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RC 6.1 - Swing Quavers
Syncopation and swing style quavers are the two most important rhythmic features in most Jazz and Blues music.
In swing style the beat is divided into two, but unevenly, reflecting an underlying triplet feel.
- Downbeats are 2/3 of a beat in length, while
- Upbeats are only 1/3 of a beat in length.
Downbeat quavers are therefore 2/3 of a beat long, while upbeat quavers are only 1/3 of a beat long.
The Western music notation system has had some trouble coming to grips with this feature. Early sheet music has expressed the swing feel in various ways as shown below.
In most music these days swing quavers are written as normal quavers, with the word 'Swing' simply written at the beginning of the song, indicating the swing style.
In Jazz Real books even the word 'Swing' is usually omitted, assuming the reader will understand for which songs swing style is appropriate.
Straight Swing
In Swing style when an upbeat -quaver, or -triplet quaver, or even -crotchet is followed by a rest it is played staccato (very short), unless specifically indicated otherwise, for example by a tenuto sign over the note : -
When to play Swing Quavers
Play swing quavers in all Jazz and blues standards at medium and up tempos.
Slow ballads are usually best played straight, especially if they contain runs of quavers like Misty, In a Sentimental Mood, Sophisticated Lady, etc.
Play Latin songs (Bossa Novas, Sambas, etc.) and Pop music always straight.
Play Rock and Rock blues usually straight (Watermelon Man), unless shuffle style is indicated (Bad Bad Leroy Brown).
Origin of Swing style
The singing and music of village communities in Africa often consist of complex rhythms with interacting 2-feel and 3-feel pulses. Swing quavers would be a natural development from that.Also the music of John Philip Sousa (1854-1932) with his uplifting "spring in the step" marches (often in 6/8 time) were hugely popular in America around the time of early Jazz development. Jazz in those early days was commonly played in marches for funerals and festivities, and may well have adopted this catchy rhythmic style. The Jazz swing feel really took off with Louis Armstrong who fine-tuned it to perfection. Every Jazz musician in the world was affected by his inspiring new rhythmic and melodic ideas.
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RC 6.2 - Rhythm Segments 1-8 in Swing style
Shown below are the 8 basic Rhythm Segments from Lesson 3.
They use the quaver as shortest note, and contain no rests.
Segments 1, 2 and their variations with rests are unchanged in Swing style.
The downbeat dotted crotchet in Segment 3 is 12/3 beat long , and the offbeat quaver is only 1/3 of a beat long, or even shorter (staccato) when followed by a rest.
The offbeat dotted crotchet in Segment 4 is only 11/3 beat long , while the downbeat quaver is 2/3 of a beat long.
Click on any Rhythm Segment to hear its Audio.
I have written a staccato underneath each offbeat quaver followed by a rest. This is only to remind you of this fact. It will normally not be shown on sheet music and is to be understood.
The offbeat quavers on 2+ (indicated by a question mark) are also played staccato whenever they are followed by a rest on downbeat 3. (On all rhythm segment midi demos in this lesson they are played staccato.)
Note the offbeat staccato crotchet in 7c.
Click on any Rhythm Segment to hear its Audio.
Clap or play a long with each of above demos to become thoroughly familiar with each one.
Each demo plays the Rhythm Segment on beat 1 and 2 of each bar, while the metronome clicks like this :
- First 2 bars = count in : 1 3 1 2 3 4
- Next 4 bars = a click on each beat
- Next 8 bars = a click on beats 1 and 3 of each bar
- Next 8 bars = a click on beat 1 of each bar
- Next 12 bars = a click on beat 1 once every 2 bars
- Next 16 bars = a click on beat 1 once every 4 bars
Listen carefully, tap with your foot and try to clap the rhythm exactly at the right moment each time.
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RC 6.3 - RP 25-84 in Swing style
Clap and play Rhythm Patterns 49-84 first at a comfortable tempo in swing style (about 60 bpm) until you can play them confidently without any mistakes. Then increase the tempo to improve your playing skills.
Use the Circle of Fifths play-a-long tracks in Swing style.
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RC 6.4 - Rhythm Segments 9-13 in Swing style
Combinations of normal quavers and triplets are easy to play in Swing style, as they both follow the same subdivision of the beat.
The offbeat quavers on 2+ (indicated by a question mark) are to played staccato whenever they are followed by a rest on downbeat 3. This also applies to the last quaver in any triplet.
Click on any Rhythm Segment to hear its Audio.
In Swing style
Clap or play a long with each of above demos to become thoroughly familiar with each one.
The above demos are in the same style as in Lesson 3
Each one plays the rhythm segment on beat 1 and 2 of each bar, while the metronome clicks like this :
- First 2 bars = count in : 1 3 1 2 3 4
- Next 4 bars = a click on each beat
- Next 8 bars = a click on beats 1 and 3 of each bar
- Next 8 bars = a click on beat 1 of each bar
- Next 12 bars = a click on beat 1 once every 2 bars
- Next 16 bars = a click on beat 1 once every 4 bars
Listen carefully, tap with your foot and try to clap or play the rhythm exactly at the right moment each time.
