How to Create Swing Feel

Understanding Gypsy Jazz as Dance Music

Let's not forget that this primarily is a form of dance music.

Jazz, at its inception, was American folk music for dancing in the Roaring Twenties. This is the history of the music: a fusion of European classical harmony with African American dance rhythms. The Charleston is perhaps the most famous dance from this period.

The Importance of a Steady Beat

This particular style, gypsy jazz, is also a form of dance music. Therefore, we must keep the beat steady, if not metronomic.

• It has to feel good.
• It has to be groovy.

Tips for Creating Swing

The tips I've given you about slightly emphasizing beat one and three heavier than beats two and four will help create that sense of swing within the music.

• It's not easy to create swing when we're playing four crotchets.
• Swing really comes from swinging the eighth notes, or quavers.

When playing a melody, we want to create that sense of swing, a kind of bouncy feel with the quavers. That's how we truly create swing.

The Challenge of Crotchets

Creating swing with crotchets is a real dark art. As I mention, it comes from emphasizing certain beats heavier than others.

The guitarists of the time were very aware of this need to evoke that feeling of swing.

Think Like a Hi Hat

So, yeah, these are all important takeaways at this point. Remember:

• Think like a hi hat.
• Emphasize the right beats.

Incorporating these elements will enhance your understanding and execution of gypsy jazz as a dance music genre.