Contents
4. Syncopation
Popular music usually hits the snare on beats 2 and 4. This means emphasizing the ‘offbeats’ in a 1/4 grid, creating a distinctive sense of rhythm and groove. But altering accents in 1/8 or 1/16 grids is also common.
8th Syncopation
First, here is the unaltered original source. It’s a rather straightforward, flat rhythm without any particularly interesting elements.
Here, the accents of kick, guitar and bass have been shifted. By placing accents in different positions than the basic state, the rhythm becomes more intricate, adding to the auditory enjoyment. This is described as the accent of the offbeats in the 8th grid.
In this way, the technique of making the rhythm more complex by shifting rhythmic accents from a simple onbeat state is called Syncopation. A very important keyword in the rhythm theory!
- Syncopation
- The presence of rhythmic accents on offbeats rather than onbeats, to complexify the rhythmic pattern1.
- The standard grid as a reference for onbeat/offbeat is mainly 8th or 16th, but it is by no means limited to these.
Syncopation is a technique that has been widely used since the classical era (and even before!) and is quite common in popular music, used in everyday musical contexts.
Symphony No.25 by Mozart will be the most famous syncopation phrase in classical music. The very first phrase “ta ta-ta-ta- ta” mostly hits at offbeat in 1/8 grid, setting the stage for an incredibly thrilling start!
The phrases coming after that are basically onbeat-oriented, which also forms a great contrast between the syncopated phrase in the beginning.
“If I Needed Someone” by The Beatles is a typical example of 8th note syncopation in popular music. Listen how the rhythm of the intro guitar phrase “ta ta-ta-ta ta” is similar to the Mozart’s symphony! Even after 200 years, we are still captivated by the same rhythm… And the song is peculiar in that the melody is also quite frequently syncopated.
16th Syncopation
The sample above can be further arranged by shifting its accents to offbeats in the 16th grid.
“Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin is a typical example of 16th kick syncopation. The kick hitting right after the snare characterizes this phrase, making it much more impressive.
Syncopation with Snare
The snare drum strongly influences the overall accent of a rhythm pattern, so when syncopation is applied to the snare, the effect can be quite dramatic, so pronounced that it’s not used as frequently as the kick syncopation. But it becomes a valuable choice when you want to create interesting rhythms.
“42” by Coldplay has a unique pattern with snare syncopation. The second hit is shifted off to beat 4.5 (upbeat of beat 4), and the third hit is also delayed to beat 2.5, adding further accent by hitting twice.
The drumming becomes simpler after the vocal get in, but still one of the snare hits are off from its ordinary placement.
5. Anticipation
Among syncopations, the technique of shifting the rhythm backward (=earlier) from its basic state to enhance the sense of speed is a very commonly used approach.
This is an unaltered version, where everything is onbeat and nothing exciting is happening. Just shifting its accent a half beat backward can bring a dramatic effect.
This is it! Syncopation towards the front of the rhythm creates a headfirst feel as if the players couldn’t wait for the regular rhythm and took off like a “jump the gun” in a track race. This kind of syncopation, shifting the rhythm towards the front, is specifically referred to as Anticipation.
- Anticipation
- Syncopated rhythm that occurs before the (theoretically) original attack2.
- This term has originally been used in classical music theory to describe a melody that precedes the harmony.
Anticipation is especially important in rock music, to express the feel of a riot, urges, that sort of things.
“Highway Star” by Deep Purple provides a typical example of the use of anticipation. The beginning features relatively onbeat performances, but from the 0:55, all players’ rhythm accents shift towards the front, continuing until the end of the chorus, “I’m a highway star.” It’s anticipation that brings a sense of speed to the chorus.
Here is the most extreme example. The rhythm in this song is consistently shifted to the forefront from the intro, and it only lines up at the beginning of the chorus. Since the very first hit of the drums in this song is already syncopated, you might get confused about where the beginning of a bar is. In such cases, it’s a good idea to see the snare hits as a reference point, for they often keep its original positions—on the 2nd and 4th beats.
Push or Pull
Anticipation is a handy technique that brings a sense of urgency to a song. However, delaying the rhythm to the rear can also produce interesting effects. Let’s compare versions of the same song, one with the rhythm shifted forward and one with backward.
- Delay
- Anticipation
When you compare them like this, syncopation that delays the progression gives a sense of ‘tantalization’ or ‘holding back,’ which works well too. In a mellow song like this one, the delayed piano creates an exquisite presence.
Thus syncopation is a simple yet highly essential technique, and whether rhythm is syncopated or not is one of the most fundamental aspects of rhythm analysis.
Summary
- The terms “onbeat/offbeat” is used to specify the front part or the back part within a specific subdivision.
- “Syncopation” refers to the technique of emphasizing the offbeats, and it is very commonly used in popular music.
- More accurately, it involves two types of phenomena: “anticipation” and “delay.”
