Smithi20

I´m back! The way to get into the swing gear is to listen and sing... daydledeeldedadlledowdlledoodle (sp!) your songs over great drummers, with iPod on the bus (you´ll be guaranteed seats on either side!) or at home anytime, and clap... on the 3 and a half! Stamp your feet, bang the table! Digging in to a beat is as much a physical as a mental thing, IMHO

PS there is a book to be written about the development of time.... best thing to do is to listen to what you love!

trpt2345

It has to do with phrasing and accents. From about 1945 onwards "swing" 8th notes are not triplets, or even 3-2 or 8-5, but really straight-with accents on the "and" and a slur from the off-beat eighth note to the down beat. Ingrid mentioned John McNeil's Art of Jazz Trumpet-absolutely essential, the only only book to ever actually deal with the mechanics of "swing". He provides valuable exercises to accomplish this. But it all comes down to listening. Miles in the fifties, Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Milt Jackson, the list goes on. You have to listen close. Try the original version of Walkin', both Miles' and Milt's solos are textbook examples of swing eighth notes.

Michael McLaughlin

Cameron

Thanks for these suggestions! I personally am really into Woody Shaw's playing. I have a book of his solos, but I suppose it would really help to get into older style players before trying to play modern stuff.

Cameron

Oh, one thing I also do to work on time is playing drums (along with recordings). I find it helps. I'm not that great of a drummer, but it really forces me to feel the groove, whether it's swing or straight.