Music Theory: How to Notate Swing Eighth Notes on Charts vs. Straight 8th Notes | Jazz | Berklee
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How do we notate swing eighth notes? That’s what Berklee Online instructor Paul Schmeling explores in this video from his Music Theory 301 course. He discusses how swing eighth notes are present predominantly in jazz music, and that they can be interpreted and notated as a triplet, where the first eighth note occupies the space of two eighth note triplets and the second eighth note occupies the space of the third triplet. But with swing eighth notes, there’s a catch: swing isn’t necessarily played in the same manner by everyone. Depending on their era and place, players can have a tendency to swing more or less than the textbook definition. That definition, by the way, is that the first eighth note can be played for a longer or shorter time than its intended two-triplet feel. Since it would be somewhat convoluted to notate accurately how to swing, and also because players swing in different fashions, charts generally notate swing eighth notes as regular eighth notes. But what makes those notes swing is the chart’s written notice to play in “swing,” usually written on the top. That can give the player more freedom to play in their preferred swing style, as well as making up for a rather cleaner chart.
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ABOUT PAUL SCHMELING:
Paul Schmeling is a master pianist, interpreter, improviser, and arranger who has inspired countless students since he began teaching at Berklee in 1961. He has performed or recorded with jazz greats such as Clark Terry, Rebecca Parris, George Coleman, Carol Sloane, Frank Foster, Art Farmer, Herb Pomeroy, Phil Wilson, Dick Johnson and Slide Hampton. In the 1990s, the Paul Schmeling Trio released two inventive and critically acclaimed albums, interpreting the music of Hoagy Carmichael and songs associated with Frank Sinatra. Recently retired as chair of the piano department, he is co-author of the “Berklee Practice Method: Keyboard” (2001) and “Instant Keyboard” (2002) and the author of “Berklee Music Theory: Book 1.” He also authored Berklee Online’s very first online course with Music Theory 101.
About Berklee Online:
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