Swing Rhythms
A swing rhythm can be created by tying the first two notes of the triplet group together.
The two eighth note triplets tied together in example 77 can be replaced by a quarter note.
To simplify notation, it is common to replace the z with 6, and to write at the start of the piece 6 = z as illustrated in the following example.
Here are some lines which use swung eighth notes as well as triplets. This first one uses lead-in notes (also called pickup notes). These are notes which come before the first full bar. When lead-in notes are used, the last bar is often incomplete, as the lead-in notes are added to the count.
The Sixteenth Note Triplet
Triplets can be created on any note value. A sixteenth note triplet is three sixteenth notes played evenly across the space usually taken by two sixteenth notes. This means that the triplet grouping lasts for the same duration as an eighth note.
It is common for two sixteenth note triplets to occur together as a group of six notes across one quarter note beat. The following example demonstrates sixteenth note triplets. As with previous note values, practice it with your metronome and be sure to keep your notes even. To count a sixteenth note triplet, say ta ka ta, for two across a beat, say ta ka ta ta ka ta.
Swinging Sixteenth Notes
Like eighth notes, it is possible to swing sixteenth notes by playing the first and third notes of the triplet grouping. Swung 16th rhythms are common in Funk, Hip-Hop and Rock which is influenced by these styles.
Try swinging a bar of constant 16th notes on one note until you are comfortable with the rhythm, and then try the following lines which make use of swung 16ths. You should also experiment with swinging the 16ths on other lines which you already know.
Notice the descending slide at the end of the final note in this example. This is called a trail-off, or fall-off, which is an expressive technique used by many instrumentalists. Rather than sliding to a specific note, the trail-off begins with a specific note and then trails away to an indefinite pitch. Experiment with this technique when creating your own lines.
