Swing feel
A rhythmic interpretation in which written equal notes are played unevenly, with the first of each pair longer than the second.
Swing is a continuum rather than a fixed ratio: at slow tempos the pairs become almost a triplet shuffle, while at fast tempos the unevenness reduces until the line sounds nearly even. It is the defining rhythm of jazz and of most blues-based music, and it cannot be notated exactly, which is why it is learned by ear from records. Playing straight over a swinging rhythm section is one of the clearest ways for a guitarist to sound wrong.
Example: A jazz standard whose eighth notes rise and fall in a loping long-short pattern rather than evenly is being played with swing feel.
See also
Related
- PageShuffle
- PageTriplet
- PageJazz guitar
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley