Page 41 - Summer 2007

Fig. 4b. DIFFDOT plot of pandeiro batida.
repetitions of the basic batida, indicat- ing two sides of the larger phrase. The pattern of these time variations is con- sistent, since the DIFFDOT plot (Fig. 4b) clearly shows the Swing pattern as a repeating waveform with variation, rather than some kind of random pat- tern. The plot shows a complete absence of a backbeat (1/2 of pulse) and the consistent presence of a note time interval of 1/4 of the pulse. This is the time delta between the ee and and
notes, and would be a standard quarter note in MB notation if the time location of the note events were on the canonical quarter note subdivision of the meter, which is not the case. An accurate rendering of this rhythm (as played) in MB nota- tion would need a convoluted pattern of multiple rest and note glyphs of various lengths (e.g., 1/4 plus 1/32 plus 1/64, or 1/2 minus 1/3 etc, all very problematic for the music read- er) to capture the actual timing of the notes as played. The DIFFDOT diagram shows these non-standard note time durations in a very natural fashion as subdivisions of the pulse. The DIFFDOT pulse shows the familiar push/pull on the canonical downbeat time locations, although in the time series plot, this is a subtle feature.
There are a variety of swinghee styles used to play the basic pandeiro batida. As in American music, there are proba- bly as many styles of Swing as there are drummers or pandeiro players. Brazilian swinghee clearly has a very different feature set than American Swing, even in this simple example.
Brazilian swinghee
Swing may include complex rhythmic patterns, but it can also be found in very simple rhythms. This is well illus- trated in a basic Brazilian rhythm, the “pandeiro batida,” lit- erally “beating pattern of the pandeiro.” The pandeiro is the national instrument of Brazil and is approximately the same as a tambourine in American music. The tambourine is also found in many other musical traditions, but the Brazilian pandeiro has several playing styles that are unique. The basic pandeiro batida is a simple 1-2-3-4 pattern played continuously with slight temporal and accent variations that denote which phrase of a larger pattern is being played. This pandeiro batida is invariably taught as straight time: one-ee- and-uh played with thumb (one), fingertips (ee), palm heel (and), fingertips (uh), over and over. This batida is both taught and written as a succession of evenly spaced quarter or eighth notes, but playing in Brazilian swing style (called swinghee, or balance in Portuguese) is
far removed from even-spacing.
The spectrogram in Fig. 4 clearly shows the basic simplicity of this rhythm, and also illustrates how the beats are not played with even timing despite being written as equal notes. The time series plot in Fig. 4a has the pulse in the lower frequency band which is the thumb hitting the pan- deiro skin causing a low thump. All four notes appear in the upper fre- quencies which are caused by the metallic jingles of the pandeiro. The “uh” note is consistently played on a nearly exact triplet pickup to the pulse. This classic Jazz feature is cer- tainly part of the swinghee feeling. A four beat pulse with three subdivisions per pulse, that gives vertical lines on the exact triplet note time locations is illustrated in Fig. 4a.
The second and third notes (ee and and) are played in two very odd loca- tions in the first half of each measure. Neither of these is played on a triplet, quarter or eighth note location, and there are slight time variations between
Fig. 5. Spectrogram of shuffle rhythm.
Fig. 5a. Close-up of low frequencies.
Technical Anaylsis of Swing Music 39