"Swing is a feel," says McBride, a multi-Grammy-winning jazz bassist, music educator and host of NPR's Jazz Night in America. "There's a certain language. There's a certain inflection of rhythm." ...

In jazz, musicians are trained to swing eighth notes, or extend the duration of their downbeats — every other eighth note — and shorten the beats in between to create a galloping rhythm.

Swing is a feel. There's a certain language. There's a certain inflection of rhythm. GODOY: Christian McBride is a Grammy-winning jazz bassist, music educator and host of NPR's Jazz Night In America.