Cross-rhythm
A rhythmic conflict in which accent grouping cuts across the prevailing metre
Related
A cross-rhythm sets the accent grouping of one voice against the prevailing metre or another voice, as when 4/4 carries a repeated 3+3+2, or when 6/8 and 3/4 pulses are superimposed. The listener feels two groupings at once: the original metre is still there, but another accent pattern pulls against it.
The device may last a single bar or run through a whole section. Accents, note lengths and pitch repetition can all mark the second grouping; in popular and West African music it is often the core of the groove, not an accidental mistake.
Not every syncopation is a cross-rhythm. Syncopation displaces individual accents, while a cross-rhythm establishes another steady grouping. It is related to polyrhythm but not the same: polyrhythm sets different equal divisions together, whereas cross-rhythm is a conflict of grouping and can exist in one voice alone.
Sources
- 定义、分组与实例参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Cross-rhythm"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.