Groove: A Phenomenology of Rhythmic Nuance
Jeanette Bicknell · The British Journal of Aesthetics · 2016
A groove is the feel of a rhythm. Musical rhythms may be performed ‘straight’, with pitches sounding according to a regular pulse, as even and regular as the clicks of a metronome. Or they may be performed in ways that give them qualities of leaning forward, of pulling ahead or of holding back. Musicians achieve these various rhythmic feels by intentionally playing certain notes very slightly early or late, Roholt says, along with employing subtleties of dynamics, timbre and (I would add) accent and attack. Compare, for example, a typical swing rhythm as played by a jazz drummer (who will likely make the rhythm lean back by striking certain notes slightly late) and a rockabilly drummer (who will make the same rhythm push forward by striking certain notes slightly early.) These timing variations are not meant to be heard as errors. Rather, they are to be understood in the context of the effects they generate, much as when a singer or instrumentalist sounds a note slightly sharp to produce a brighter sound.