▁of ▁a ▁changing ▁pattern ▁in ▁a ▁prop uls ive ▁rh ythm ▁created ▁by ▁the ▁musical ▁interaction ▁between ▁the ▁perform ers , ▁especially ▁when ▁the ▁music ▁prompt s ▁a ▁vis cer al ▁response ▁such ▁as ▁foot - t apping ▁or ▁head - n od ding ▁( see ▁pul se ), ▁which ▁sense ▁is ▁called ▁" gro ove ". ▁The ▁term , ▁and ▁sw ung ▁note ( s ) ▁and ▁sw ung ▁rh ythm , ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁more ▁specifically , ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁a ▁technique ▁( most ▁commonly ▁associated ▁with ▁jazz ▁but ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁other ▁gen res ) ▁that ▁involves ▁altern ately ▁length ening ▁and ▁short ening ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁consecutive ▁notes ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁part ▁pul se - div isions ▁in ▁a ▁beat . ▁ ▁Sw ing ▁as ▁a ▁" fe el " ▁ ▁Like ▁the ▁term ▁" gro ove ", ▁which ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁a ▁coh es ive ▁rh yth mic ▁" fe el " ▁in ▁a ▁fun k ▁or ▁rock ▁context , ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁" swing " ▁can ▁be ▁hard ▁to ▁define . ▁Indeed , ▁some ▁diction aries ▁use ▁the ▁terms ▁as ▁syn onym s : ▁" G ro ovy ▁... ▁denotes ▁music ▁that ▁really ▁sw ings ." ▁The ▁Jazz ▁in ▁America ▁gl oss ary ▁defines ▁swing ▁as , ▁" when ▁an ▁individual ▁player ▁or ▁ensemble ▁performs ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁rh ythm ically ▁coordin ated ▁way ▁as ▁to ▁command ▁a ▁vis cer al ▁response ▁from ▁the ▁listener ▁( to ▁cause ▁feet ▁to ▁tap ▁and ▁heads ▁to ▁nod