3/4 shimmying
- Thread starter KuteNurse
- Start date
Tarabelly
New member
You know the rhythm for a waltz? Impossible for me to write it out- Laaaa lalala laaaaa? :lol:
3/4 shimmies fit inside this song. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3- Up- down-shift (shifting weight), Up- down- shift, Up-down- Shift. If you can sing it and then add your 3/4 shimmy then you can play with speeding up the song and getting some speed. I've used this in classes and they love it. Other than that.... PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE:dance:
xo Tara
3/4 shimmies fit inside this song. 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3- Up- down-shift (shifting weight), Up- down- shift, Up-down- Shift. If you can sing it and then add your 3/4 shimmy then you can play with speeding up the song and getting some speed. I've used this in classes and they love it. Other than that.... PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE:dance:
xo Tara
Mya
New member
When i learnt to waltz (years ago) we were taught it as quick-quick-slow. Is that what you mean here?
Also when i was learning to 3/4 i also had the desire to get it fast, i had to force myself to do it slowly for a long long time to make sure that i had the technique right - my advice is of course to do it slowly for as long as it takes you to do it with the right techniqe, (proper posture etc. no duck butt!) after you're certain that your technique is correct, work on building speed gradually. Also doing it slowly drilled it into my brain to the point where i didn't have to think about what i was doing, so that helped alot too when it came to doing it quickly and not having time to think!
Good luck
Zanbaka
New member
Hi KateNurse!
You might want to find some practice music that starts out slow and increases speed. I have some pieces in 4/4 and 6/8 timing that I use for my classes. A 6/8 song is great for "3/4" shimmies with more of a "triplet" feel (1-2-3-1-2-3 or R-L-R L-R-L) with R and L sides accented to differentiate from an even shimmy. A 4/4 or 2/4 song works well for the timing (1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 or R-L-R-hold-L-R-L-hold).
When you start travelling with the 3/4, changing the accent that you're stepping on can create some exciting variations whether you're doing shimmies that originate from the core, legs, or a shift of weight.
You're on the right track with starting slow and picking up speed. Keep practicing and focus on the quality of the shimmy as you increase speed. Think about posture, isolating the upper body from the lower body, rhythmic clarity, and how you're shimmying/stepping in relation to the downbeat.
Take care and good luck! ~Zanbaka
_____________________
Zanbaka.com - Seattle Performer, Instructor, Choreographer - Online Bazaar
You might want to find some practice music that starts out slow and increases speed. I have some pieces in 4/4 and 6/8 timing that I use for my classes. A 6/8 song is great for "3/4" shimmies with more of a "triplet" feel (1-2-3-1-2-3 or R-L-R L-R-L) with R and L sides accented to differentiate from an even shimmy. A 4/4 or 2/4 song works well for the timing (1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4 or R-L-R-hold-L-R-L-hold).
When you start travelling with the 3/4, changing the accent that you're stepping on can create some exciting variations whether you're doing shimmies that originate from the core, legs, or a shift of weight.
You're on the right track with starting slow and picking up speed. Keep practicing and focus on the quality of the shimmy as you increase speed. Think about posture, isolating the upper body from the lower body, rhythmic clarity, and how you're shimmying/stepping in relation to the downbeat.
Take care and good luck! ~Zanbaka
_____________________
Zanbaka.com - Seattle Performer, Instructor, Choreographer - Online Bazaar
Farasha Hanem
New member
Kashmir
New member
Actually around here it is 1,2,3,pause - so not the same as a waltz.
Aniseteph
New member
I agree with Kashmir. I heard it's 3/4 because you move on 3 out of 4 beats, not because it is a 3/4 (Western) time signature. It does fit to waltz time if you even it out, but if you need to be able to put the pause in to use it to 4/4 and 2/4 Arabic rhythms.
If you get used to it as 4/4 you get your ear in to where you can use it, and you've got far more music to practise it speeeding up to!
If you get used to it as 4/4 you get your ear in to where you can use it, and you've got far more music to practise it speeeding up to!
nightdancer
New member
I got Gypsy Caravan's video a few weeks ago and she does a really good job of explaining the 3/4 shimmy. When I get home, I will got it and write down the explanation. I watched it and thought, "OH!! I get it!!" I've always had a problem with doing this one as well.
