The width and breadth of tango music is beyond the scope of one blog post, but a good place to start when approaching tango’s musicality is the three different rhythms tango has to offer: Tango, Vals and Milonga.

For all three types, the fundamentals are the same: you can start dancing all three dances with the tango fundamentals (walking, embrace) – then, as your level improves, you will learn the subtleties of each style.

Tango: the most famous type of tango music, it is a succession of 2-by-4 musical phrases. It is a slow dance, and the tune and the lyrics are usually quite dramatic and melancholic

Vals: the Argentinian cousin of the Viennese waltz usually danced in Europe, it is more fluid than tango. The dancing involves more turns and circular movements.

Milonga: More upbeat, it is usually quicker and cheekier than tango. It involves counterbeats (contratiempos). The steps are smaller and faster than in tango.