Lesson 6: Swinging the Beat

Hi there! Max Sedgley here as part of the musicgurus.com back-to-basics drumming lessons. Today, it's time for Lesson Number Six.

Understanding the Swung Beat

Today, we're going to deal with what's called swinging the beat or a swung beat. For me, there are two different kinds, and while there may be some argument about this, I find it easiest to break it down as follows:

• Jazz or Shuffle Swing Beat: This is a beat you hear quite often in jazz or blues.
• Hip Hop Swung Beat: This is a more modern take, featuring a mixture of normal beats and little swung beats.

We'll start with the jazz shuffle first, using the beat we learned in Lessons One and Two, moving it in and out of playing it straight and then in a swung way.

Transitioning from Simple to Swing Time

To start with, let's get the concept clear:

• Previously, we had eight beats on the hi-hat, where for every two beats on the hi-hat, there was one on the snare or one on the kick:

  • 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2...

• Now, we're changing that to have three beats on the hi-hat for every one on the snare or kick.

This transition is from simple time to triple time, compound time, or swung time.

• You can feel and hear the difference; there's a slight emphasis shift that gives it a waltzy type feel. It's called the swung feel.

The Basic Jazz Shuffle

Here's a simple way of understanding the jazz shuffle:

1. Take out the middle note of each group of three:

   • For example: 1, 2, 3 → 1, 2, 3
   • You end up with: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, etc.

2. This results in the basic jazz beat, which when sped up, sounds more like a traditional jazz beat.

• You might hear this beat not only on the hi-hat but also on a ride cymbal.

The Rock Shuffle

You can also create what's called a rock shuffle by taking that pattern and moving it onto the hi-hat:

• You'll get a similar sound but structured slightly different, creating the rock shuffle feel.

Adding Variations

There are countless variations and combinations you can try within these beats:

• Ghost Notes: These can be added to create more complexity.

Try slowing down the shuffle to focus on the triplet feel. It resembles the beat we learned in Lesson Two, but pushes the hi-hat into that triplet pattern.

Funk Shuffle & Hip Hop Shuffle

The second type of shuffle I want to address is the funk shuffle or hip hop shuffle:

• Similar to the jazz shuffle, you add triplets on the hi-hat but maintain the same beat as initially established.

• Instead of playing continuous triplets on the hi-hat, you keep the 2 & 12 pattern for each snare and kick but occasionally add hints of triplet feels.

• For example: using 2-12-12 while subtly introducing a triplet feel, without oversaturating the rhythm.

This creates a unique bounce, often found in hip hop beats, tracing its origins back to the funk music of the 1970s.

Conclusion

So there you go! That's the essence of swinging the beat. Feel free to experiment and mix these elements to create your own unique sound!