music, we can divide it into that which is useful for dancers and that which is useful for musicians, DJs. In my opinion, it is worth getting to know both, because they are closely connected. A dancer who understands the structure of the music better will be able to read it more easily on the dance floor, while a musician/DJ will know how to create songs that are more appreciated by dancers.

  Part 1. Music Theory:

 Since music comes first, and dance comes later, we will start with a theory about music. Bachata as music is counted in fours. It is characterized by a 4/4 meter. Each four creates one bar that makes up the individual elements of the song. The next element is the tempo, which for Bachata is around 115-140 bpm (beats per minute), but it should be remembered that older songs were rather slow, and in modern Bachata creation we can still find such. However, we can also find songs slightly faster than 140 bpm, but they are very few. Of course, there can also be songs slower than 115 bpm, but currently they are most often remixes.

 From the previously mentioned bars a piece is created, the structure of which is as follows:
Traditional Bachata songs often have a verse-chorus format, with instrumental breaks featuring lead guitar or requinto. Contemporary songs, on the other hand, may contain a bridge and additional verses, reflecting the structure of pop music. This is an illustrative structure. Many people have probably encountered the fact that the bridge can appear after the first chorus, an example of which is the song (Mr. Don- Miedo), but it can just as well be moved after the second chorus, as shown by the song (Kewin Cosmos – Evidencias). The same applies to the length of the bridge and the introduction or ending, it can change and currently artists allow themselves some freedom, choosing their length differently. As an example, I will give a song by Kevin Cosmos – Solo Quise Quererte, where the bridge consists of two parts of 8 bars, each of which has a different sound and allows for a different interpretation. As another example of a piece with an interesting musical element, I will give the piece Jashel- Mas Cerca, where the beginning of the piece simply merges with the first verse and the first 8 bars of the verse are almost the same as the introduction apart from the vocals. From the perspective of a dancer, this knowledge is very important because in each part of the piece, we can expect, for example, a different energy of the piece or the occurrence of accents or other important elements. It is also important that before moving on to the next part of the piece, there is some musical change, which is announced by, for example, a bongo that suddenly speeds up or a guitar changing something in the melody. However, right after moving on to the next part of the piece, there may also be another change, manifested by the appearance or disappearance of the vocals or some instrument, or some instrument changes the way it is played (e.g. the guira speeds up). I will discuss the dancer’s perspective in more detail in the next chapter, because then the division of the piece looks a bit different and the individual elements of the piece have a different nomenclature.

 From the perspective of a musician/DJ, the key of the song will also be important, which will probably affect its reception and atmosphere, but I won’t go into details here. I will only add that in order to mix songs pleasantly, you should choose songs so that they are in the same or close harmonic key. This guarantees that the transitions between songs will be pleasant to the ear. The last element of music theory that I wanted to mention is building tension in the song. This applies to many songs, and not only Bachata ones, which you can listen to and hear how the tension increases in the subsequent parts of the song, which can be heard in the vocals, for example. Of course, the tension drops when you transition to the next element of the song. If we want to create music ourselves, we either have to gather a group of musicians or buy the right software to create it, which often uses VST – virtual instruments. They allow us to simulate playing the individual instruments that form the basis of a band playing Bachata, i.e.: lead guitar (raquinto), second guitar, bass, bongo and guira. Of course, other instruments are also common these days, such as the saxophone, which is often found in Antonio Bliss’s songs. If we want to create music with the help of software, we have to remember that the right instruments should play in the right keys, e.g. the bongo usually plays the first 3 (1, 2 and 3) beats in a higher key than the fourth. Making a really good Bachata remix requires getting an a capella version of the song, and then adding more instruments. It is also possible to use advanced software and cut out part of the song (e.g. the original beat), and then add just a few instruments, such as the bongo and the guira, to create a Bachata beat.

 The characteristic sound of Bachata is based on a specific set of instruments:
Guitar:
The requinto (lead guitar) and segunda (rhythm guitar) are central to Bachata, playing syncopated riffs and providing melody. The first Bachata songs used acoustic guitars, while in the 1980s electric guitars became popular, giving the songs a sharper sound.
Bass guitar:
The bass guitar provides a rhythmic foundation, complementing the drums and supporting the melody of the lead guitar.
Drums:
Bachata percussion typically includes bongos, tambora, and guira (Dominican metal scraper). The bongos provide syncopated rhythms, while the guira adds a steady, rhythmic backdrop.

 Without a thorough understanding of music theory and skillful selection of key, remixed songs can only imitate Bachata songs in a very poor way. Therefore, if you want to create Bachata remixes, it is worth taking the time to first choose the right sound of the instruments and think about where to place them so that the song does not sound flat, but is rich in musical background and accents. Because this is how dancers later, when analyzing the song, distinguish good Bachata from average. The theory regarding the approach to music from a dancer’s perspective looks a bit different and you will learn about it in the next part.

Author: Małgosia Andrzejewska