Jazz Basics: It Don’t Mean a Thing…
While many flutists want to play jazz, learning to swing properly can be tricky. We try but it doesn’t sound right—something is missing. This article will guide you through how to swing properly and some of the unwritten rules to playing jazz. Armed with these ideas, you will be able to sound like a seasoned jazzer in no time.
Basic Swing
The foundation of jazz is swing (“It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing!”). Swing can mean several things, but for our purposes, when we talk about swing we will be talking about swing eighth notes.
In effect, playing jazz is like playing in 12/8. Swing eighths can be broken down like this:
The top two staves are what swing eighths would look like if notated the way they are played, with the bottom staff showing the way it looks on the page.
When people learn to swing, one of the first obstacles they encounter is the discrepancy between the way the notes look and the way they sound. Below (in Example 1.2) I’ve notated how an F scale looks and what it would look if the notation reflected the way it sounds. Notice how they look different than they sound.
There are more elements to swinging than just this one, but it is the first step – seeing the notes one way and playing them another. It may help at first if you think of jazz as being in 12/8. It takes a little getting used to, but with some practice, you can easily make the adjustment.
Keeping swing smooth is very important for several reasons. First, fluidity is needed to help propel the lines. It is easier to play fast lines when things are smooth. Second, it creates a striking contrast when angularity is added through the melodic line.
Practice all your scales in the swing style, slurring them as you play. Slurring will help keep the rhythm smooth, which is essential and will be discussed further. The goal is to make it sound and feel natural. Also, playing scales with a swing feel is a great change of pace when practicing!
Listening to the drums, specifically the ride cymbal, will help when playing in the swing style. A good drummer makes swinging easy by giving you a good swing feel. By focusing on listening and matching, the feel of the rhythm section will help you keep things relaxed. There are many play-a-long tracks and apps available. Even some metronome apps have a setting for jazz, or you can go old school and play along with classic recordings, focusing on the rhythm section.
Bebop Tonguing
If you’ve experimented with swing eighths, you may have noticed that, while it sounds okay, something is still missing. It is this point that separates the hip from the squares, but this is also where misleading information can occur.
One of the biggest misconceptions I know of is the idea that, in order to swing, you should put an accent on every upbeat.
The notes are in the swing style, but it does not sound quite right. All those accents, unfortunately, destroy any smoothness you create. That leaves us with a dilemma. It is not right with the accents, but it is not right totally slurred; something is still left out, and that something is bebop tonguing. Put simply, it’s the key to swinging authentically. In Bebop tonguing, you tongue the upbeat and slur to the downbeat. This style of articulation is not notated in the music; the player is expected to know to use bebop tonguing automatically. Because of its importance and the way it’s missing from notation, you could consider bebop tonguing one of the secrets of jazz.
When applying slurs you have to be careful not to make the ends of them (the downbeats) short. While this may be common in classical music, it is not appropriate for jazz. In order to keep the smoothness need for swing, the downbeats need to be legato.
One way to keep things in perspective is to re-examine swing eighths. Look back at the two notes of a beat in example 1.1. Notice that relationship: the downbeat is twice as long as the upbeat. This is a good reminder to keep the ends of the slurs long.
Along with misguided accents, another common mistake is clipping the ends of the slurs. When the ends of the slurs are played short, it causes the swing to sound a bit hokey.
Since we try to keep things smooth, tonguing on the upbeats creates a contrast, which is often mistaken for accents. The effect of bebop tonguing should just be an interruption of the legato line. When practicing it, slur the whole passage first, then add the tongue on the repeat. The two should sound and feel very similar. Remember, there should be no difference in the air stream between slurring and bebop tonguing.
Once you are comfortable with swing and Bebop tonguing, try using it with other scales and music. It is a great way to have fun!
Rules of Jazz
As jazz evolved through time, certain rules developed around how jazz should sound. These rules were not written down or stated in any fashion; players learned them by listening and mimicking other players. I have compiled some of these stylistic idiosyncrasies to create what I call “The Rules of Jazz.” As with bebop tonguing, these are not generally marked in the music; it is expected that the player is familiar with the concepts. By following these guidelines, you will be on your way to sounding and playing like a true jazz player!
Since jazz was not written down, but passed down aurally, not all players will employ all of the rules. In fact, due to the wide variance in individual playing styles and interpretations, there are some that do not follow any of the rules. It is these differences in approach that make jazz so personal and exciting! But by employing these guidelines, you will be able to blend in and play in any setting.
Note that these are not strict rules but are subject to exceptions depending on the particular style of jazz (Ballad, Bossa Nova, Jazz Rock, etc.).
Rule #1: All Eighths are legato unless marked otherwise.
This goes back to the idea that swing needs to be smooth. By playing all eighths long, this eliminates any hokeyness. Proper use of bebop tonguing helps keep things smooth. Play through Example 3.1, making sure to keep things legato. If you are having trouble with keeping things smooth, go back and slur the passage to reacquaint yourself with how it sounds legato.
Playing jazz should feel easy. If it seems uncomfortable, focus on keeping things legato. Generally, if you make things smooth and legato (especially if you are using bebop tonguing), everything will be okay.
