Syncopation
Putting the accent on a weak beat, or between beats
Related
Syncopation puts the accent on a weak beat or between beats, defeating the listener's expectation. It is not the same as "complex rhythm": a rhythm can be complicated without syncopation, or very simple — as long as the accent falls where it should not — and still be syncopated.
Syncopation creates tension and drive: much of the push and pull in jazz, Latin, funk and pop depends on it. To hear syncopation, first find the beat, then hear where the accent lands; without a steady beat as reference, syncopation has nothing to work against.
Read deeper → Syncopation
Sources
- 切分的定义与在不同风格中的用法，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Syncopation"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.