▁most ▁jazz ▁music ▁is ▁an ▁e ighth ▁note ▁triple t ▁pattern . ▁Most ▁mus icians ▁don ' t ▁do ▁the ▁math ▁involved ▁in ▁playing ▁notes , ▁instead ▁simply ▁feeling ▁an ▁une ven ▁sub div ision . ▁Occ asion ally , ▁six teenth ▁notes ▁are ▁sw ung ▁and ▁played ▁fitting ▁into ▁a ▁six teenth - note ▁triple t ▁grid . ▁ ▁The ▁similarity ▁to ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁France ▁is ▁striking , ▁in ▁that ▁jazz ▁is ▁organized ▁in ▁rh yth mic ▁layers , ▁with ▁ch ord ▁changes ▁often ▁at ▁the ▁level ▁of ▁the ▁bar ▁or ▁half - bar , ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁quarter - note ▁beat , ▁and ▁an ▁e ighth - note ▁level ▁in ▁which ▁notes ▁are ▁played ▁freely , ▁and ▁almost ▁always ▁une ven ly . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁( 2 ) ▁have ▁spec ulated ▁a ▁connection ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁French ▁music ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁on ▁early ▁jazz ▁styles . ▁ ▁Sac red ▁Har p ▁ ▁Trad itional ▁Sac red ▁Har p ▁sing ers ▁often ▁sing ▁in ▁the ▁rh ythm ▁of ▁notes ▁in ég ales , ▁thus ▁devi ating ▁from ▁the ▁printed ▁notes ; ▁for ▁details ▁see ▁Performance ▁practice ▁of ▁Sac red ▁Har p ▁music . ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁D otted ▁note ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁References ▁and ▁further ▁reading ▁▁ ▁Arch ib ald ▁Dav ison ▁and ▁Will i ▁Ap el , ▁Harvard ▁Anth ology ▁of ▁Music . ▁Two ▁volumes . ▁Cambridge , ▁Massachusetts , ▁Harvard ▁University ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 4 9