Originally Posted By: muzikluver
Originally Posted By: Mike Halloran
Originally Posted By: muzikluver
…I'm not familiar with swing 4/4.
Swing time 4 is sometimes notated in 12/8 but is always beat 4/4. It was the dominant feel in jazz from the late '20s through the mid '60s as well as gospel, blues and much of rock. March time (6/8) would be its godfather as it were. Jazz waltz is 3/4 subdivided into 9. Take Five is beat in 5 but subdivides into 15.

The opposite is straight time which subdivides into 8 and 16.

Rock and roll has millions of examples of both. If you look at the Styles descriptions in BIAB, you'll get a feel for it quickly. Not so much something to learn as much as the realization, "Oh, that's what that is."


Thanks for answering my question, Mike. Do you think "swing time 4" would be a better way to accomplish what I've done with the bridge in my song using a 3/4 time signature and an increased tempo of 120 bpm? I've already tried using a 6/4 time sig and even a 12/8 time sig on my bridge without increasing the tempo, but it sounded exactly the same as if I had kept the time sig at 4/4. Also, can you share an example or two of a song that changes from a straight 4/4 time sig to a swing 4/4 time sig to demonstrate the effect that Cathie described and recommended for my bridge in her comment above?


Yikes… there are so many ways to accomplish this. Step one is always to have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish—how best to do it should always be step two. So many reverse the process but that only works when you're willing to be surprised by the results.

This is an extreme but quite famous example. It starts in a slow swing 4 (12/8) but the instrumental jam is in straight 4 (8/8) before it alternates between the two feels at the end. Note that the 8th note stays constant (taking into account that it's a live performance and the tempo does wander). Blew me away when I first heard it 53 years ago.

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