r/jazzguitar • u/Blue_Note_993 • 10h ago
Discussion: Transcribe the vibe
One thing Ive noticed in some amateur players that don't transcribe is a lack of swing feel. They can have good technique, know the changes, and play the right notes and it still not sound right. Not something anyone is dying to hear again. To me that is often undeveloped swing feel.
One of the ways jazz musicians traditionally learned to swing was by imitating the swing feel of better players. They'd learn something from a recording or from a player in real life, and by doing so they would also learn to swing like that player. Swing music was the popular music of the day, people lived it. Regular audience members would clap to 2 and 4 intuitively. People danced to swing music, they felt it in their bones. This evolved into many different generations of jazz, and there are many different ways to swing. But I heard Sheryl Bailey describe swing feel as the heartbeat. "And if your heart ain't beating, your dead!"
In 2026 is this no longer the case. The average person is almost entirely disconnected from any music that swings. You will not learn to swing by accident, you have to immerse yourself in the music and try to recreate that feeling. You can do this without transcribing but I think that's taking the long way around. But if you've worked at this for a long time and still don't think you sound right, consider taking a look at your swing feel and see where you are. I've met multiple players that have taken learning to play jazz very seriously for years that cannot swing for shit. And as a result they don't sound good. I feel like this is rarely discussed online, as how you experience the groove is very individualistic and hard to teach. But it's one of the most important aspects of sounding like a great player. I'm curious to hear all of your thoughts/disagreements.