Language of the Blues - Edmonton Blues Society

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SH U F F L E
The famous blues shuffle beat is based on swinging eighth-note triplets, and should sound
something like four sets of train wheels bumping along the rails. Triplets are notes tied
together in sets of three the 1-2-3-4 of a blues bar becomes one two three, two two
three, three two three, four two three.
To play a shuffle, give the triplets a swing feel by hanging a little longer on every first
ONE two-three, TWO
two-three, THREE two-three, FOUR two-three.
Orleans drummer Herman Ernest, III (Etta James, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, Patti LaBelle.).
tal Dixieland jazz
The shuffle rhythm stemmed from early slave dances. Because African slaves were
barred in the American colonies from drumming and dancing after the South Carolina
slave rebellion of 1739, they began shuf
-
. These dances were
the forerunners of juke joint dances like the slow drag (also called the blues), in which
dancers beat out a rhythm by shuffling their feet along the floorboards.
ed with Fats Domino for awhile and if you watch his left
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The two most common forms are the Chicago shuffle, which emphasizes the second and
fourth beat (1-2-3-4) and the Texas shuffle, which emphasizes the first and third beat (1-
2-3-
Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble.
had a
real connection with New Orleans because many New Orleans drummers were on the
The greatest Chicago shuffle player is virtuoso Sam Lay, whom Dylan praised as
flawless musicianship and unsurpassed timing, maestro with the sticks and brushes. 347
band with his fast and furious double-shuffle.
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