TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
The term trading fours is a classic element of jazz improvisation.
“Trading fours” is a musical conversation in which musicians—usually a soloist and a drummer—alternate four-bar phrases. It’s like a friendly duel, a call-and-response that showcases creativity, timing, and interplay. One musician plays four bars, and the other answers with their own spin, back and forth, building energy and pushing each other creatively.
This technique often appears during the solo section of a tune, especially in small group jazz. It’s a test of skill and musical wit—and when it clicks, it can electrify a performance.
At its best, trading fours is pure jazz dialogue—improvised, spontaneous, and always fresh.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.