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Re: No Swing in the U.K.?

I wrote:
> >In my limited experience, I've played with one band that could seriously 
> >swing, thanks to the conductor who explained how it was done to the few 
> >who didn't know.

A personal email reply said: 
> I too have experienced the problems you describe. Could you perhaps let me,
> or perhaps the entire list, know about HOW it was done according to the
> conducter you mentioned.

Er, I was afraid someone would ask that :(  

In all the discussion so far, I haven't seen a simple explanation of 
the very basics of swing for the seriously oscillatorily-challenged.  
I am not well-qualified to give advanced swing theory lessons, but 
here's the first two rules.

To some extent it's a hopeless task, like describing a spiral 
staircase over the telephone.  Anyway, here goes.  

Americans should translate using a find-and-replace:
replace 'crotchet'   by 'quarter note'
replace 'quaver'     by 'eighth note'
replace 'semiquaver' by 'sixteenth note'

I'm aiming this explanation mostly at competent musicians who have 
classical or brass band background, and can read written music 
reasonably well.  In swing and jazz music, written parts do not 
precisely convey what you are supposed to play, in both rhythm and 
pitch.  This tends to be contrary the instincts of classical 
musicians or contesting brass banders.

There are various 'rules' of swing, but rule zero is that none of 
the rules is very rigid.  Swing is a feel, an attitude, and if it 
don't feel right, it ain't right, no matter what the rules say.

The first rule of swing is the Swing Quaver Rule:  
Quavers *written* as 'straight' pairs have to be *played* as if 
they are crotchet-quaver triplet groups.

In 'straight' music, if the music is written in simple time (2/4, 
3/4 or 4/4) then each beat is a crotchet. Each crotchet can be 
split into two quavers, of equal length.  In swing music, each 
crotchet beat is still split into two parts, but not equal parts. 
The first quaver of a pair is extended to take two-thirds of the 
beat, and the second quaver takes the remaining third. Imagine 
each pair of quavers split into a 'crotchet-quaver triplet'.  
Dum de dum de dum de dum instead of da da da da da da da, so to 
speak.

(If you know about these things, imagine it transcribed into 
compound time (6/8, 9/8 or 12/8). The dotted-crotchet beats are 
then split into crotchet-quaver pairs.  Which may help someone 
totally familiar with 12/8, but will only confuse those who are 
not.)

The way I look at it is like this:  In simple time, a beat is 
split into two quavers, 50% each. The beat is split 50:50.  In 
swing, the beat is split into two parts, but it's more like 
two-thirds:one-third. I'll write that as 67:33.  

The 'percentage' view is very helpful, because things are not 
really so simple.  The percentage split can vary with the speed.  
Fast tempo beats are split 60:40 or even 55:45. On the other 
hand, in slow moody swing the split is 75:25 or even 80:20, 
because the 67:33 split doesn't sound 'snappy' enough at slow 
tempos. (Note that 75:25 equals a dotted-quaver/semiquaver 
combination). 

This variability of the beat division is the reason, I think, 
why swing music is not written out in compound time.  The 
crotchet-quaver beat division is only an approximation anyway.  
When this and all the other idioms of swing are notated, the 
music page looks horrendous.  Let's face it, standard music 
notation isn't much good for this sort of thing.  Especially 
when the exact timing of the notes can depend on the mood, 
the atmosphere, how the player is feeling, and even how the 
audience is taking it. 

A good example of this is the famous song 'Summertime'.  When 
the mood changes from hot and drowsy (... the livin' is easy...) 
to cooler and sharper (... take to the sky...) the split ratio 
changes, even if there's no change in tempo at all.

There is another problem with this rule: Sometimes for brass 
band or orchestral arrangements, the music *is* written out 
as crotchet-quaver triplets or dotted-quaver-semiquaver groups. 
The arranger may think they'll cope better if the swing beats 
are written out explicitly.  Again, the written part is only a 
guideline.  It's the conductor that decides the feel of the 
music, and hence the split ratio that everyone must follow.  
Everyone in the band must be together and follow him, as he 
asks you to swing it more, or cool it down.

The second rule of swing is the Rhythm And Melody Rule: 
The rhythm section keeps the ground beat, the melody swings 
from the beat.

The rhythm section lays down the background beat, exactly and 
precisely, and this allows the melody line to be swung by 
starting some of the notes slightly before the precise beat.  
Both short and long notes can have this treatment.  Classical 
musicians can imagine that the note has a grace note of the 
same pitch tied to it.

This is usually notated by tying a quaver to the start of a 
melody note.  Again, this is only an approximation. The precise 
amount is a matter of judgement.

In a brass band, it's sometimes hard to know if you're part of 
the rhythm or the melody. Usually the basses are rhythm, but 
sometimes they get the melody, or a melodic fill at the end of 
a phrase.  The back row cornets sometimes harmonize with the 
melody and sometimes fill in chords with the rhythm section. 
For the poor drummer, hi-hat and ride cymbal are in the rhythm 
section, but the snare drum is mostly, but not always, in the 
melody category - and the bass drum can be either.

For the other rules, you'd be better asking somebody else. Hey, 
I'm only a percussionist :)  To give you a flavour of them, you 
know the open note that comes after G, that isn't quite B-flat 
and you're not supposed to play it? That's one of the notes of 
the jazz/blues scale. 

And I'd better not even mention vibrato... oops... where's 
that Nomex catalog... :*)

Another thing to watch out for: don't automatically assume that 
someone can swing just because he thinks he can.  There's a few 
people I've heard who are convinced they can, but they just 
ain't got it.

To discover swing, you really have to *listen* to swing music. 
Recorded, or preferably live. There is no other way.

How about a shortlist of three tracks from CDs that best display 
the elements of swing to someone wanting to learn?  In other words, 
not necessarily your favourite records, but easily available 
tracks that are good examples of the above two rules?

Must be currently available from record stores or mail order. 

Suggestions, anyone?  

Tom Sheridan
Percussionist, Failsworth Band
Manchester, UK


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