Heartbeat and ornaments: More technical secrets of swing rhythm
Ken Lindsay, Pete Nordquist · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 2012
We previously demonstrated technically precise methods characterizing various types of Swing style in music. Our primary tool is “diffdot” notation showing, in graphical form, the exact timing relationships between various musical notes that create a specific musical phrase. We have shown several common and obvious details of Swing, all based on time variations from a uniform square grid (Classical Mozart/Bach). Micro-timing variations are generally recognized as being essential to Swing. There may be other elements which define Swing feeling but we have focused on micro-timing details. These are a fruitful source for technical analysis of Swing styles.Triplet subdivision is often associated with Swing -- Jazz, Blues -- but triplets are neither necessary nor sufficient to distinguish a performance as “Swing” versus “Straight” time. One seemingly universal detail of Swing is an asymmetrical “pulse” or basic beat, e.g. on the downbeat of every measure, or the one and three beat in a 4/4 piece. The time between the two heartbeat notes as they repeat their cycle is not equal. This gives rise to unmistaken Swing. Other non-uniform but precisely repeated timing patterns characterize Swing at hierarchical levels different from pulse. These we call “ornaments” in keeping with common musical jargon.