Riding the Swing with Bthelick: The Beat Science You Need

Bthelick kicks off his lesson with a golden nugget from bass legend Victor Wooten. Wooten’s take is clear: it’s not about the perfect pitch but the groove that gets folks dancing. He plays a demo, claiming all the notes are “right” as long as they groove. Bthelick emphasizes that mastering groove placements is crucial, even beyond understanding scales or keys. Music theory takes a backseat to rhythm and feel. It sets the stage for everything you need to know about swing, reinforcing the idea that groove is king when it comes to making people move on the dance floor.

Bthelick dives deep into the world of swing, showing us it’s not just an on-off switch but a spectrum of possibilities. Using a synthwave track, he highlights how swing alters the vibe. Starting with a straightforward groove, he begins tweaking at 100 BPM, and the results are evident. It’s about moving those sixteenth notes just enough to feel the swing, and he’s got the MIDI locked to prove it.

He illustrates the concept using Ableton’s swing settings, explaining the annoying lack of standardization across different DAWs. In some, 50% means no swing, but he’ll guide us through that later. He tries applying a 57% eighth-note swing, which sounds hilariously off, leading to a re-application using sixteenth-note logic. As he dials up to 64%, we experience the swing’s tangible transformation.

Even with noticeable changes, the science of swing goes beyond numbers. It’s more about understanding its role in crafting the right groove. And according to Bthelick, swing maximizes its magic when you hit that sweet spot. For now, though, he advises sync everything to the same swing amount to get familiar with the feel.

Bthelick explains the challenges of aligning samples with different groove characteristics. Using kick and clap samples as examples, he reveals how mismatched loops can muddy a track’s vibe. The problem isn’t always about frequency clashes; sometimes, it’s the rhythm’s groove or its lack thereof.

To solve these typical scenarios, he suggests zooming into the waveform, lining up audio onto a sixteenth grid to detect swing visually. Even without refined ears, seeing these patterns helps fix groove conflicts. Swing is about moving every other sixteenth note backward, visible in the waveform timeline. This approach ensures grooves don’t interfere negatively, smoothing out potential sound clashes.

Bthelick encourages early-stage producers to align all parts—drums, bass lines, and melodies—to the same swing settings. This practical tip enhances cohesion, keeping the rhythmic elements in synergy for a consistent and compelling dance groove.

Bthelick wraps up by unpacking the history behind some classic groove variations. Exploring why so many groove types exist, he delves into the quirks of old-school gear like the Akai MPC. Interestingly, what made its swing revered wasn’t its accuracy but rather its mathematical errors that lent these machines their unique vibe.

With fixed point math and timing chips, these devices unintentionally added character through rounding errors. This quirky imperfection became a signature, recorded in history as not perfect but intriguingly human. Bthelick explains how today’s DAWs replicate these storied grooves, offering more than just perfect timing.

It’s a nostalgic glance back at technology’s role in defining rhythmic nuance. By encouraging producers to embrace these unique swings, Bthelick nudges them towards greater musical exploration. It’s not about chasing mathematical perfection, but finding the feel that resonates. Through understanding the mistakes of the past, producers can harness a rich palette of groove possibilities in their current productions.