What is Swing music?
'''Swing music''', or simply '''Swing''', is a kind of [[Jazz music]] that developed in the 1920s and 1930s. Swing was mostly popular, because it had tunes that were easy to dance to, and not because it sounded good. Swing developed in the [[United States]], from earlier movements such as [[Dixieland Jazz]] or [[Chicago Jazz]]. In Swing, musicians made compromises to make the music popular. Yet, swing had its own merits. Swing is also connected with the development of [[Big band|Big bands]]. Until then, Jazz music had been played in small groups, of 2-3 to 8 people, Wth the Big Band, more people played. The bigger size meant that people had to change the way they played the music, but it also gave new opportunities. Swing was most popular in the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>Erenberg, Lewis A. ''Swingin' the Dream: Big Band Jazz and the Rebirth of American Culture'' (1998)</ref> At first, it was developed and played by [[African American]]s. Later, white people copied the style, and in the end, most Swing players were white. ==References== {{reflist}} {{music-stub}} [[Category:African-American history]] [[Category:Jazz music]]