Syncopation
Any note or pattern where the rhythmic emphasis (attack) or accent(s) falls on the "downbeat(s)" (in * time beats 1, 2, 3 and 4) of a measure, is considered non-syncopated e.g.:
Therefore, a note or pattern is syncopated when the attack or accent(s) falls on the "offbeat" (anywhere other than the downbeat).
An example of syncopation would be:
Playing or accenting the offbeats creates greater forward motion and hence rhythmic interest.
The following exercises have syncopations in the snare drum line being played over a constant quarter note bass drum pulse. The bass drum pulse assists time keeping and note placement. Any spaces in the bar which are counted but not played, have the corresponding count indicated with a smaller type size.
Identical rhythmic figures can be written in different ways. The following are four different rhythms, each notated in three different ways.
Exercise 17 and 18 are 16 bar syncopated reading exercises. It is very important to count through these exercises as written. Reading syncopation is difficult and takes time. Working out a bar or a few bars at a time and then progressing to the next section works effectively.
