The Swing Bands

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The Swing Bands The music industry has redefined itself over the years to accommodate the ongoing changes in American culture. During the thirties and forties band music began to transcend toward a younger generation (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 118). The most popular bands that erupted airways and venues during this time were swing bands (Starr, waterman, 2010, p. 119). In retrospect, swing bands followed the same chord patterns of Tin Pan Alley’s blues compositions that was common in the early twenties and thirties (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 131) In addition, both styles of music were formed from African-American culture (Starr, Waterman, 2010). Moreover, each band also used specific techniques in their music to gain attention from a variety of ethnic groups and often promoted dancing during the band’s performances (Starr, Waterman, 2010). Although, swing and Tin Pan Alley bands had similarities, the bands’ rhythm and style varied in their performances (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 131). For example, while Tin Pan Alley bands style was professionally organized (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 74), swing bands performances were sometimes less formal due to the lack of educational experience (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 132). In addition, instead of depending on educational structure, swing bands often arranged their melodies during practice (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 132). Next, some swing bands used certain tools to enhance specific sounds in brass instruments to entice audiences’ involvement (Starr, Waterman, 2010, p. 135). On the other hand, Tin Pan Alley bands relied on vocalists to help audiences’ compare the song’s lyrics to their lifestyle (Starr, Waterman, p.74). Furthermore, while Tin Pan Alley’s style involved singers to obtain audiences’ interest, (Starr, Waterman, p.74), swing bands played their instruments softly and then increased the tempo which

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