upbeat
Upbeat is a term with multiple uses in music and everyday language. In music theory, an upbeat (also called anacrusis) is a pickup: a note or sequence of notes that precedes the first full measure and leads into the downbeat of the piece. The upbeat may be contained within the first bar or cross a barline, and it helps establish the tempo and mood as the music begins. In practice, the upbeat is often described as the last beat(s) of the preceding measure that lead into the next measure’s downbeat; for example, in 4/4 time a single eighth note on the “and” of beat 4 can serve as the upbeat to beat 1 of the next bar.
Beyond its formal musical use, upbeat also appears as an everyday adjective. It describes a positive, optimistic,
Etymology and related terms: the musical sense derives from the literal idea of “up” before the main
- Downbeat
- Pickup
- Tempo
- Mood