Big Blog #1 - Swing Music

When I think of music from the 1930’s and 40’s, one of the first styles that comes to mind is Swing. Whether you realize it or not, you have most likely heard swing music at some point in your life, and maybe even tried Swing dancing. After its inception in the early 1920’s, it dominated American popular music in the 1930’s and 40’s to the point that those years became known as the “swing era” in American music. Featuring artists many artists still adored today, Swing bridged the gap between traditional Jazz to many styles that followed such as Bebop and R&B. In case you aren't sure if you've heard Swing music before, below is a song by Glenn Miller, In the Mood, that you will probably recognize within the first few seconds.

While most people are probably somewhat familiar with Swing, far fewer are familiar with what specifically defines the style, as well as its roots. Swing music got its name from the way it is played, with an emphasis of the “off beat.” According to Carnegie Hall, the distinctive “feel” of Swing music is achieved through accentuating beats 2 and 4, replacing steady eight notes with “swinging” eighth notes, and adding accents of syncopation. Additionally, it features a walking bass line that anchors the rhythm. While Swing music isn’t the only style of music that utilizes this “swinging” style, it is a hallmark feature of the style. 

    Swing music and dancing both have African American roots, and swing music is considered a style, or “dilution” of jazz. In fact, swing music is so closely related to jazz that many people first think of swing music when they think of jazz. Both styles feature improvisation, as well as a similar array of instruments, but Swing tends to utilize more written music than jazz, which is much more improv heavy. According to Britannica, Swing music was actually the first commercially successful jazz music, bringing newfound respect to jazz, and introducing it to ballrooms and other more formal settings across the US. 

According to NPR, one of the early pioneers of Swing style music was Fletcher Henderson. He, alongside others, helped bridge the gap between the traditional Jazz era and the Swing era. His music featured call and response riffs, and he successfully merged the improvisation of traditional jazz music with the use of written music. His band featured many well-know musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge. Some other influential swing musicians include Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller and Bennie Moten (Masterclass) Below is one of Fletcher Henderson's most famous songs, "Sugar Foot Stomp."

As a style, swing has 3 main characteristics. As mentioned earlier, it was intended as dance music. As it gained popularity amidst the Great Depression, it had a very upbeat, high energy nature, which distracted people from the present day worries. Another characteristic briefly mentioned earlier are the call and response riffs. With its roots in African-American music, it is no surprise that call and response, which originated in sub-Saharan Africa, is a characteristic of the style. Anchored by a bass line, the brass and woodwind sections would carry out the call and response. The final characteristic is the use of formal arrangements, which distinguish Swing from traditional jazz. Due to Swing often being played by large bands, there was greater need for specific arrangements rather than straight improv.

Another interesting characteristic of swing music is vertical improvisation. Prior to the swing era, horizontal improvisation was the go-to form of improv. This style of improvisation focuses on playing notes that make sense melodically, in other words, mostly just embellishing the melody. On the other hand, vertical improv, which was introduced by saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, focuses on playing notes that make the most sense harmonically. This made improvisation much more complex, and brought a new sound to Swing music. 

Essentially being a style of jazz, Swing features the same instruments used in traditional jazz music. Piano, bass and drums carry the rhythm (think about the anchoring bass line mentioned earlier). Brass and winds carry out the call and response, with the brass consisting of trumpets and trombones, and wind instruments including saxophone and clarinet. Occasionally, violin and guitar are featured, though they are not necessarily essential to the style. (SwingManiacs). 

Although a lot of early Swing music did not include vocals, they still played a major role in swing music, and some pieces were even arranged for the featured singer. Towards the end of the 30’s and beginning of the 40’s the focus shifted more toward the vocalist. Singers like Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra were becoming the stars of the bands they sang for, and this shift toward vocalist-centered popular music continued through the decline of the Swing era. Additionally, this shift paved the way for styles such as Bepob and R&B, and is still central to pop music today.

Swing music followed the lyrical trend of the time of exploring much more risqué topics than had been previously considered acceptable. Not surprisingly, it was met with some disapproval, yet was still successful. A major theme of many swing era songs was love, which is what we immediately think of when swing era musicians like Frank Sinatra are mentioned. Ultimately, being a style that was emerging amidst the Great Depression, Swing was intended to take one's mind off of the struggles America was facing, and the lyrics reflected that goal.

Swing music is still known and loved today, almost a century later. Many of its songs are known as American classics, and the style of dance that accompanies it is still popular in many circles today. Beyond its contributions of songs to American popular music, it brought new styles, arrangements, and perspectives on popular music that are still very influential today.

Sources:
“Fletcher Henderson: 'Architect of Swing'.” NPR, NPR, 19 Dec. 2007, https://www.npr.org/2007/12/19/17370123/fletcher-henderson-architect-of-swing.
Discover Jazz. “The Rise of Swing Music: Best Big Bands & Jazz Orchestras.” Jazzfuel, 4 Feb. 2022, https://jazzfuel.com/big-band-music-jazz-orchestra/.
MasterClass. “Swing Music Guide: 7 Notable Swing Musicians - 2022.” MasterClass, MasterClass, 2 Apr. 2021, https://www.masterclass.com/articles/swing-music-guide#7-notable-swing-bands-and-artists.
Schneider, Jeff. “Horizontal vs. Vertical Improvisation.” Jeff Schneider Music, Jeff Schneider Music, 12 Feb. 2021, https://jeffschneidermusic.com/blog/horizontal-vs-vertical-improvisation.
“Swing Maniacs, Let's Swing.” Swing Maniacs, https://www.swingmaniacs.com/en/history-of-swing.
“Swing Music Explained.” The Jazz Piano Site, 15 Nov. 2019, https://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-genres/swing-music-explained/.
“Swing.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/art/swing-music.
“What Is Swing.” What Is Swing, https://www.carnegiehall.org/Education/Programs/Link-Up/National-Program/The-Orchestra-Swings/What-Is-Swing.