From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
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Syncopation and off beats
From the course: Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
Syncopation and off beats
- Let's talk about syncopation. In it's most basic definition, syncopation means doing unexpected rhythmically, something that messes with the regular flow of the rhythm. Often, this means emphasizing or accenting a weak beat instead of a strong beat. In four-four time, strong beats are on beat one and to a slightly lesser degree on beat three. Syncopation can be as simple as accenting beats two and four instead of beats one and three. So instead of one, two, three, four one, two, three, four you have, one, two, three, four one, two, three, four. Similarly, accenting the offbeats, or upbeats, creates syncopation. Here's an example. I'll put quarter notes on the kick and I'll play offbeats on the high hat. (plays drum beat) You'll hear offbeats in EDM and reggae all the time. In EDM, it's often how the high hat and the bass play opposite the kick drum, which is playing it's four on the floor rhythm, and the high hats and the base are playing on the off beats, the eighth notes in…
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