Download Accenting Beats 2 and 4 in “When the Saints Go Marching In”

Repertoire
Exploration
The Orchestra Swings with Rhythm
Aim: How do musicians create swing using rhythm?
Summary: Students explore the fundamentals of swing rhythm in “When the Saints Go Marching In”
and “I Got Rhythm” and create their own rhythm section.
Materials: Link Up CD, Link Up Digital Resources, Link Up Student Guides
Standards: National 1, 4, 7; NYC 1, 2
Vocabulary: ride pattern, rhythm section
Ingredients of Swing Rhythm
Rhythm is the key to swing, and there are several main ingredients that yield the distinctive swing feel.
First is the steady beat with accents on beats 2 and 4, giving the music a lively, danceable bounce. Second,
instead of playing straight eighth notes that sound even or equal, musicians lengthen the first note of
the pair and accent the second, shorter note, creating a bright rhythmic lilt. Finally, jazz musicians add
another distinctive swing rhythm called the ride pattern, which the drummer plays on the ride cymbal,
accentuating the swing feel. The interactions between these rhythmic ingredients create music that is full
of energy and excitement.
Accenting Beats 2 and 4 in
“When the Saints Go Marching In”
•Play
Track 30 “When the Saints Go Marching In”
(play-along). As you listen, clap on beats 1 and 3 and
then march around the room, emphasizing beats 1 and 3.
•Next, listen to
Track 31 “When the Saints Go
Marching In” (Washburne) and begin clapping
on beats 2 and 4 and moving around the room,
emphasizing beats 2 and 4 and feeling the swing
qualities of the arrangement.
•How does your body feel when you focus on beats
1 and 3? On beats 2 and 4? What is the difference?
•What else do you notice?
•Practice clapping or snapping on beats 1 and 3 for
four measures, followed by clapping or snapping on
beats 2 and 4 for four measures:
1-2-3-4, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4
1-2-3-4, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4
•Bring the strong and weak beats together using the
stomp-clap: Stomp on beats 1 and 3 and clap on
beats 2 and 4, feeling the accents on the off beats.
•Lastly, sing the melody on SG14 while performing the
stomp-clap.
26
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz.
In the early 1900s, people from all over
the world (Africa, Europe, North America,
South America, and the Caribbean) lived
in New Orleans and played music together.
The earliest style of jazz, New Orleans jazz
features three horns improvising melodies
at the same time while the rhythm section
keeps time. The trumpet plays the main
melody, the clarinet plays a counter melody
with faster notes, and the trombone plays
low sliding notes.