From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
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Swing
- Way back in 1931, Duke Ellington and Irving Mills told us that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. What were they talking about? And why is it important in this course? Well swing is a rhythmic feel. A feel that creates a unique kind of groove made by playing notes that are swung. The swing feel is created by adjusting the space between notes. See the space between notes is actually pliable. If I have two quarter notes here and here, and I want to split the first quarter note in half to make two eighth notes, I'll use my head as the eighth note. Where does the eighth note go? Does it go exactly in the middle of these two quarter notes? The answer is sometimes. When eighth notes split quarter notes exactly down the middle that means there's no swing. But if the second eighth note actually moves, usually to a little later in time, then that's where the swing happens. The slight delay in playing the second eighth note creates the swing feel. Now instead of using my head…
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