Musical Freestyle song ideas?

[Luv 2 Trot]

Ok, i have assigned myself a summer project for the Tobster and i. I want to put together a Training Level MFS(Musical Freestyle) and show it hopefully on November 4 at the show. Only, i have hit a little bump, well a fairly large bump, i cant find a good song!!!:eek: It needs to have good walk, trot, and canter beats as well a halts. I want something fun. Not to fond of "classical" and it cant be over 5 minutes.

If you have any suggestions, please tell me, i am open to anything right now!
Thanks!:D

[Jakes Mum]

When I went to the British Open at the Sheffield Arena last weakend, Becky Moody did her dressage to music display to Bohemien Rhapsody by Queen which worked very well :)

[vimto92]

When I went to the British Open at the Sheffield Arena last weakend, Becky Moody did her dressage to music display to Bohemien Rhapsody by Queen which worked very well :)

Ohhhh great song! Bet that worked great!:D

[drookitsheep]

I'm trying to put together a complilation CD of music to school to, not really to set a routine to - just for fun. Stuff I've found quite good is Glenn Miller (In the mood), Bobby Darin (Mack the Knife), Elvis songs - almost any I could get my hands on, The Monkees (theme tune), Queen, Ray Charles (Hit the Road Jack), and James Brown stuff. Maybe there's something in that lot that might suit?

Does it have to be just one song or can you put a medley together? I'm sure I found a link to a music database which had a list of songs along with their bpms - will pass it on if I can remember what it is!

[Willingbe]

It's better not to have "songs" as in sung music unless it's a cappella. You can have a compilation of music so that the BPM's suit the horses paces.

Have a look at the Aachen tests from this site to get an idea of how music has been put together.
http://www.horsedances.net/VideoDownloadPagina.htm

You can also hear some song samples from compilation CDs that the site sells - there are also MP3 downloads you can buy, explore
http://www.horsedances.net/ and you'll find various examples.

The classic rock albums are worth looking at and maybe Enya. You need to go with music with the same sort of theme so it isn't too disjointed.

[IrisSilverMoon]

go for techno...;)

heh. part of the problem with this is finding a song that is slow enough, but they are out there! I've seen it done before.

[k8tymem8ty]

i like to move it move it. thats what i used last year it has a very good beat for walk trot and halts

[Jane.A]

Its important to find music that you like and that suits the horse. The beats per minute should then match your horses paces. You then need to work out your flooplan and time each section of each pace,remembering that each movement should be mirrored on the other rein. Also there is a time limit and ususally compulsory movements that have to be incorporated. We usually do music freestyles at the riding for disabled championships. We get together having decided our floorplans and bring lots of different instrumental music and try it out with each horse. Try and theme your music, and bear in mind the age of the judges, its unlikely they will like techno so you would lose marks. They tend to go for familiar tunes they can recognise. We used an Elton John selection, a Stevie Wonder and a Carpenters Medley. Stay away from Abba , its been done to death! This year I am riding to a mixture of music from American soap series, Dallas, Knots Landing and Taxi.

[star]

you will find it hard to find a song with music suitable for all 3 paces in it. most people use at least one different piece of music for each pace. you also dont want songs with lyrics - judges dont like them! Abba and James Bond have been done to death so avoid if possible! You have to have music membership with BD to compete in music competitions in the UK and you have to use music from their list of stuff licensed for public performances. It's all a bit complicated for me so I pay a good friend to do it!

[LMS]

How about Enya?
Some of her compositions/songs really get my in a Kür mood! There are 2 in particular. They have a variety of moods within the piece & I get goosebumps as I imagine a kür performed to it. (I know: I'm a geek!)

I'll see if my OH can track them down on his system.

[Luv 2 Trot]

Thanks for all the tips guys! :D

My mom has a few Enya CD's around, i will listen to them a bit(although not a huge fan). I think im going to also listen to some Celtic tunes. During my first year of riding, my mom made me listen to Celtic CD's on the way to my lessons so i would get "into the mood" so to speak. They have a lot of good songs that might work.

Thanks again for all the tips!

If there are anymore, keep 'em comin'! :D

[pico]

go for techno...;)

heh. part of the problem with this is finding a song that is slow enough, but they are out there! I've seen it done before.

One of the competitors I saw at the World Cup qualifer Kur at Olympia rode to techno. The effect in the passage especially was quite stunning, as the music the horse sort of hesitated in midair at the same point... so it emphasized the hang time of the passage :)

You really almost always will have to put together a medley of tunes. I've founf one piece that goes between "trotty" and "cantery" bits nicely, but never one that have walk, trot , and canter in it.

I did my training level freestyles to music the judges weren't all that likely to recognize, but got very good marks on the music/artistic impression, as my music suited my horse so well. ( It was klezmer music, performed by a local klezmer-with-a-rock edge band. The I was actually at a live show of theirs, and suddenly realised the music I was dancing to would suit his canter marvellously. So when I got home I went through all the discs of theirs I had looking for trot and walk music. )

I ripped the tracks from CD to wav files and found a freeware/shareware sound editing program to make a medley that worked with my choreography.

One type of music I think can work really well and I haven't seen being horribly overused the times I've been to shows (which is admittedly not much lately) is old classic jazz/blues/big band stuff. Most of the songs have been recorded by many different bands over the years - so if there's a piece you like and the recording you've got isn't quite right, for example the tempo is too different from your horse's normal bpm or it has vocals, you can just go looking for a different recording. (it's best to minimize how much of the music has vocals, if for no other reason than they're distracting for the judges)
My horse is an Arab, so I want eventually to put together a freestyle for us using such classic jazz tunes as "Caravan" (great for canter!) and "Sheik of Araby" ;)

Personally I say when it comes to choosing music - this is part of the art of dancing with your horse, and its part of a the FUN of dancing with your horse - pick music that suits him - in *style* not just in tempo - and that you enjoy!
so don't worry about "will the judges like my music for the sort of music it is", worry about "will the judges like the way my horse and I go to this music" and "will I enjoy putting together a dance to it for us? " :D

[pico]

(p.s. just read your own last post - Celtic and other folk/tradiational or folk/traditional inspired music is definitely a great source of tunes to ride to - see my own mention of using Klezmer!)

[Luv 2 Trot]

Thanks Pico. I never thought of Big Band, i have a few of those CD's lying around as well. ;) BTW, my sister played Caravan in a Marching Band show a while back. Nifty. :D

[pico]

I have an absolute passion for riding to music. :)
i find taking CDs that seem like possiblities out to the barn and just riding to them is a great way to find music that really suits you and the horse & to have fun just riding around to music at the same time.

[LMS]

Oh yes the Glenn Millar Big Band is good. (I think that's what it's called. From the 40's in North America) Check out the composition "Swing Swing Swing".

My husband has very ecclectic tastes in music: you name it; he probably has it! Pop, techno, classic, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, rap... the list goes on and from all over the globe.

You can also try Vangelis or Mike Oldfield (sp. though he may not be your "cup of tea" so to speak). Can't remember who performs a composition from "Excalibur". Trying to find that one on OH's computer.

[albilusitano]

I've got the Gladiator sound track that I ride Albie too....it's great and he really responds to it.... I tried the Black Eyed Peas the other day...he wasn't as keen ;) But each horse is very different and you need to ride to different music to see what suits you and the horse, it also make's schooling more fun.

[LouHarvey]

My friend and I are planning to do a pair's dressage to music, on my two cobs, and the music we've chosen is..

Combine Harvester (the 2001 remix) by The Wurzels!

Can't wait to see what the judges make of that one..