Big Band Music
Swing dance music had emerged as a noticeable musical style by the 1930’s.
It was most often played by very large bands, quickly leading to the commonly known
nickname “big band” music. Unlike earlier jazz groups, big band groups that
played swing dance music typically used written musical arrangements instead of
freewheeling group improvisation. Improvisation was still an important part
of the music, though, most often coming in the form of solos by individual musicians
on a variety of instruments. The Big Band Era lasted the better part of 2 decades.
Musical Variation
 Just as the swing dance itself has many variations, so too does swing dancing
music have many variations. Many of these variations emerged depending on
the region, the city and even the ethnicity of the dancers. Regardless of
the city and the variation, swing music does have one thing in common: it
follows a pattern of 4/4 time. There can be (and often is) variation in what
are known as the “split beat” steps, but the basic pattern remains the same.
A few examples include:
- East Coast Swing
- West Coast Swing
- Classic West Coast Swing
- Ballroom West Coast Swing
- Jitterbug
- Lindy Hop
Dance Music and Culture
Swing music developed in parallel to the many ethnic and cultural differences
in society. Some of the fastest, most energetic swing music came from the
African-American community, while those same tunes were typically slowed down and
made less complex for the white middle class so predominant in the ‘40’s and ‘50’s.
Some countries even banned swing music and swing dance altogether (such as Nazi
Germany and the Soviet Union), deeming it too provocative and politically unacceptable.
During the many years of segregationist laws and cultural norms, the two communities
– black and white – embraced quite different styles of swing music and swing dancing.
Following the Civil Rights movement and with the increasing integration of society,
these two styles also began to blend and interact in ways that energized the world
of swing.
Swing Music History
One of the most common misconceptions many people have is that swing music evolved
to keep up with the development of swing dancing. The reality is just the
opposite – swing music started to evolve first, followed by forms of dancing that
evolved to keep up with the new music style.
Today, swing music and swing dancing continue to be popular. After fading
away somewhat in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s they re-emerged in the ‘80’s and beyond as
whole new generations discovered the fun of this form of dance. And swing
music itself is rapidly being redefined as well; many different types of music such
as funk, rock, disco and pop are being used as swing music in some of the most popular
dance clubs around the world. |
