Pay Attention to This Every Time You Play

As jazz guitarists, it’s often a good practice to remember your roots and to stay grounded in the fundamentals.  The most important fundamental in jazz is it’s rhythm and the concept of swing.  If the way you’re playing doesn’t swing, then that’s a major problem.  This applies to every type of jazz player regardless of the instrument you’re playing.

We often get so bogged down with what notes we should be playing over certain chords that we forget that none of this matters if what you’re playing doesn’t swing. Even if every note of your solo matches up perfectly with the chords, if you’re time is off or if you’re not swinging then basically you’re entire solo just went down the drain.

I know this sounds harsh but it’s true. With every practice session, you should be aware of your sense of time and rhythm to determine whether you’re swinging or not.  Play with more experienced musicians and ask them to honestly give you their opinion of you’re rhythmic concept.  Don’t just ask anyone because they will tell you what you want to hear just because they don’t want to hurt your feelings.

I would much rather have my feelings hurt early on so that I could fix the problem now than to go on for years never knowing that I have a problem with my timing.

So with that, here’s a video of the masters—the originators of bebop music. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. The song is Hot House. Listen to how they and the band, particularly the drummer swings. Listen over and over if you have to.  In fact, never stop listening to them and other jazz musicians who swing hard.  That way you will begin to KNOW intuitively what swings and what doesn’t.

Best Wishes,

Leon