swing notation

A performance instruction in Road Movies requiring the pianist to play in 'swing mode': in every group of four notes, the second and fourth notes are played slightly late — creating the lilt of jazz phrasing rather than exact equal subdivision. Adams specifies '40% swing' for the third movement, indicating the degree of delay with an almost MIDI-sequencer precision. This notation imports jazz performance practice directly into notated contemporary music, requiring the pianist to think rhythmically like a jazz musician rather than a classical one.

For the swing feel in Road Movies, think of the piano as a rhythm section, not a soloist. The delayed notes are not 'expressive' — they are a groove, steady and consistent. Practice with a metronome first to make the swing even, then allow it to feel natural. The violin and piano must share the same degree of swing or the texture will feel uncoordinated.