Swing playback

Updated 1 year ago

    Overview

    Music in “straight” time is performed strictly as written in the score. By contrast, music in swing time interpets straight eigth and sixteenth notes as triplet pairs, with the first of the pair being roughly twice as long as the second. This gives the rhythm a characteristic bouncy feel—often asssociated with Jazz music. e.g.

    Swung eighths:

    swing_eighths.jpg

    Swung sixteenths:

    swing_sixteenths.jpg

    Rather than notate swung music exactly as performed, it is accepted convention to write it in straight time and simply provide the written indications “Swing and “Straight” at appropriate points in the score.

    Swing markings have a playback effect on the score. The default swing ratio is 60% (3:2) but you can vary this to suit the feel of the piece if required.

    Adding a swing or straight marking to your score

    To add a swing marking

    1. Click on the destination note or rest
    2. Click on the Swing text in the Tempo palette.

    Alternatively, you can drag and drop the Swing text from the palette onto the note or rest in question.

    You can, if desired, add a visual swing marking as well.

    To add a straight marking

    1. Click on the destination note or rest
    2. Click on the Straight text in the Tempo palette.

    Note that the above markings are a form of System text and therefore the playback effect is applied to all staves in the system. If you want swing to apply to only one staff you can use Staff text instead: see below.

    Changing swing playback

    Adjust the type and degree of swing

    1. Right-click on the Swing text in the score and select System text properties.

    2. In the Swing settings tab edit the “Swing” and “Swing ratio” as required.

      swing_settings.png

    Note: Swing settings are found in both system and staff text.

    Apply swing to one staff only

    If you want swing to apply to only one staff in the system, use staff text instead:

    1. Select the destination note or rest.
    2. Click on the Staff text indication in the Text palette.
    3. Edit the text to create the desired performance indication
    4. Right-click on the text and select Staff text properties. Alternatively select the text object and in the Properties panel, click on the Staff text properties button.
    5. In the Swing settings tab edit the “Swing” and “Swing ratio” as required.