What is This Thing Called Swing?

Interesting. I never really paid attention to the feel of the music until I started playing bass. With bass I had to think more. I quickly realized if my timing or feel was off on bass the whole band was off. There are some bass lines I can't play by myself but with the band they are easy and I can direct the band. An example is The Passenger by Iggy Pop. I just can't get the timing when I play it by myself. Add another player, doesn't matter if it's drums, guitar, or keys, and I can nail it and drive the song. I can't put it into words. It is a feeling. If you follow Jeff Berlin he talks about the feel and how playing with a metronome can actually screw you up. I don't agree with him 100% but the point that some music is more about the feel than the exact timing is very valid.
 
I find it odd that grown up players can't swing. I had some guys in a punk band with me that could not do it. It's in a lot more than jazz.

I suspect many self taught may not have had the chance to learn it. Those of us that were in school band and choir and listened to some jazz end up just knowing how to swing.

Super excited currently with my new trio, which plays eclectic punkish originals, because we all have similar grasp and instincts of grooves. We are going to punkishise some funk, funkisize some punk, and swing at times..... Wheeeee
 
Most rock bands boogie, four on the floor. Steely Dan knocked me out as a kid because that band could swing. Before I ever even heard rock music, I cut my teeth on my dad’s Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman 45s and Frank Sinatra albums with Nelson Riddle. I’d heard more swing by the time I was 9 than most guitar players hear in a lifetime.
 
Seamus OReally said:
Most rock bands boogie, four on the floor. Steely Dan knocked me out as a kid because that band could swing. Before I ever even heard rock music, I cut my teeth on my dad’s Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman 45s and Frank Sinatra albums with Nelson Riddle. I’d heard more swing by the time I was 9 than most guitar players hear in a lifetime.
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Everyone needs to listen to the guitar solo in Bodhisattva. If you can't swing after that, it's hopeless....
 
Sam The Lion said:
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So sad that she's gone....

I had a drummer become very angry with me after I called off a song that had a "swing feel." He claimed he couldn't swing. Strange that he wanted to sit in, because I had an established reputation of being a swing player, or as a phrase that I'm credited with calls it;

Uptown Blues, Low Brow Jazz

Swing was instrumental to that...
Needless to say, that drummer was not invited back.
 
Swing to me is like 2 parts at the same time hitting on different parts of the beat I end up feeling like Steve Martin in the jerk.
 
rolandson said:
So sad that she's gone....

I had a drummer become very angry with me after I called off a song that had a "swing feel." He claimed he couldn't swing. Strange that he wanted to sit in, because I had an established reputation of being a swing player, or as a phrase that I'm credited with calls it;

Uptown Blues, Low Brow Jazz

Swing was instrumental to that...
Needless to say, that drummer was not invited back.
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I din't realize how young she died
 
I'm pretty sure that I won't end up playing the cool games yall play since I am trying to push out originals and wanting to gig. But.....sometimes maybe I have something that maybe has something to do with the topic.

This is an experiment I did to see if I could manage to get both guitar and vocal to be reasonably balanced using one mic. It' kinda worked and I just left the file as it was.

Only an idiot follows Django.......I AM THAT IDIOT!!! Hope you like it:

https://soundcloud.com/id%3Ddadocaster%252Fall-of-me%3Btrack_id%3D1418494057
 
Or try to cop Wayne Shorter’s phrasing on “Footprints.” I’ve been working on that tune, and soloing through that dancey 6/8 is just good for ya. Or Paul Desmond’s floating-above phrasing on “Take Five!” Well, I could go on all day…
 
This thread inspired my pulling my archtop into bed with me. My crippled hand looked at me as if I was outta my mind to which I responded
"of course I am idiot, you know this already, shut the "eff" up and do your job"¹

Now my fingers hurt, my hand is in open rebellion, and spouse is convinced I'm gonna be begging her for lidocaine...(she's right of course...but then I am always begging for it...)

The archtop was happy though. I hadn't poked at it in a very long time.

¹of course I didn't say "eff"... i said ****.
 
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I am not one of the Sultans but guitar George knows all the chords they say.
If it swings it moves your ass.

Life is good,
Robin
 
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