I've been curious about this for some time- what is it that makes the genre of 'swing'? Is it in the treatment of a tune, i.e. bended notes, pull-offs and hammer-ons, or is it in the strum, like a brush back or a varying stroke or is it a specific type of tune?

My own strum is fairly rigid most of the time, probably more suited to bluegrass than to a sweet love song. I think it's in my wrist or maybe it is in the way I hold a pick? Once in awhile there is a tune where I "hear" a brushiness and I can do it if I *hear* it.

Originally, I think, swing stems from the era of big bands; I can imagine that brass swings.