Dance Music Hacks

Brought to you lgarron's faith in Fair Use. At the moment, this blog mostly features songs that have been converted to waltzes. Some more can be found on my page of hacks.

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

The Book of Boba Fett [Waltz, v0.8.1]

The Book of Boba Fett starts with alternativing pairs of bars that take the following number of beats: 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5, 6, 5.

The rest is in fairly straightforward waltz, although at 131bpm and with a few brief downbeat phase swaps.

There are at least two variations of the theme:

Episode 5: mashed up with the Mandalorian them.

Episode 7: With "Fett / Fett / Boba Fett" singing

... so I combined them all and fixed up the segments of 5 beats into 6.

Tempo: 124bpm

Date of hack: Lucas Garron, February 10, 2022

Edit: Intro as 1[23]4[56]78 and then again as 1234567[87]8. Same for the rest of the song. (100% blend for everything)

Field-tested: not tested yet

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

Double Helix (Waltz, v2)

Some songs with an 8-beat rhythm in a 3-3-2 pattern have the interesting property that there are two reasonable ways to make them a waltz: cut out beats #3 and #6, or repeat beat #8.

My first hack of Double Helix in 2013 always had a special place in my heart, because it was the perfect tempo to do both. I tried putting both patterns together because the song was too short to play only once through, and I really like how the transition has a unique feeling of "the same, but more epic".

I finally got around to remastering that hack from scratch. In this updated version, I've also repeated the intro section in both meters (v1 only had the intro section in 3/4). The best transition is at 1:48; other transitions are at 0:33 and 0:59.

Tempo: 117bpm

Date of hack: Lucas Garron, April 24, 2017

Edit: Intro as 1[23]4[56]78 and then again as 1234567[87]8. Same for the rest of the song. (100% blend for everything)

Field-tested: v2 not tested yet (v1 tested on May 3, 2013 at FNW)

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Song of the Lonely Mountain (Waltz) I had, in fact, not read more than a fragment of any of Tolkien's works, nor seen any of Peter Jackson's movies, when I went to see The Hobbit with friends after the end of last quarter. Although I didn't learn much more than the importance of staying alive until you can be saved at dawn, it was quite pretty, and I really liked the leitmotif of the dwarves. Kseniya suggested the credits song to me as a cha-cha, which I thought wasn't quite clear enough... the percussion provides a better cross-step downbeat. Unfortunately, there isn't a good instrumental version of it available, so I've had to fiddle around to make the lyrics sound as okay as possible until there is. - Tempo: 119bpm - Date of hack: Lucas Garron, December 27, 2012 - Edit: Custom hack, mostly 12[34], 100% blend, but quite a bit of other parts. - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, December 28, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Love Story Meets Love Story (Waltz) This is a piece the Piano Guys did befor they were the Piano Guys. It's actually not the version mixed with "Viva La Vida" what went viral, but I still think it's pretty nice. I've had a hack of this since Spring, but I didn't get around to editing it until last week for Friday Night Waltz (my 4th time DJing!). There are some imperfect beats, but it's quite danceable. - Tempo: 142bpm - Date of hack: Original hack April 17, 2012, shortened on December 24, 2012 - Edit: Pattern Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 percent, sped up to 105% tempo - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, December 28, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Breath and Life (Waltz) In the endless category of awesome trailer music that's way more fun to dance to in 3/4, this lovely piece from Hugo (by Audiomachine) works out very neatly. - Tempo: 120bpm - Date of hack: October 13, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent - Field-tested: Dancebreak, November 26, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Clocks (Instrumental Waltz) Coldplay's *Clocks* presents a particular challenge, because the beat have the pattern 123-123-12. Taking out the last two beats turns it into a waltz, but makes it hard to turn it into a song with the right *tempo* for a waltz. But then I realized: You could make it a slip jig! The consistent texture makes it appropriate to repeat the final beat ("123-123-122"). The result is a nice, mellow beat. - Tempo: 110bpm - Date of definitive hack: May 23, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 1234567[87]8 applied to tatums, 100% blend, sped up - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, May 27, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Moonlight Sonata - E.S. Posthumus (Waltz) Certain songs can be [covered](http://dancehacks.tumblr.com/post/20836065888/moonlight-waltz-moonlight-is-another-awesome) in so many ways. E.S. Posthumus is known for rousingly epic music, which makes for a rather grand cross-step. Interestingly, the original is actually in triplets, so this is another "back-port" to waltz. - Tempo: 110 bpm - Date of original hack: September 17, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent - Field-tested: Daytime Dancebreak, October 12, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Guardians at the Gate (Waltz) A while ago I went on an epic waltz-hacking spree. Not that the waltz hacking was particularly epic - jut the results. *Audiomachine* is another artist who makes a lot of trailer music thingies... like this one. Which Brett listed as an "EPIC Rotary Waltz" at FNW. - Tempo: 152 bpm - Date of original hack: September 23, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent, 10% tempo - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, October 12, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Arrietty's Song (5/4 Waltz) Richard likes to have anime / video game themed songs at [Friday Night Waltz](http://fridaynightwaltz.com/), and last week he was teaching 5/4 waltz. He uses the [Trine 2 Theme in 5/4](http://dancehacks.tumblr.com/post/18573282080/trine-2-main-theme-5-4-time-recently-i) a lot, but he also plays a lot of music from Miyazaki's *The Secret World of Arrietty*. I tried converting Sho's song because it's at a better tempo, but Arrietty's song sounds much smoother in 5/4. - Tempo: 129 bpm - Date of original hack: September 27, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 1234[56], manual beats, overlap 100% - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, September 28, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# The Dark Knight Rises (Waltz) Summer blockbuster movies are good for one thing. Well, *at least* one thing, if Hans Zimmer wrote the score: drum-driven soundtracks. I played 7 hacks at [FNW](http://fridaynightwaltz.com/) last weekend, and even though I hadn't tested this one, one was by far the most awesome. - Tempo: 164 bpm - Date of original hack: August 29, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent, slowed down to 80% tempo - Field-tested: Friday Night Waltz, September 7, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

