Swing playback

Swing is a style of performance where equally-notated notes are played in a regular pattern of alternating longer and shorter notes, which commonly entails eighth notes being played as a quarter note triplet followed by an eighth note triplet.

Figure: A swing phrase with simplified straight notation

Figure: How the same phrase sounds with a 2:1 swing ratio

Swing playback allows you to hear the uneven rhythms you want whilst retaining their simplified notation, including if the second eighth note beat is divided into two 16th notes. In Dorico Elements, you can enable swing playback for certain sections and only for individual instruments.

Based on academic research into the rendering of swing by musicians, swing patterns in Dorico Elements are tempo-dependent by default. This means that the swing feels more pronounced at lower tempos, and straighter at higher tempos.

Note

Dorico Elements currently only supports eighth note swing playback. 16th note swing playback is planned for future versions.