Swing vs Straight Time Feel on Piano: Finally Explained

Straight feel divides each beat into two equal eighth notes, while swing feel divides the beat into three triplet parts and leaves out the middle one, so the second note arrives slightly later and lazier at the same tempo.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 18 min

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What this lesson teaches

In this lesson Jason Zac from Nathaniel School of Music explains the two most important rhythmic foundations in popular music: the straight time feel and the swing time feel. It is for any player, on piano or guitar, who has heard that a groove sounds bouncy or lazy but is not sure why, and who wants to control it rather than guess.

He starts with a thumping blues bass line over a 12-bar cycle, playing it first straight and then swung, so you can hear how radically the mood changes while the tempo stays exactly the same.

Straight feel: dividing the beat into two

The beat always lasts a set amount of time, depending on the tempo, whether that is 60, 80 or 90 BPM. When you go inside the beat and split it into two equal halves, placing the sub-beat exactly at the 50 percent mark, you get eighth notes (quavers).

Count it as: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Both the number and the and are evenly spaced. Play a C major chord (C E G) on the piano with this even count and you have straight feel.

Swing feel: triplets without the middle

The sub-beat does not have to sit exactly halfway. If it is delayed slightly, you get a lazier feel called swing. The simplest way to feel it is through triplets:

1. Divide each beat into three: 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a.
2. Play all three on a C major chord. It sounds busy and a little aggressive.
3. Now leave out the middle division of each triplet, playing only the first and last.

The result is eighth-note swing, named because the eighth note gets swung, or moved a bit later. You can still count it as 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, as long as you feel the triplet underneath.

Remember: the speed of the beat does not change between straight and swing. Only what happens inside the beat changes.

Feeling it on the guitar

Stringed instruments make the idea physical. Every down stroke lands on beats 1, 2, 3 and 4, and every up stroke lands on the ands. Practise first with muted strings, counting slowly, then swing the same motion. Next, hold a G major chord (G B D) and strum straight, then swung. You do not have to play every division: a rhythm built from leaving out some strokes, especially using lots of off-beats, is far more interesting than chugging every subdivision. Making a rhythm is all about choosing when to play and when not to play.

Converting real songs

Jason then flips well-known songs between the two feels:

• A Michael Jackson song that is straight eighths, counted 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, is turned into swing. Singing it first helps you feel the change.
• A Metallica riff, very straight like most rock and metal, is swung for a completely different vibe.
• A Beatles song that is already swung is straightened out.

Straight feel tends to suit rock and metal, while swing feels lazier and makes you want to sway. In swing you also tend to feel beats 2 and 4 more strongly than 1 and 3. Many pop artists, including the Beatles, Michael Jackson and A. R. Rahman, have used swing.

How to practise

• Play a C major chord straight, then as full triplets, then as swing, without changing tempo.
• Take a straight song you know and swing it; take a swing song and straighten it.
• Whenever you learn a new song, decide early whether it is straight or swing, just as you would work out its key and pulse.
• Use switching between feels while writing to break out of monotonous patterns.

Questions about this lesson

What is the difference between straight and swing eighth notes?

Straight eighths divide the beat into two equal halves. Swing eighths divide the beat into three triplet parts and play only the first and last, so the second note lands later.

How do I count swing rhythm?

Count triplets as 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a, then skip the middle syllable. You can still say 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, as long as you feel the triplet underneath.

Does swing make the song faster or slower?

No. The tempo of the beat stays the same in both feels; only what happens inside each beat changes.

Which styles use straight and which use swing?

Most rock and metal is straight, while blues and many pop songs by artists such as the Beatles and Michael Jackson use swing. Any song can be converted from one feel to the other as an exercise.

Practise it

• Swing GardenWork with straight and swung rhythm in an interactive teaching workspace.
• Groove MetronomeWork with tempo, accents and polyrhythms instead of a single unchanging click.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• Improve Your Sense of Rhythm on Piano: Time Feel, Swing and Triplets (Part 2)To build a strong time feel on piano, keep a steady pulse, divide each beat by two, three or four, choose straight or swing, and then create grooves by playing only some of the divisions or accenting them in irregular groups. In short: divide more and play less.
• 5 Methods to Use and Feel Triplets in All Forms of MusicA triplet divides a beat into three equal parts, and you can learn to feel it naturally by practising triplet rhythmic devices, 3-over-2 polyrhythms, compound time such as 6/8 and 12/8, accented sets of three, and swing.
• Bring Piano Chords to Life With Ghost Notes and Swing (Double-Thumb Trick)To make piano chords groove, feel each beat divided into swung eighths or triplets, then bring that subdivision out with broken chords and arpeggios in the right hand, soft root, octave and fifth ghost notes in the left hand, and both thumbs working together.
• Piano Hand Independence: The Exercise That Finally WorksTo build piano hand independence, play the first five notes of C minor (C D Eb F G) up and down in both hands, keeping one hand on the pulse while the other divides each beat by two, three or four, then swap hands.