How to Swing -- Part One

How to swing

I am trying another type of tutorial format. Let me know what you think of it. This was very stream of consciousness. I didnt try to reorder or edit this video very much, and I may ramble a bit. Basically, I am trying to convey several things:

a description of the various attributes of swing
how it contrasts with other forms of music,
a process for learning how to vocalize swing timing.
a process for transferring vocalized swing to the keyboard.

This basically involves learning the syllables to vocalize swing by singing the score:

out of time
tapping, snapping or clapping on the two and the four
to a metronome clicking on the two and four
singing along with the recording and copying the rhythmic flow as precisely as possible
finally playing while vocalizing the tune.

This is the way to get the timing of great jazz players into your system. The bottom line is this : You get it in your voice first. Then and only then, you let your fingers follow your voice.

There is a free download link of the tunes I used on my website at
www.7notemode.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• how
• to
• swing
• tutorial
• lesson
• jazz
• piano
• charlie
• parker
• Daahoud
• Anthropologie
• Donna
• Lee
• Michael
• Spiro

[rikku9zashi]

you explain it so clearly! and this is exactly what I've been looking for. thank you so much!!

can't wait to watch more! :)

[7notemode]

@rikku9zashi Thanks.  I'm glad it was helpful!

[featureG]

What a shocker from 7notemode. I must tell you, 3 days ago I discovered in my hometown a new 24 hr jazz radio and have not been the same. Yesterday, I decided to get some of this stuff into my playing. I had no idea where to begin, and Now You Have Made My Day, One Again. Excellent presentation !

[7notemode]

Thanks, featureG

[sshawnuff]

Great and inspiring instruction. Well, I know this just "by brain" but by far don't have it all in my body. You show how basic it is to practice and internalize these concepts. Do you know Carlo Bohländers old book "Anatomy of Swing"? He widens the metric point of "swing" view to a harmonic one. Stress on the closing symmetrie (2 not 1). (This we find in Bach's work as well)

[7notemode]

sshawnuff, never heard of the book. Sounds interesting. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[Ratoscruvy]

@v2iame

Thanks mate.

[v2iame]

@Ratoscruvy Daahoud by Clifford Brown =) !

[Ratoscruvy]

Whats the intro song?

[markmarktarmann]

play for an audience, (in a certain country in central europe) and even if you re swinging it hard, they will start clapping on the 1 and 3. even after being exposed to jazz for 60 plus years. military marches, polkas and techno upbringing (and bach and beatles) is hard to overcome. like he says vocalize and LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN TO JAZZ AND BLUES.

[Chocola127]

Amazing tutorial, you're a great musician!

Something else you might want to include to get a swing feel is listening to lots and lots of bebop :)

[drslimchick]

What is the name of the software you used to create this piano tutorial?

[claitontesch]

Very handy, indeed!

[Titere05]

THANK YOU! I'm going from classical to jazz and I still get lost sometimes when swinging. My brain automatically locks on 1-3. Will try this method for sure!