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16.2 · Compound Time & Swing

Swing & shuffle

In jazz, blues, and old rock & roll, the eighth notes on the page are a lie. They're written even, but played lopsided: the first of each pair long, the second short, like a heartbeat. That lope is swing, and it's the difference between reading music and grooving it.

Straight vs. swung

Exactly the same bar of eighth notes, twice. First even, then loping. The notation does not change; only the feel does.

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Under the hood, each beat splits in three (like 6/8), and the pair lands long-short, two thirds then one third.

The shuffle

Put swing under blues chords and you get the shuffle: the groove of ten thousand blues and early rock records.

Game · Straight or swung?

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One bar of eighth notes, the same written bar every time. Straight, or swung?

Listen first. Then answer.

Hear it anywhere

The Rhythm room has a Feel dial: set it to Swing and every bar it deals plays with the lope, while the written answer stays even. Train your ear to read through the feel.

Open the Rhythm room ▸

Quiz

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Swung eighths are…

Score 100% on every quiz and game to complete this lesson.Hold the third →