Perthshire Amber (Waltz)

Perthshire Amber is a rich instrumental piece by Dougie MacLean, who's apparently inspired an entire festival in Scotland around that name. Richard asked me about this one last November, and I've tried hacking it perhaps half a dozen times. This tempo and cut seems to sit well.

Tempo: 156 bpm

Date of definitive hack: August 26, 2012

Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 25 Percent; beginning trimmed, bagpipe (?) section removed, slowed down to 90% tempo

Field-tested: Dancing with Emily, August 26, 2012

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

Pursuit (Waltz)

After finding out last February that apparently everyone does watch BBC's modern rendition of Sherlock, and seeing more than my fair share of Tumblr blogs raving about it, I saw all the episodes of Sherlock this summer. It certainly has good music (by David Arnold), and "Pursuit" is one of the more iconic pieces. It's a pretty good one-step, but that won't stop me from turning it into a waltz.

Tempo: 120 bpm

Date of original hack: July 12, 2012

Edit: Pattern 12[34], 100% overlap

Field-tested: Not Yet

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

The Phantom of the Opera - Pan Flute (Waltz)

It's not every day you run into a pan flute version of Phantom. But when you do... make a waltz? I haven't been posting many hacks because I don't have a way to test them over the summer, but this one seems pretty reasonable.

Tempo: 118 bpm

Date of original hack: August 3, 2012

Edit: Pattern 12[34], Overlap 100 Percent

Field-tested: Not Yet

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

Canon in D - Irish Version (Waltz)

I know, since Brave is out I should really be hacking something Scottish. But this is the first time that an attempted hack of a Canon in D arrangement worked out. This is a rather pretty version at a moderate rotary waltz tempo.

Tempo: 144 bpm

Date of original hack: June 21, 2012

Edit: Pattern 12[34]

Field-tested: June 25, 2012 (by Nick and Danielle)

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

Special Kerry Sets (Never Gonna Give You Up)

The music for Richard's choreo of Kerry Polka Sets around here has traditionally been an Irishy tune called Cry of the Celts by Ronan Hardiman. (Well, until Timmie gave Richard Sayuri's Reel this year.) While trying to think of a way to rickroll everyone at Friday Night Waltz, I realized that "Never Gonna Give You Up" has a pretty regular beat. I made a fake version of the introduction, then decided to take the time to go through and recombine the sections into the appropriate parts. Although some lyrics have six sections (but, notably, not the "never gonna"s) and had to be split, and one the first verse had to be recapitulated, I think it turned out quite recognizable – and hilariously danceable. I particularly like how the chorus of the song works for the chorus in the choreography.

Tempo: 126 bpm

Date of original hack: April 25, 2012

Edit: Recombined sections into four lines at a time, with a regular chorus.

Field-tested: June 15, 2012 (Friday Night Waltz), after a partial run at Dancebreak

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Crayon Dragon (Waltz) Brett recently sent me a piece to hack: the music from this [adorable animation](http://vimeo.com/41314639). It has a nice moderate tempo, and has a springy, almost-Mazurka sound. (Also, a bunch of foot-changes?) - Tempo: 140 bpm - Date of original hack: June 15, 2012 - Hack: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent, intro removed, middle removed - Field-tested: September 7, 2012 at FNW.

[dancehacks]

Visit Original Link

# Pomp and Circumstance (Waltz) The quintessential graduation march. For the seniors' dance [Friday Night Waltz](http://fridaynightwaltz.com/) tonight. - Tempo: 110 bpm - Date of original hack:June 14, 2012 - Edit: Pattern 12[34] - Overlap 100 Percent - Field-tested: June 15, 2012 at [FNW](http://fridaynightwaltz.com/).