{"id":4338,"date":"2017-08-09T15:07:35","date_gmt":"2017-08-09T19:07:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/?p=4338"},"modified":"2023-01-25T13:37:48","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T18:37:48","slug":"syncopated-rhythms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musikalessons.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/syncopated-rhythms\/","title":{"rendered":"Syncopated Rhythms"},"content":{"rendered":"

When a song gets stuck in your head, it can be hard to pinpoint what exactly makes it so catchy. A masterfully crafted melody or drum beat has the power to stick with a listener for decades. We can thank syncopated rhythms for being the mysterious force behind so many of popular music\u2019s catchiest songs. In this article, we\u2019re going to talk about what syncopation is, how to write it into your own music, and where you can hear it in popular music.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What is syncopation?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Put simply, syncopation happens when rhythms are played off beat in an unexpected way. The main action of syncopated rhythms occur off the main beats in a piece of music. It might not sound that important, but without syncopation, all music would live in a world of complete rhythmic predictability. Syncopation injects life into all genres of music by adding variety, character, and, in some cases, groove to music. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Syncopated rhythms aren\u2019t just found in drum parts. Obnoxiously catchy songs like Styx\u2019s \u201cMr. Roboto\u201d owe their infectious quality to their unique use of syncopated vocal lines. Any pitched or non-pitched instrument can play syncopated rhythms. <\/span><\/p>\n

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How to tell if music is syncopated or not<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Non-syncopated music features predictable rhythms that don\u2019t stray away from being centered around main beats. By \u201cmain beats\u201d we\u2019re talking about the 1, 2, 3, and 4th beats in a piece of music written in a 4\/4 time signature<\/a>. Here\u2019s an example of some non-syncopated rhythms in a piece of music:<\/span>
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Here\u2019s a similar piece of music but with some unpredictable rhythms added in. This musical example features syncopated rhythms:<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to write syncopated rhythms<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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So far, we\u2019ve learned that syncopated rhythms are played off beat but also have to contain some sort of unpredictable quality. This means that there is no hard and fast rule about how to write syncopated music. But there are some things we can think about during the writing process to help us write smart and catchy music that\u2019s built off syncopated rhythms. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Write while playing or singing to a metronome<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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You can\u2019t write syncopated music if you can\u2019t tell where the beat is. It\u2019s absolutely crucial that your metronome is a huge part of your writing process. Like we mentioned before, syncopated rhythms can show up in any instrument, so this advice applies to you whether you\u2019re a drummer, singer, guitarist, or any other musician. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\"metronome\"Set the metronome up to play at a desired tempo and take your time improvising over the clicks. Do your best to hear what it sounds like to play on and then off the beat. Normally it\u2019s a good idea to try anything musically new with a slow beat, but syncopated rhythms are actually easier to play and understand at a faster tempo. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Music played at a faster beat has a way of clicking together more noticeably than it does when it\u2019s played at slower tempos. This means that you might have to try things faster than what you\u2019re normally used to writing in order to come up with a syncopated part that really sticks. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Copy and paste<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Some syncopated parts don\u2019t make sense until the listener hears them over and over again. Successful musical ideas are like characters in a movie or novel. We get more and more familiar with them when we see them throughout the story. The syncopated parts you come up with might work in a similar way, especially if you\u2019re writing for percussion. In music, repetition isn\u2019t always boring. The listener needs something to grab onto, and repeating syncopated rhythms are a good chance for you to draw listeners in with your music. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Intentionally repeating musical ideas isn\u2019t an insult to listeners of your music. It usually takes even the most seasoned musicians a good amount of repetition before they can identify distinct characteristics in music. <\/span><\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re feeling particularly ambitious, try putting the same syncopated rhythms in multiple parts within the piece of music you\u2019re writing. Music becomes interesting when composers and songwriters are able to use and draw out repeating rhythmic and harmonic ideas. Essentially, what you\u2019re doing here is taking the unpredictability of syncopation and you\u2019re decoding it for the listener.<\/span><\/p>\n

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An entire genre built on syncopated rhythms<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Funk music is a genre defined by its reliance on tight, syncopated drum and bass parts. Like most of America\u2019s original music, the origins of funk lead all the way back to sub-saharan African musical traditions. Appropriated in New Orleans, It borrows heavily from jazz and Afro-cuban musical ideas. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Funk\u2019s influence on popular music is more apparent than ever in the songs being written and released today. Let\u2019s talk about some examples of syncopated rhythms that are found in popular music today. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cPumped Up Kicks,\u201d by Foster The People<\/strong><\/p>\n