If the composer/arranger wants to make an exception and have the eighths short, they will mark it in the part (finally, something notated!) to make sure there is no misunderstanding. (This pertains to our friend UMO – Unless Marked Otherwise)
Rule #2: All Quarter Notes are Short unless marked otherwise.
Similar to the “all eighths legato” rule, all quarter notes are short. Short in jazz is not the same as short in classical music. In the classical world, short seems to mean “as short as possible,” where in jazz it means “shorter than normal but with weight or attitude.”
The syllable used for short notes is “Daht.” Notice how “Daht” has weight to it, yet it does not give the note full value. Compare this syllable with its use of the softer beginning “D” to the more percussive attack of the Classical “T” (Ta, Tut, etc.). When playing short notes, use the syllable in order to give the note its proper weight and length. I like to think of short notes as “Big Bertha Notes” – lots of attitude, nothing wimpy or pristine about them.
This rule applies to all notes equal to a quarter note in length; ties across the bar/beat are included. Pay particular attention to ties across the bar equaling a quarter note, as they are commonly overlooked.
Be care not to rush the beat when playing quarter notes—the tendency is to speed things up because of the empty space created by playing the notes short. Be vigilant about keeping solid time/tempo, or as jazzers say, “keep it in the pocket.”
Similar to Rule #1 and eighth notes, when the composer/arranger wants something other than short quarter notes, they will mark it in the part. (This would be the MO in UMO)
Rule #3: All notes followed by rests are short
In order to create angularity (which is needed in the middle of all the smooth eighths), jazzers use short notes. We have learned that this pertains to quarter notes, but it also applies to all notes followed by rests. Yes, even eighth notes!
While this seems to contradict Rule #1, it is overruled by the fact that by making these particular notes short, we create angularity. It is this contrast between smooth and angular that make jazz so fascinating.
Usually, phrases that stop on the beat will do so with quarter notes, and phrases that end off the beat, on the upbeat, use eighth notes.
Be sure to keep using (Big Bertha) “Daht” for your short notes.
Rule #4: Accent all ties
In order to give ties a sense of direction, accent them. When dealing with ties, be sure to distinguish those that equal a quarter note from those with a value longer than a quarter note. If the tie equals a quarter note, refer back to rule #2.
While it depends on the music, not only do you accent ties but also add a crescendo/decrescendo. This falls under the heading of general musicianship. Using a crescendo on those notes gives the melodic line momentum.
Rule #5: Triplets and sixteenths are slurred
Triplets and sixteenth notes always present a problem for jazz beginners. Since the music is not generally marked properly, diligent students will attempt to tongue the individual notes for the triplets and sixteenths. This not only breaks the good swing feel, but can be very difficult to accomplish when the tempos are fast. (Imagine trying to tongue sixteenths when the tempo is 230!)
What we end up doing (again with the jazz secrets) is slurring triplets and sixteenths, even though they are not marked that way. Of course, our friend UMO still applies.
If the triplet/sixteenth grouping is preceded by an upbeat eighth-note, be sure to include the grouping with the bebop tonguing.
Bebop tonguing also applies to eighth notes after the grouping.
If there is some articulation marked in the triplets or sixteenths, it is generally in conjunction with a slur (slur two, tongue the next, etc). As always, slurring maintains the smoothness of the swing.
Quarter notes after the grouping do require a tongue, in order to give the proper “Daht”.
Putting the Rules Together
Now, let’s put all the rules to use. In the following piece, I have not only marked the parts completely, but have also included the rule that applies.
Keep in mind that some publishers, in an effort to make sure everything is smooth, put a slur over everything. Still apply Bebop tonguing and the rules. The only time these do not apply is during a ballad, which uses straight-eighths.
Scat Singing
One of the common phrases in music education is, “If you can sing it, you can play it.” This definitely applies to jazz. Singing the music ensures that you have the proper swing concept in your ear, and singing a phrase, then playing it back, is a great way to evaluate whether you can get the swing smooth.
When singing, it is not vital that you have a great voice or that you can sing all the right pitches; it is vital that you get the proper swing feel to happen.
In jazz, we use certain syllables to create the swing feel and call this scat singing.* The following table contains the syllables:
Downbeats – “Doo” (Notice that this is twice as long as the upbeat, similar to the relationship of the notes)
Upbeats – “Ba” or “Da”
Short Notes – “Daht”
Triplets – “Tri-po-let”
Sixteenths – “1-e-&-a” (The number used is what ever beat is relevant)
Long Notes – “Daa”
It is not possible to apply bebop tonguing when singing, but when sung properly, it sounds like the bebop tonguing is there.
This style of scat singing is a little different from what Ella Fitzgerald uses, but the principle is the same: using syllables to represent and replicate rhythms. Once you become experienced with the concept, try making up your own syllables!
Summary
Playing jazz doesn’t have to be scary. While there are some misguided ideas on how to play it, by applying Bebop tonguing and these rules, you will sound like a jazzer in no time. For additional fun, apply these techniques in some of your other music, particularly Baroque repertoire. It is amazing how hip Bach can be.
Bio: A woodwind specialist, Eric Ruyle has performed in a variety of genres and worked with many renowned artists. He has published several articles, compositions, and arrangements. He has several new books for Bass Flute and his book on harmonics, Fun with Flute and Piccolo Harmonics, is published by Carolyn Nussbaum Music Co.