The Big Band Swing Era:
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Ms. Purcell’s
High School Jazz Band
Big Band Swing
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During the late
1930s and early
1940s, Big Band
swing was the most
popular music in
America.
Big Band Swing
 The Big Bands of the
1930s and 1940s
brought a new sound to
jazz, one that was much
louder, faster, raucous
than its predecessor.
Improvised melodies
became an important
element of this kind of
music.
 The instrumentation of
these ensembles
included clarinets,
saxophones, trumpets,
trombones, piano,
double bass, and
drums.
 Swing music is known
for its strong rhythm
section.
Swing Style
 Swing style is most
defined by its
unmistakable
“swinging” rhythm.
 Eighth notes are
“swung”. In other
words, eighth notes in
swing music are played
instead as a dotted
eighth-sixteenth
rhythm.
 For example, in
swing music, the
rhythm
would be played

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Swing Style
 Special emphasis is
also placed on the
“and” of the beat in
swing. While the
downbeat of any
eighth note pattern
is elongated, the
upbeats are
accented.
 Vibrato is also used
widely in Big Band
Swing repertoire.
Bandleaders
 Some famous bandleaders of the Big Band
Swing Era include:

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




Benny Goodman
The Dorsey Brothers
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Woody Herman
Cab Calloway
Glenn Miller
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
 During the years
1938 through 1941,
The Glenn Miller
Orchestra was the
most popular band
in the United States.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
 Led by bandleader Alton Glenn Miller,
the band included many swing greats
such as:
 Tex Beneke
 Jimmy Henderson
 Henry Mancini
In the Mood
 The song “In the
Mood”, which
topped the charts in
1940, is now one of
the best-known
arrangements of the
big band era.
 The piece was first
recorded by
bandleader Wingy
Manone in 1929 and
1930. Miller’s band,
however, was the
one that made this
song so popular.
In the Mood
 The saxophone
section begins the
piece with a soli.
This part is very
well-known.
 Next the trumpets
and trombones are
added in bar 4.
Soloists include two tenor
saxes with opposing parts
and a 16 measure trumpet
solo.
Question # 1
 Name at least 3 bandleaders that were
part of the Big Band Swing Era.
Answer #1
 Your list could include:

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Benny Goodman
The Dorsey Brothers
Count Basie
Duke Ellington
Woody Herman
Cab Calloway
Glenn Miller
Question #2

Swing music is characterized by:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
A loud, fast-moving wind section
A strong rhythm section
“swung” eighth notes
All of the above
None of the above
Question #3
 In swing music, how would the
following rhythm be played? Notate the
rhythm as it would sound. Then sing
the rhythm using proper accents.
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Answer #3
Question #4

In swing music, what part of the beat
is emphasized or accented?
a)
b)
c)
d)
The downbeat
The upbeat or the “and” of the beat
All downbeats and upbeats
Only the first downbeat of every measure
Answer #4
 The upbeat or the “and” of the beat is
always emphasized in swing music.
Question #5

Which of these bandleaders was
famous for popularizing “In the
Mood”?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Cab Calloway
Count Basie
Glenn Miller
Benny Goodman
Answer #5
 C) Glenn Miller and the Glenn Miller
Orchestra
References
 Shenkle, Kathryn. Historical Information: Glenn Miller. Nov. 4,
2007, from
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/text/glenn_miller_text.htm
l..
 Swing Era Photos. Nov. 4, 2007, from
http://www.swingmusic.net/Swing_Era_Pics.html.
 Wikipedia. (Nov. 4, 2007). In the Mood. Nov. 5, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_the_Mood&prin
table=yes.
 Wikipedia. (Oct. 31, 2007). Swing Music. Nov. 4, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swing_music&prin
table=yes