how do you tell the stuctural changes in song are coming?

bailar y tocar said:
That is too detailed for dance cues from the music.

For dancing there are simpler cues:
1:30 horns are building
2:00 vocals - this thing is going to kick up soon.
2:28 soneo - coro this is where dancers step it up (but not all the way)
3:50 the solos, good for open breaks, shines etc.
4:25 soneo-coro back to partnering
5:12 horns are back something else is happening soon
5:32 climax (or mambo or rumba or whatever they want to shout)
6:34 sax announcing soneo/coro
7:03 closing coming soon
7:14 horns in to close

Btw, this is a very good song to study these changes. Its very typical for classic salsa.
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Smejmoon said:
Thank you! I was noting this down to illustrate what I hear and that I often can not differentiate what's important for structural changes to what's not. And it seems we agree on structure here, but I am not able to predict it except for at 2:26 i know chorus will come. There are 3 times where song might end in few bars (1:41- too early thou, 4:27 where they go to corus and 7:04 - same ammount of clues for me, so why not another verse? because 7 minutes is too long and variety of lyrics was not that big? but they might just repeat the same verse.)

I found only one timbale roll that was unusual (1:16) and it signaled nothing for me.



What is it in vocals that you pick up at 2:00? I hear in verse at 2:17 same question being repeated "Why oh why?!" so I'm guessing singer is desperate and that might mean end of verse. By why next verse would not answer to his broken heart's question? Seems as good next part as chorus.



How do you know the song will go on here? I could do a slow dip and then if it goes on, keep dancing.



Could you please break it down this for me a bit? What are the cues? What do they mean?


Wow, can't believe I missed that one. 2am and thinking this is solo section must fuzzed my mind :)

So is repetition of short phrase mostly 3 times, with untypical variation 3rd time and no release after tension, signal of end? I've noticed that a bit; also in jazz music.

Thank you everyone for input; this really will help some ladies out there :)

t0mt0m, I'll look into your software idea.

Also it seems knowing the language (Spanish) wold help quite a bit. Most song lyrics are rather lame, so it's a double edged sword :)
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I'd rather not go over each line individually, the music isn't that exact. My statements were more about that a transition is coming based on how (not what) the singer is singing or how the horns (or other wind instruments) are playing.
There are patterns that announce a break to the "high" side and there are patterns that announce a break to the end of a section. Picking up on these is mostly listening practice.
 
bailar y tocar said:
That is too detailed for dance cues from the music.

For dancing there are simpler cues:
1:30 horns are building
2:00 vocals - this thing is going to kick up soon.
2:28 soneo - coro this is where dancers step it up (but not all the way)
3:50 the solos, good for open breaks, shines etc.
4:25 soneo-coro back to partnering
5:12 horns are back something else is happening soon
5:32 climax (or mambo or rumba or whatever they want to shout)
6:34 sax announcing soneo/coro
7:03 closing coming soon
7:14 horns in to close

Btw, this is a very good song to study these changes. Its very typical for classic salsa.
Click to expand...

Thank you Bailar!

When I saw this thread, I got excited. Because I travel a lot for work, I tend to sample salsa in different countries. Different countries will all have the core salsa music but tend to mix in music in their native language (ie - salsa in the Ukraine will have the traditional American, Cuban salsa music mixed in with some Ukrainian songs) and I always felt I was lucky I was a follower so the lead would help guide me with when the next change in music was coming. That list you put there is excellent Bailar, as it will really help people like me who travel and attempt salsa in different places to different music.
 
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