Instrumental Impact of Swing and Jazz
The time period between the 1930s-1940s is constantly referred to as the swing era. During this time, the dynamics of music and bands changed drastically. There was a major shift in the role of bandleaders, music started to develop different tempos that had not been used in music before, and there we a shift in the different instruments that were commonly played.
Before Swing:
Before Swing:
- Bandleaders would stand in front of their band and conduct from the front. They would not play the instruments and they would not have as much fame as the members actually playing the instruments.
- There was only one or two people playing an instrument.
- The tuba was one of the major instruments used in all bands.
- Bands tended to read off music sheets and stick to the songs they practiced.
- Bands had only five or seven band members playing at a given time.
- Music tended to have two beats to a bar and was did not contain short repeated beats.
- Bandleaders roles shifted and they actually started to play along with the band. They became the main attractions at ball rooms and a lot of times had long improvised solos during a song.
- The new form of jazz and swing music included twelve to twenty band members.
- Big bands started to develop and became popular. With the big bands, different types of sounds and tempos began to evolve
- The new type of jazz and swing music created consisted of free flowing rhythm using four beats to a bar. Music became a lot more upbeat and short repeated patterns became very popular.
- Call and response patterns between the instrumental sections in a band was established and music in general became more fast paced and energetic.
- With the new big bands there were branches of smaller groups in the big band playing the same instrument.
- Tubas were being replaced by the string bass. Instruments such as saxophones, guitars, and the string bass became common, which were not used before.
- Solos became very popular and jazz musicians gained favor with general audiences.
- Jazz and swing music were prominent in America during this time period, however through the use of technology such as the radio, television, and the automobile this new type of music spread globally. Paris and other parts of Europe began listening, enjoying, and dancing to swing jazz.
- Overtime jazz also spread to Asia and was very prominent in places such as Singapore.
- The type of music that was produced during this period dramatically changed music forever, introducing and spreading new rhythms, beats, bringing new ideas to the stage.
- Because of this new music, dance became more fast paced and different types of dances evolved.