swing
A rhythmic feel where pairs of notes are played with a long-short lilt rather than evenly.
In Depth
Swing is both a rhythmic feel and a jazz subgenre. The swing feel takes pairs of eighth notes that would be played evenly in classical music and gives them a lilting, long-short pattern. This creates the bouncing, propulsive rhythm that defined the big band era of the 1930s and 40s.
As a genre, swing refers to the big band jazz of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. Swing bands were the pop music of their era — they filled dance halls, dominated the radio, and shaped American culture. The phrase it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing (from the Ellington song) captured the essence of what made this music irresistible.
The swing era was so dominant in American culture that entire generations learned to dance to it. In 1938, Benny Goodman's Carnegie Hall concert proved that jazz — and swing — was a serious art form.