What is swing in music?
Swing in music is a way of organizing rhythms to make them slightly irregular, enhancing their groove and personality. In its simplest form, swing involves delaying the second of each pair of beats in a rhythm to create a loping long-short, long-short feel. It makes rhythms less regular and, when applied well, more interesting.
Think of it as the difference between a person walking and a galloping horse. The walk is even, steady, and predictable, with the same length of time between each step. The horse’s gallop has an uneven rhythm that makes it feel dynamic and driving. Swing captures this feeling in musical form.
In the first audio example below, our beat has no swing. In the second example, we added a simple 16th note swing. Hear how every second 16th note is delayed to create that galloping feeling. It’s especially audible in the hi-hats.