The Shuffle
One of the most common rhythms in Blues is the shuffle. The term shuffle describes the type of rhythm. The shuffle rhythm is based on eighth note triplets (three notes per beat).
Here is a bar of eighth note triplets
Notice that there is a different count for each part of the triplet: one-trip-let, two-trip-let, etc. It is important to know the divisions within each beat, as sometimes a rest is applied and you will need to know exactly on which part of the count you are.
In a shuffle, the middle note of the triplet (trip) is not played but is tied to the first note. This is also called swinging the eighth notes. The term "shuffle" actually means a continuous stream of swing eighth notes.
The next example demonstrates the difference between straight eighth notes and swing eighth notes. When you are comfortable with the difference in the two rhythms try applying each rhythm to a Blues scale.
Note: It is common in music to notate a shuffle using ordinary eighth notes but to indicate that the eighth notes must be played as a shuffle. This is done by placing at the beginning of the music the words "swing 8ths", "shuffle" or the symbol 6=z
