Swing Rhythm
A swing rhythm can be created by tying together the first and second notes of a triplet. There are several different ways of writing swing rhythms. To understand them it is worth using one musical example written in various ways. First play the following example, which contains eighth note triplets.
This example has the first and second notes of the triplet group tied. This gives it a swing feel.
The two eighth note triplets tied together in the previous example can be replaced by a quarter note.
To simplify notation, it is common to replace the 6 with z, and to write at the start of the piece 6 = z as illustrated in the next example.
The previous three examples sound exactly the same but are just written differently.
This traditional song was made famous by Louis Armstrong and has been played by many of the great Jazz players.
Take care with the slurs in this riff. Practice it slowly at first if you have trouble with it.
The following final 12 Bar Blues exercise uses almost everything you have learned in the book up to this point. Practice it slowly to begin with and then try to play along with the recording. There is one new note in this example – the low Bb which occurs in bar 11.
This note uses exactly the same fingering as the Bb you already know, except that it is played with less lip pressure. Practice alternating between these two Bb notes and also the note F which is in between the two Bb notes and also uses the same fingering.
You now have enough musical knowledge to begin improvising, which means creating your own melodies as you play. Try varying the notes of some of the songs and examples in the book, and then make up some of your own phrases based on them. The 12 Bar Blues is an excellent progression for improvising, particularly with the Blues scale. Experiment and have fun!
