THE KIT · TIME FEEL 3 · 4/4

The Swing Feel

Swing is the heartbeat of jazz. The ride cymbal carries the time, the hi-hat pedal closes on 2 and 4, and the bass drum is played so softly it is felt more than heard.

The most important thing is the swing feel: eighth notes are not even. They are played long-short.

Open this feel on the kit →

Hear it played: recorded swing grooves from 95 to 220 BPM in the Groove Library. Set the click to 2 and 4 and play along.

Reading it

The x on the top line of the staff is the ride cymbal. The x below the staff is your hi-hat foot. Notes in the bottom space are the bass drum.

Swing is written as ordinary eighth notes. The page does not show the long-short feel; you have to add it yourself. That is a jazz reading tradition.

Counting

Think of each beat as a triplet: 1-trip-let 2-trip-let. Swung eighths use the first and last parts: “1 – a 2 – a”. Many drummers say “ding, ding-a-ding, ding-a-ding” for the ride pattern.

The four steps

Each step changes one thing. Get each one comfortable before moving on.

1. The backbeat: snare on 2 and 4 along with the hi-hat foot. The bass drum feathers every beat.Play variation 1 →
2. One snare comp on the a of 2, slipped in between the ride notes.Play variation 2 →
3. Snare comps on the a of 3 and the a of 4.Play variation 3 →
4. A comp on the a of 2, then a loud bass drum “bomb” on the a of 4. Jazz drummers drop bombs to kick the band forward.Play variation 4 →

Common mistakes

• Playing the eighths straight (even). Swing needs long-short.
• Bass drum too loud. Feathering means barely touching the head.
• The ride changes when the comp note comes in. The ride should not notice the comp at all.

Practice plan

5 min	Ride pattern alone, singing “ding, ding-a-ding”.
5 min	Add the hi-hat foot on 2 and 4.
5 min	Add the feathered bass drum.
10 min	Steps 1 to 4, starting at 80.

Always start slower than you think you need to. Speed comes from playing it right many times, not from playing it fast once.