>> Our first lesson is
dealing with the swing eighth note and ordinarily,
when we think of eighth notes,
we think of the equal division of the pulse into two.
So as demonstrated here,
if we had written eighth notes in 4/4,
we would count them 1 and 2 and 3 and
the equal division of each beat into two parts.
In order to better understand swing eighth notes,
we would need to look at eighth note triplets,
which are notated over here.
So at the same tempo,
as we move from eighth notes into triplets,
we would have 1,
and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and, a, 2 and, a, 3 and, a, 4 and, a.
In an eighth note triplets, obviously,
we get three even attacks against each pulse.
And the reason we're looking at
eighth note triplets here is
because a swing eighth notes are
roughly notated as a quarter and
an eighth note under a triplet sign which
means that the first of the two attacks on
each beat is roughly twice the duration as the second.
So if we had a quarter and an eighth under
each triplet sign on each beat in 4/4.
If we were then to move and we must keep
the sound of the eighth note triplets in our mind,
And they were keeping the 1 and, a, 2 and, a,
the triplet subdivision.
This notation is approximate,
meaning that it isn't exactly accurate.
The actual exact notation would
vary depending on the actual style of the swing.
Because swing can be played
differently depending on different players,
depending on different eras of music, and so forth.
And the interpretation into
swing eighths can vary depending on the tempo,
depending on how fast the tempo is.
Generally speaking, the slower the tempo,
the more accurate the quarter and an
eighth under a triplet sign is because obviously,
it's easier to sub-divide each beat into three.
If you're at a slower tempo,
if you're at a very fast tempo like 1,
It's virtually impossible to sub-divide
accurately into triplets at that speed.
Over here, I have notated
using the quarter and an eighth notation,
a rhythm that was used in the song Big Spender,
which was from the Broadway show, Sweet Charity.
And as you see,
the notation is a little bit awkward.
We have 1,
So the rhythm of
an introduction that was used for Big Spender
[MUSIC] there's a bounce.
[MUSIC] Notice that the last eighth note under beat
of what would be beat 1 of the following measure.
But this is the short anticipation,
meaning that the eighth belt here is not
tied to any duration of following.
So this notation is reasonably accurate,
but you generally do not
see swing eighth notes notated this way,
you actually see them as I have down
here where they look like regular eighth notes,
but with the agreed upon
interpretation that they will be interpreted as swing.
So if we were to read this
[MUSIC] which is a more difficult notation to read,
I think any of us would rather see
[MUSIC] which is the notation of the same rhythm,
but without an attempt to notate the swing
eighth notes as quarter and
an eighth under a triplet sign,
but just writing them as regular eighth notes.
And then somehow we would agree upon
either the style of the music would dictate,
or we would have the actual word that
would say swing interpret as a swing style.
So that was a good overview of the swing eighth note.
Let's now take a closer look at the swing eighth note,
its sound, and its notation.