offbeats
Offbeats are rhythmic accents that fall on weaker parts of a beat or on subdivisions between beats, rather than on the primary downbeats. In a typical 4/4 bar, the main accents are on beats 1 and 3; the offbeats occur on the subdivisions such as the 'and' after each beat (2-and, 4-and) or on other weaker pulses. This shift in accent creates syncopation, a feature that gives music groove and forward momentum.
Notation and technique: Musicians indicate offbeats with rhythmic figures that emphasize the offbeat positions, often using
In genres: reggae is well known for its heavy use of offbeat guitar or keyboard chords played
History and context: Offbeat rhythms draw on African musical traditions and are integral to many 20th-century