The 2 Upbeats That Make Jazz Waltzes Swing 🎹

This weeks workshop: Continuing to study the Jazz Waltz on the tune Someday My Prince Will Come. RSVP Below.

Reader,

When I first tried to comp on a jazz waltz, I did what every classically-trained pianist does: I played it like a Strauss waltz.

But, my classical training was coming through too literally, and it just didn't swing at all.

So, what makes a jazz waltz actually swing?

Last week at our workshop, we started working through Someday My Prince Will Come. It's the perfect tune for understanding how to make a waltz groove. I want to share the core rhythmic concept with you, because once you understand this, you’ll be able to comp on ANY jazz waltz with confidence.

Keep the Bass on Beat One

A traditional classical waltz looks like this:

A waltz is a dance, and it feels a bit like a cycle. The bass on beat one helps us hear that cycle clearly. So, as we jazz this up, we're going to keep that as it is, but move it down into the range of an upright bass:

Syncopation on the Upbeats

Here’s where jazz waltzes diverge from classical waltzes. In order to swing, we need syncopation.

The first rhythm to master is shifting the chord from beat two up to the and-of-one:

This preserves the 3-beat pulse while introducing that off-beat accent that makes it swing.

The second essential rhythm is playing on the and-of-two:

I find it helpful to practice both of these patterns separately until they're comfortable in your hands. Then, when you're comping on a real tune, you'll mix them together naturally—sometimes hitting the and-of-one, sometimes the and-of-two, with occasional stabs right on beat 2 or 3 to keep from being too predictable.

When you combine these rhythms over the melody, the waltz comes alive:

How Oscar Peterson Applies These Rhythms

Check out this performance by Oscar accompanied by a horn section arranged by Nelson Riddle. Pay close attention to the rhythm in those horns, and see if you can hear those rhythms.