How to "swing"

[badgrandad]

I was working on a new song with my band where in a section that follows a whole section of a walking bass line the leader was telling me to swing the next section.

What does that really mean?


BTW I did a search and could'nt find a thread that I am sure this same question was asked within the last 6 months.

[Erick Lam]

I think there was a thread on this a week or two ago.

Technically, swinging the two 8th notes of a given beat means playing them as the first and last note of a 8th-note triplet.

More imortantly, swing is a feel. If you play stricly as described above, it will sound jumpy, a bit stuck up. Listening to a classical musician who's never swinged before is pretty funny. You need to relax. Think of the second 8th note as a very laid back note.

Find some big band music, like Duke Ellington.

[steveb98]

Depends on who you talk to. When I was taught swing or sometimes called "rolled" eighth notes were like Erick said written as two eighth notes, but played like an eighth note triplet with the first two eighths tied together. They are written as straight eighth notes to make the music easier to read.

Bottom line get some older Jazz or swing recording and listen. That will make it recognizable instantly. Ask the drummer in your group to play a swing pattern on his ride cymbal you will recognized it.

[SteveC]

If you want to learn to swing, listen to any Count Basie recording or Ray Brown.

[Correlli]

The very first band I joined was a Benny Goodman and Glen Miller tribute show. That stuff swings like crazy!

[Growler]

Think of the Pink Panther theme...

da-doom <pause> da-doom... <pause> ..etc.. Also note how the "doom" is emphasized.

Swing is like "porn", hard to describe but you know it when you see [hear] it.

[Peter McFerrin]

OK, first you ask your wife to let you have sex with another wom--oh, wait, we're talking about jazz here.

[badgrandad]

Thanks to all of you. I got slammed at work yesterday and couldn't check for responses. I assumed it had more to do with pushing the beat and laying behind so I'm glad you responded (or tying the last beat of one measure into the first of the next)--the pink panther response gives me an instant reference.(As compared to the straight rhythm of the walking parts)

[psylocubik]

Actually, "swinging" bass lines can be technically described, which will help you visualize how it should feel. Once you got it, you'll feel it.

First, make sure you accent the two and the four in the walking line. (WAY more than you think you should... you can always reel back on it after you "get" it).

Second, dig in to the line and try to think of the beats coming a hairs width in front of the high hat. You want to push without rushing.

That will pretty much get you into the swinging walking bass line mode. Of course, walking bass lines have been perfected over many decades so there is a multitude of other tricks of the trade.

But, mostly it's all two and four with a little nudge.

[Sutton]

Originally Posted by Peter McFerrin

OK, first you ask your wife to let you have sex with another wom--oh, wait, we're talking about jazz here.

hah, good luck

[thewanderer24]

In modern music (meaning if you don't want to play dixieland) the faster the tempo you are playing, the more even the eighth notes become.

If your timing really is divided up as 2/3 first note, 1/3 second, at fast and even not so fast tempos, you'll be playing more of a shuffle than a swing feel.

If you are walking lines, your default on the first note of the eighth note pair should sound (attack, feel, volume, etc.) the same as the quarter note that would go there. The second note is usually not as powerful, feel wise.

Also, swing feel, is very often legato to the point where the notes in the line really are all connected together unless there is an intentional rest.

Of course the above is meant to describe the "default" or "normal" if such a thing really exists. Different situations will make you want to play differently.

[Aaron Saunders]

Originally Posted by Sutton

hah, good luck

This sounds like the voice of experience .