Basics - Rhythm - Swing 1

What is swing?

The one question that can never be completely quantified in most people's opinions, including jazz greats. Why? Because the swing beat is not truly about the triplets, because it changes according to the speed and the feel of the music. What's more, even if you play everything correctly, but don't phrase like a swing player, you're still not playing swing.

How do you then tell what's swinging, and what's not? The best is by listening to the legends. Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and everyone along those times whose names were probably not as famous, though just as important in the development of jazz, were the pioneers of this beautiful thing called swing.



One of the most famous pieces of all time by the Duke Ellington Orchestra. All the way from the start, with the famous piano intro, you can get the swing beat. Starting on the offbeat and ending on the on beat, then next phrase is starting on the on beat and ending on the offbeat. Then comes a lot of hits by the orchestra throughout the song, all on the of beats. These swing beats are almost triplets, but because the whole orchestra is laying back behind the drums and the bass, it sounds further than a triple if you count according to the drums or the bass.

Try it for yourself. So to say it is a triplet is true, but in different circumstances it can sound like a triplet yet not a triplet...

And when the vocalist came in, she lays back yet the swing beat is in between a quaver and triplet and even more interestingly her emphasis and phrasing is very related to the offbeats. Very often people will naturally emphasise the onbeat after the offbeat, and choose to accent it, but in swing, the swing beat is the emphasis and it serves to propel the on beats, giving this flowing feel as long as you do it right. That together with laying back is the common soloist swing phrasing and style. That's only just simplifying it.



Same band with a walking pace swing. Notice that the swing beat is closer to a semiquaver. Still laid back, but the phrasing is closer to a semi-quaver; still very close to a triplet, but slightly shorter (except when it's Duke Ellington's trade 4 with the bassist).



Even closer to a semi-quaver. But even more laying back for this one, because it is none other than the great Billie Holiday!

Do you know what the swing beat is about yet? This is only part of the sound. This is a generic thing, which changes not only by the song and band, but within the band itself and the section of the music itself! Like everything else in jazz, swing is a highly organic thing, which is identified with some characteristics, but mostly for that "sound".

Hope this can help you start thinking about swing.