Introducing Ritmo con Señas
The Musical Sign Language
Have you heard about Ritmo con Señas (Rhythm with Signs)? It’s a unique sign language specially crafted for live musical performances. This creative language was born in 2006, thanks to the talents of Santiago Vasquez, a musician and composer from Argentina. Santiago initially developed it for his ensemble, La Bomba del Tiempo, and it quickly became a cultural sensation in Buenos Aires. Nowadays, musicians worldwide embrace this language for their performances.
What makes Ritmo con Señas fascinating is that it uses over 130 hand and body signs. These signs help the conductor guide the musicians to create music together in real-time. Each sign corresponds to different musical elements like rhythm, melody, harmony, and structure. They convey priorities and goals, shaping the music into a unique composition. It’s like a secret code that musicians use to create magic on stage.
About us
The secret of joy
Worldwide, our diverse network boasts a plethora of groups passionately dedicated to the art of music.
One such group resides in the city of Tübingen, where members have gathered for weekly rehearsals spanning several years. Within this vibrant ensemble, ages span from 17 to 65, representing a rich tapestry of nationalities with a majority having limited proficiency in the German language. Here, musical expertise ranges from novice to professional, accompanied by a mix of instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists alike. This collaboration not only produces beautiful music but also cultivates a lively and international community. By adopting the Ritmo con Señas method as a highly democratic approach to creative music-making, we regularly rotate the role of conductor, fostering an inclusive and enjoyable environment for all participants.
About Ritmo con Señas
Santiago Vazques
“Rhythm with Signs” is a language, a game and a pedagogical system. It is a language of signs made with the hands, with the fingers, which serve to coordinate musical improvisations; and above all it emphasizes the rhythmic part of musical improvisation. That’s what it is. It’s also a game with rhythm, because it’s a team game, it takes place in a group. There is a director, there are musicians who improvise and feed each other, bringing their own ideas, their own rhythms, melodies, when there are melodic instruments. And the director helps to moderate this group improvisation, to coordinate it through this sign language. That’s what it is.
Ritmo con Señas
Ways to learn the Method
There are so many possibilities to learn and practice to give, understand and execute the Ritmo con Señas signs. Select the ones which are fitting to you.
1.
Join a Ritmo con Señas Group
There are Ritmo con Señas Groups all over the World.
2.
Participate in Workshops
Also there are regular Workshops in Europe and elsewhere.
3.
Study in CERPS, Argentina
Study at the “Centro de Estudios de Ritmo y Percusión con Señas” in Argentina.
4.
Study Online with CERPS
Book and study different level courses at CERPS online.
5.
Study with the e-Book (pdf)
In this book Santiago Vazquez presents for the first time in graphic and accessible form his Language of Rhythm and Percussion with Signs. English and Spanish.
6.
Study with the Book
An new issue of the book as a Paperback will be available soon. English and Italian.
The Nerd Section
Tools and Playlists to deepen some concepts of Ritmo con Señas