Swing Rhythm and Melody...How does he do it??

Dan Uke

UU VIP
UU VIP
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
5,212
Reaction score
10
Location
Cerritos, CA
I've seen this video countless of times but can't for the life of me, play swing rhythm and melody at the same time. My head counts One and Two and Three and, etc but need to count One and a Two and a Three, etc. One or the other but not both.

Driving me crazy!! :wallbash: This is so much harder for me than copying a Jake song.

Does anyone else have the same issue or is it just me?

I would be impressed if someone copied this video and posted in this thread!! :worship:



 
Last edited:
Firstly, this is very hard to do. There are a few things you need to learn:

1. Learn how and where to syncopate melody notes.
2. Learn to use the 3rd finger of the right hand - you need it.
3. Learn how to mute the strings with the left hand.
4. Learn to play some jazz chords and use fretted notes wherever possible.

When you can do these things, you will be ready to start playing in this style.
 
Yes Master!! I feel like young grasshopper from Kung Fu "When you can grab the pebble from my hand, you can leave"

Thanks Ken. I can play this song as it's pretty easy to play melody with the chord arrangement I got. I use my 3rd finger all the time as I learned guitar. I have no problem muting strings and playing jazz chords. What I have a problem is making it swing and jazzy if you know what I mean.
 
Last edited:
Sorry if I sounded condescending. Unintentional. It is early in the morning for me. I was just trying to be helpful.

Ken

Not condescending at all!! I appreciate any and all advice. I just like TV and your last line just reminded me of the show.

A prime example of my problem is the "Three Tenors" singing My Way. It sounds alright but something isn't right. I can play the song but just sounds too square.
 
If it just doesn't sound right, don't try counting the swing beat, just try feeling the music and strum along with Phil's video for a while. Then try putting all the pieces together. There are some songs that just confuse people. The Beatles 5/4 time in "We Can Work It Out" is one of those situations. Just try to feel it, not count it.
 
Last edited:
I would be impressed if someone copied this video and posted in this thread!!

So would I !

Great playing in that version.......a lot harder than it looks also.
 
Swing is a state of mind. You have to hear it and feel it before you can play it. I don't think it is possible to teach any one to swing.

No easy answer for this one. You just gotta listen to a lot of jazz and you will eventually get it.

Sorry.

(It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing.)
 
I think Pippin and Olgoat nailed it. I come from a vocal music background and I equate it a bit to "scatting". Have you ever tried scatting? If you try to mimic another persons scat stylings, it comes off sounding mechanical and unnatural. If you get in the groove and really feel the music, it comes a lot more naturally. Personally, I would have a hard time getting it because I would be concentrating too hard on the technical parts but if you already have that down and just let yourself go, get into it and have fun, you'll probably be amazed at how close you get. Just look at how into it he is. Whatever you end up with might not sound exactly like his version but, in my opinion, it's not supposed to. I doubt he would sound exactly the same playing that same song twice. That's the beauty of musical improv.
:cool:
Have fun making up your own version.

Dean
 
Swing is a state of mind. You have to hear it and feel it before you can play it. I don't think it is possible to teach any one to swing.

No easy answer for this one. You just gotta listen to a lot of jazz and you will eventually get it.

Sorry.

(It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing.)

Agree 100%. Gotta listen to more jazz
 
Very nice arrangement and execution.

.....the "swing" part is obviously arrived at by simply bobbin your head in beat as this gentlemen shows so plainly. Then it's EASY! Surprised you missed that. :D

....LOVE the little grin and giggle at the very end!


BTW,....Nongdam, do you have a tab of this arrangement? I'd like to try my bobbing technique!


I've seen this video countless of times but can't for the life of me, play swing rhythm and melody at the same time. My head counts One and Two and Three and, etc but need to count One and a Two and a Three, etc. One or the other but not both.

Driving me crazy!! :wallbash: This is so much harder for me than copying a Jake song.

Does anyone else have the same issue or is it just me?

I would be impressed if someone copied this video and posted in this thread!! :worship:



 
Last edited:
I don't play this Jazzy style...but is he like adding a second tempo in there while he is picking and strumming..
 
Just to play Devil's advocate, when I studied rhythm with John Bergamo (who has more rhythm in his left elbow than I have in my whole body), he said, "If you you're going to play, you have to have the smallest rhythmic subdivision locked into your head." So, for basic swing, you need the triplets.

Tock-ih-tuh tock-it-tuh tock-it-tuh

If you have that, then you can get the syncopations, cos they always land on one of those.

Yes, there's feel. But there's also a lot of precision. He's just being precise subconsciously cos the rhythm is second nature to him.
 
Sorry Joe, no tab but starts in Am and you have to play G string with index finger
 
Top Bottom