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Swing vs Shuffle
- Thread starter Jdash
- Start date
1. Both "swing" and "shuffle" refer to patterns played by a drummer and/or the rhythm section as a whole. The bassist has a part to play, but it is usually the other players that make swing and shuffle. The guitarist, for example, will likely strum straight quarter notes when swinging but change his pattern for a shuffle, while the bassist may or may not play the same lines either way.
2. Swing involves a subdivision of the beat by threes. The degree or strength of this subdivision can be varied infinitely but it needs to be there.
3. Swing can happen in almost any time signature but is most common in 2/4 or 4/4.
4. Swing does NOT NEED an emphasis on upbeats (2 and 4) to swing.
5. The shuffle is a subset of swing. It is characterized by the emphasis of hits on the "and" of beats. Note that a drummer will probably hit the ands on a cymbal in a plain-old swing but will likely hit them, or some of them, on the snare in a shuffle. Remember that, since we are subdividing by 3, the and will be the third note of the tuple.
6. There are infinite variations in feel and style for swing and shuffle.
2. Swing involves a subdivision of the beat by threes. The degree or strength of this subdivision can be varied infinitely but it needs to be there.
3. Swing can happen in almost any time signature but is most common in 2/4 or 4/4.
4. Swing does NOT NEED an emphasis on upbeats (2 and 4) to swing.
5. The shuffle is a subset of swing. It is characterized by the emphasis of hits on the "and" of beats. Note that a drummer will probably hit the ands on a cymbal in a plain-old swing but will likely hit them, or some of them, on the snare in a shuffle. Remember that, since we are subdividing by 3, the and will be the third note of the tuple.
6. There are infinite variations in feel and style for swing and shuffle.
Interesting question. I can only give my own impression.
Swing and shuffle both involve the same rhythmic figure with a displaced up beat
but how the instruments play the rhythm differs.
swing:
the drums play the figure typically with the high hat
while piano / bass / guitar- play "around" the swing figure.
bass plays the walking quarter notes etc...
shuffle:
the drums play the figure typically with kick and snare
while piano / bass / guitar- *also* play that swing figure.
So a shuffle is more like hitting the listener in the head with the swing figure.
Of course their are infinite variations on the swing itself, sometimes expressed as "swing percentage" where 50% swing = straight 8th notes and a 66.666% swing would be closer to a true triplet feel
Swing and shuffle both involve the same rhythmic figure with a displaced up beat
but how the instruments play the rhythm differs.
swing:
the drums play the figure typically with the high hat
while piano / bass / guitar- play "around" the swing figure.
bass plays the walking quarter notes etc...
shuffle:
the drums play the figure typically with kick and snare
while piano / bass / guitar- *also* play that swing figure.
So a shuffle is more like hitting the listener in the head with the swing figure.
Of course their are infinite variations on the swing itself, sometimes expressed as "swing percentage" where 50% swing = straight 8th notes and a 66.666% swing would be closer to a true triplet feel
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Ari’s bass blog recently ran a series of 5 minute videos on this- she’s an awesome teacher:can’t find a link but google ‘get your shuffle straight”
Swing is mainly a jazz term, and refers to an 8th note triplet feel as opposed to straight eighth notes.
Shuffle generally applies to slightly slower tempos in rock or pop music with a 16th note triplet feel.
That said, the two terms are often used more or less interchangeably as applied to rhythmic feel - it's the triplet aspects that make them somewhat related. I've heard "shuffle" described as pronounced or heavy swing by some folks and there's certainly a lot of truth in that.
Shuffle generally applies to slightly slower tempos in rock or pop music with a 16th note triplet feel.
That said, the two terms are often used more or less interchangeably as applied to rhythmic feel - it's the triplet aspects that make them somewhat related. I've heard "shuffle" described as pronounced or heavy swing by some folks and there's certainly a lot of truth in that.
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Groove Master
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- Apr 22, 2011
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They are both based on the triplets subdivision. I would say that Shuffle groove is more rigid to the grid compared to the jazz feel which is more "elastic".
As for the bass parts Shuffle will imply the rolling feel of the dotted eigths and the Swing will be based on the quarter notes and imply swing feel in between the notes.
As for the bass parts Shuffle will imply the rolling feel of the dotted eigths and the Swing will be based on the quarter notes and imply swing feel in between the notes.
I'll offer this: There's a whole lot more latitude in terms of note placement in a Shuffle -- e.g., backbeats can be ahead of or behind the beat, eighth-note upbeats can range from strict triplet subdivisions to dotted-eight/sixteenths to almost straight eighths, the entire rhythm section can range from Loose (or practically Sloppy) to Tight, etc. -- and it'll still be a Shuffle.
Whereas as soon as the band ceases to swing, it ain't Swing any more.
Whereas as soon as the band ceases to swing, it ain't Swing any more.