(I'm posting that I'll do it when I get home, because it will pop up in the new posts, to remind me, for those that are wondering. Otherwise, I'd tell myself to remember, then forget)
(I'm posting that I'll do it when I get home, because it will pop up in the new posts, to remind me, for those that are wondering. Otherwise, I'd tell myself to remember, then forget
)Thankyou everyone for all the great advice! I will take everyone's advice and start of slowly, getting the correct technique and posture down before I work on speeding things up. I will also get some good music to help me out. I am definately open to more advice My 3/4 shimmy is going well I think. I have been practicing a little bit each day and I can tell that my body is starting to learn the movement to the point that I do not have to think about what I am doing all the time. I watched myself in the mirror and I have some work to do definately, but I think I am headed in the right direction.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.
My 3/4 shimmy is going well I think. I have been practicing a little bit each day and I can tell that my body is starting to learn the movement to the point that I do not have to think about what I am doing all the time. I watched myself in the mirror and I have some work to do definately, but I think I am headed in the right direction.Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.
Tarabelly
New member
I agree with Kashmir. I heard it's 3/4 because you move on 3 out of 4 beats, not because it is a 3/4 (Western) time signature. It does fit to waltz time if you even it out, but if you need to be able to put the pause in to use it to 4/4 and 2/4 Arabic rhythms.
If you get used to it as 4/4 you get your ear in to where you can use it, and you've got far more music to practise it speeeding up to!
Ya, it's an even-ed out waltz, its true! You know how "triplets" in zills (teca dun, Right Left Right) fit inside 4/4? I think example is Baladi or maqsoom. Once the dancer gets the up-down-shift-step or 1-2-3-4, then it needs to leap to 1-2-3, 1-2-3, up down shift, up down shift. The pause disappears, the step gets sucked into the hip up and shift of weight. It has to for the speed to pick up. Easier to show than to write about. Ack!
Glad your 3/4 shimmies are moving you! They are so fun once they become natural.
xo Tara
Kashmir
New member
Nope - that pause stays - it just gets shorter.
If it doesn't you'll be dancing against the music.
Tarabelly
New member
Nope - that pause stays - it just gets shorter.
Hi Kashmir,
I know I'm not dancing against the music with these 3/4 shimmies. So I'm curious when you play "triplets" with zills to a 4/4 rhythm, do you put a pause when you are going fast?
When a dancer matches her zils in triplet (tec ca dun) to her hips (up-down-shift) she/he can move seemlessly into 4/4.
(Teca) Dun Teca Dun Teca Dun Tecca Dun
(Tec ca) Dun Dun teca tec Dun teca tec
The 3rd Dun of the triplet hits the 3rd count and Dun of Baladi.
xo Tara
gisela
Super Moderator
I also do it without the pause when the music is fast. When the music says so I make it slower with a break. I learnt that you could do it : down up down, out down up, up down up, etc to get different expression depending on the music. I usually think of them as triplets- 3 beats that fits in 4/4 or ... sorry can't remember how they fit, but I mean triplets not just "threes".
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Aniseteph
New member
Aha, I know what's happened. You are all doing the pause doing that dum tecca dum rhythm on zils or as a 3/4 shimmy. The pause is in the DUM being twice the length of a tec or a ca. Clap to it, you can hear the pause.
Shira has it written out in various ways here: Belly Dance: Finger Cymbals For 4/4 Music
So when you speed up and keep to that rhythm, that pause is still there. When you do that rhythm fast on zils it is still the same rhythm, and it still has the same pause - there is NO evening out, because if there is it starts sounding sloppy. Same for the 3/4 shimmy; your DUM stays the same time value as a tecca.
I can see you could learn the hip up's and downs and weight shifts to the Blue Danube, it just needs tweaking afterwards to fit it to 4/4.
(guess what I'll be doing when they broadcast the New Year's Day Concert from Vienna! :dance
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Aniseteph
New member
Ach, who knows, that's the wonderful world of BD terminology!
As to whether it's correct or not - IMHO the answer is in the music. If the rhythm is a fast Dum teca Dum teca, and the dancer has evened it out, that is sloppy :naghty:. If the music has the beats evened out, it is correct whatever you want to call it!
BTW as Shira points out triplets is not a good way to describe this as triplets to a (Western trained) musician means something different to triplets to a zil player.
gisela
Super Moderator
Yes, of course, follow the music. I only disagreed with the claim that the pause always had to be there. If you are able to do it without the break too then IMO you more possibilities of following the music.
I mean "real" musician triplets as I don't know any other kinds of triplets.
I mean "real" musician triplets as I don't know any other kinds of triplets.