Getting Your Rhythm Section to Swing

One of the most important things a jazz instructor can do to have a successful jazz ensemble or combo is to help them understand the concept of swinging. The first step in this process is to provide audio and video recordings of model groups. The second thing is to help each player understand the function of their instrument and their responsibilities as players. YouTube has a wealth of videos of live performances and entire albums to listen to and watch. If you are near an area where there are professional jazz performers, invite them to your school or go out to one of their live performances. If you get to be around these professionals, arrange for your students to ask them about how they view their function in the group. There's nothing like one on one contact for your students to learn firsthand. With technology, you can arrange Skype or FaceTime interactions. Whatever you do, make listening the first step.

Let's explore the function of each instrument in the rhythm section. My model rhythm section for large jazz ensembles comes from the Count Basie Orchestra. The players in this great group defined what swing was to be. They include William "Count" Basie (piano), Freddie Green (guitar), Walter Page (bass) and Jo Jones (drums). Each of these players had a style that has been imitated and refined over the years.

Bass

It is the function of the bass to keep the time. One of the problems young jazz groups have is for the drummer to attempt to be the time keeper. This usually creates a "vertical feel" with accents on one and three. For a jazz group to swing the strong beats have to be on two and four. This gives a linear feel that doesn't start over every time you get to a bar line. Walter Page achieved this by playing lines where the strong notes fell on two and four. Think of playing a major scale starting on the seventh degree. If seven is on beat one, leading to eight means the resolution from seven to eight leads you from a weak note (demanding resolution) to a strong note (the resolution). Now all of the accents shift and two and four are the notes of resolution or strong beats. You feel constant motion in a horizontal line rather than a vertical line with accents on one and three. This is the foundation of the swing feel but it can't stand alone.

Drum Set

The function of the drum set is to complement the bass and give emphasis on two and four. Jo Jones did this with the hi-hat (sock cymbal) by clapping the cymbals on two and four. He also used patterns on the ride cymbal to play eighth notes with emphasis on the second eighth note in a two-eighth note pattern. Years later Kenny Clarke developed a pattern he and others called "spang a lang" because that's how the pattern sounds (two eighth notes followed by a quarter note). One of the first things I do with young drummers is to remove the bass drum pedal. Drummers playing the bass drum on one and three negates all that the bass is doing. The bass drum will be used for kicks and accents that will add emphasis to horn lines that have nothing to do with swinging. Once the drummer listens to recordings he/she learns to use hits on the snare drum for added emphasis and to push the swing feel forward.

Piano

Count Basie used a pattern known as "comping" short for complementing. Besides providing the chord progressions the piano accentuates the "back beat" which comes on two and four. Together with the bass and drums, the piano creates a strong swing feel which "leans" on the weak beats. Defying the classical music feel of one and three and comping on the second eighth note on two and four there is tension developed. This tension helps to reinforce beats two and four as the target beats.

Guitar

Freddie Green created a style of playing that has borne his name over the years. The Freddie Green style is a way of playing chords on each quarter note in a measure. Most young players find this to be very difficult. One, because they have to rapidly change chords; two, because the rest of the rhythm section sounds like they are accenting on two and four. I always had my students practice it slowly and then I would have them play along with Freddie. If you have a device or software that will slow the music down without altering the key, use it. I would use a metronome at a slow tempo and have my guitarists play one chord per beat. Once you've given each player their purpose and responsibility, it's now time to teach them to function as a single unit. There are two ways to achieve this. First, have them listen to recordings again but this time focusing on the rhythm section as a whole with each instrument completing the puzzle. Second, what I consider the most important thing, have them play together. Encourage them to listen carefully to one another and get a "feel" for how they can "fill in the blanks." The more mileage they can get by playing together, the more natural they will begin to feel.

Once you're satisfied that your students understand the concept of swinging, be sure to select music that gives them the opportunity to put their newly acquired skills to good use. Songs like Groove Merchant have good arrangements for young bands that mirror the arrangements played by Basie. Swinging is an attitude as well as a style. As Duke Ellington said, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing."

Ron Kearns is the author of Quick Reference for Band Directors and is a Vandoren Performing Artist and a Selmer of Paris Performing Artist

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