Changing feel

[emanresu]

Hey!

I know there are quite a few songs that change swing to straight and back some places. Of course.
But say, you arrange something and have strange ideas doing such things in weird places. Not even jokingly.
Or change regular swing to "very light" swing? - thats kinda what I'm after but got me worried.

Is it OK or would people laugh at me?

I never even asked this question when still in school...

Thanks for your seasoned opinions.

[Filmosound 621]

Is it OK or would people laugh at me?

one fellow artist, that I enjoyed through the decades, was dear Paco de Lucia from Spain.

he is quoted similar to this:

"if the music that is played is beautiful, the musician is free to choose how he does it"

[rpjazzguitar]

Innovators can elicit a lot of negativity. But that's not news.

If you're concerned about being laughed at, the situation may not be what I call "safe". Some situations are safer than others.

[Jimmy Smith]

Yes, changing feel is allowed lol. Wtf kind of question is that? Whether the music is good or not is a separate question.

[oldane]

If it's done well, I see no problem. Erroll Garner, among others, did it all the time with great results. The contrast between the swinging parts and the rubato/straight parts only seemed to enhance the swing and drive of the swinging parts. His rubato introductions, which hinted very little on which tune was to be played, build up tension and anticipation which was released effectively when he finally entered the tune in question in a recognicable - and hard swinging - form. He also often inserted rubato passages in his improvisatios with the same effect.

Lester Young would also sometimes do this, for example in "Lesters Be Bop Boogie", where he at one place in his solo plays squarely and staccato on the beat for a couple of bars and then reverts to his floating style, hanging relaxed behind the beat - creating a feeling of tension and release.

A "safe" way to do it in a typical 32 bar AABA tune could be to play the A sections swinging and the bridge rubato thus reentering the "comfortable" swing feel when returning to the final A section, which is also "comfortable" by itself, because it has been played two times before in the chorus.

But hey, as Charlie Parker said, there's no boudaries to art, so it can be done any way you like - if it has a musical purpose which can also be understood/felt by an audience.

[emanresu]

Yes, changing feel is allowed lol. Wtf kind of question is that? Whether the music is good or not is a separate question.

It's a kind of question for people that are not 100% dove into the genre. I've listened lots of jazz and mostly it keeps the same feel. With very few exceptions when they really change it.
I'm toying with something now that "wants" to change from heavy triplet swing to light. Then straight for a bit then regular again. Not for fun.. just it feels like doing it so. But that much change made me hesitate.