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Opptakten

Opptakten is a musical term in Norwegian that refers to the notes that precede the first full measure of a phrase. It functions as a pickup into the main melody, creating an anticipatory start and shaping the phrasing and tempo.

In notation, opptakten consists of one or more notes that occur before the first complete bar. The

The concept is common across musical traditions, from classical composers to folk and popular song. Using an

Etymology: Opptakt means "opening beat" in Norwegian and is the equivalent of the English pickup. The general

rest
of
the
phrase
begins
with
the
first
full
bar.
To
preserve
the
meter,
the
final
bar
of
the
piece
is
often
shortened
by
the
same
amount
as
the
pickup,
so
that
the
total
length
of
the
opening
notes
and
the
closing
bar
completes
a
whole
number
of
measures.
Variants
exist:
the
length
of
an
opptakt
can
range
from
a
single
beat
to
several
notes,
depending
on
the
meter
and
style.
opptakt
can
lend
energy
to
the
start
of
a
piece
and
influence
its
sense
of
momentum
and
cadence.
Its
functional
counterpart
in
English
is
the
anacrusis
or
pickup.
idea
also
appears
in
many
languages
under
terms
for
anacrusis,
upbeat,
or
lead-in.