syncopated

Syncopated is a musical term describing rhythms in which the emphasis is moved away from the regular metrical strong beats to weaker beats or offbeats. In a typical 4/4 measure, a syncopated rhythm might stress the “and” counts or place accents on subdivisions between the main beats. This shift creates propulsion, surprise, and rhythmic energy, and it can appear at any tempo or in many styles.

Syncopation arises when the normal pattern of accents is disrupted by accented offbeats, notes tied across a strong beat, rests on strong beats, or melodies that begin on an offbeat. Repetition and variation of these ideas generate a range of syncopated rhythms. Notation often signals syncopation with accent marks on offbeats or by rhythms that imply irregular stress patterns within the meter.

Across genres, syncopation is a central device in jazz, funk, R&B, ska, reggae, Latin music, and much modern pop. It also appears in classical music, where composers such as Chopin, Debussy, and Stravinsky employed cross-rhythms and irregular accents to create tension and forward motion. The term derives from syncopation, from Latin and Greek roots meaning to cut short or clip, reflecting the idea of interrupting the regular beat.

Related terms include rhythm, meter, and groove.