Origins of Syncopation
In terms of classical music theory, syncopation means a shift in the rhythmic information from a primary beat (in a 4/4 meter this would be 1 and 3) to a secondary beat (2 and 4). Each time signature is structured by different beat weights. For example, in 4/4 time, beats 1 and 3 are considered heavy, while beats 2 and 4 are light beats. An emphasis on these beats is already a shift in emphasis, a syncopation.
This usually creates a tension that needs to be resolved. It can be said that syncopation is a rhythmic dissonance.
Historic Examples
A classic example of such a rhythmic shift is the melody of the medieval chorale “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” by Michael Praetorius. The syncopation begins in the first bar on the fourth beat and resolves to the first beat of the last bar. [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Emphasis on the light beats
The concept of rhythmic shifting and off-beat-phrasing plays an important role in Afro-American musical styles. Below are some easy exercises to prepare you for using such rhythms in comping patterns and solo guitar arrangements.
Practising Basic Syncopation
Quarter Notes
Begin with these exercises in quarter notes. First, clap or tap each of the rhythms notated in the upper part. Then you should add the half notes by tapping them with your foot. Ultimately, you can follow the same path on the guitar. Here you play the treble notes with your fingers while your thumb plays the bass notes. [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Eighth Notes
Now the same rhythms follow in eighth notes. The basic pulse (played by foot/thumb) changes to quarter notes. Please observe the counting of the eighth notes (“1 and 2 and…”). The rhythms are identical to example 1.
[MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Sixteenth Notes
The same rhythms are found here again, now in sixteenth notes. Many bossa nova, samba or choro songs are notated in this way. The difference to the previous examples is that the basic pulse (also marked with the foot) is still felt in quarter notes.
[MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Once you feel comfortable with these exercises at different tempos, you can check out Chapter II: Off-Beat Phrasing for more advanced exercises and examples on the subject.
“Syncopated” or “Off-Beat”?
The classic meaning of syncopation and its application have already been discussed in the first part.
Large parts of today’s pop music as well as Afro– and Latin-American music such as jazz or bossa nova make use of the accent shift against the basic pulse in accompaniment and melody. However, the classic rules of tension and resolution are often not applied here. In this respect, the term “syncope” is no longer up-to-date, but is often used synonymously with the meaning “on the weak beat” or “off-beat“, especially in the English language.
In Bossa Nova, many melodies and rhythms are strongly “syncopated”, i.e. shifted against the basic pulse. This means not just displaced by a quarter note, but in rhythmic subdivisions of eighth or sixteenth notes. It is therefore often difficult to execute these rhythms precisely.
A case in point is the first four bars of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Desafinado“, as in this arrangement by Quincy Jones. The accented phrasing of the horn section clearly shows how the melody is displaced against the groove. The notation of the vocal part looks like this: Almost every note is on an unaccented beat between the main beats. [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Exercises for Off-Beat-Phrasing
The following exercises are recommended to master such a phrase and generally strengthen the feeling for off-beat phrasing. Here’s a simple exercise in 4/4 time and its equivalent in 2/4 time. [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
In the example below, the last note (the first beat of the second bar) is moved to the last beat of the first bar (the 4+ in 4/4 time, or the 4d in 2/4 time). This is an important concept in Afro-American Music and creates the feeling of forward motion and swing.
It is important to feel this shift in emphasis as **anticipating** rather than laying back of the rhythmic information. This subtle thought can make a difference in phrasing and help create the forward motion so characteristic of this music.
In the following examples, this shift is ultimately added to every note until at the end only the first beat is on the downbeat (= “heavy beat”). [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
If you play these rhythms without the “pause bar” (the second bar from the examples), you get a constantly driving melody rhythm that eludes the basic pulse – just like in “Desafinado“!
Get The Exercises! [PDF LINK MISSING]
Introduction
Partido Alto is originally the name for a special style of samba music. As with the clave, the term is now used as a common description for a specific rhythm.
Characteristic of the Partido Alto is the alternation between several beats that fall on or between the beats. The rhythm commonly referred to as Partido Alto is in two bars and, like the clave rhythms, can also be started in the second bar (reversed):
- Partido Alto [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
- Partido Alto “reversed” [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
As always, practice clapping the rhythm first and tapping your foot along with the basic beat. Pick a simple chord and pluck the partido alto rhythm with your fingers while your thumb plays the quarter notes. Choose a second chord and practice changing chords within the pattern as well.
Application on Guitar
Example #1: Blue Bossa
The following rhythm has found a very common use as a standard accompaniment pattern for Latin-Jazz Tunes: [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
This example shows the typical structure of a partido alto rhythm: a two-bar rhythmic pattern. The first and last two beats fall on the basic pulse, the rest of the accents are set between the beats. This results in four beats each on stressed and unstressed beats. If this pattern is transferred to the guitar and the bass tones are added in half notes, as with the clave rhythms, the result is the following accompaniment pattern: [MUSICAL NOTATION MISSING]
Such patterns and their variations are often used to accompany jazz pieces with a bossa/latin flavor. Check out the section on the Latin/jazz standard Blue Bossa to practice the full partido alto accompaniment.
Example #2: Triste
This Chord progression is taken right off Tom Jobim’s recording of his song “Triste” on his 1967 Album “Wave”: [CHORD PROGRESSION MISSING]
The two chords here are an AMajor7(9) and an Aminor7(9).
It is the same rhythm as in example #1, but this time notated in sixteenth notes in a 2/4 time signature. The peculiarity lies with the type of voicings: the combination of fretted notes at the 6th (or 5th fret) and the open B- and E-string creates a beautiful dissonance that enriches the otherwise simple chord types. [CHORD DIAGRAMS MISSING]
Now get your guitar and create something with these wonderful rhythms!
João Bosco: The Master of Partido Alto
Watch the great guitarist, composer and singer Joao Bosco perform the Partido Alto in his piece “Incompatibilidade de gênios”. He plays the reversed rhythm. [VIDEO EMBED MISSING]
In addition to the Partido Alto, which is played very quickly, Joao Bosco uses another typical trick. He varies his picking pattern of the treble strings, simulating the sound of an agogo bell, a typical samba rhythm instrument.
You can follow the notation of the whole song on Soundslice. It is a wonderful chord sequence and by slowing down the interactive sheet music you can try to make this incredible groove your own! [SOUNDSLICE EMBED MISSING]
You can find the PDF to “Incompatibilidade de gênios” in the shop: Get The Arrangement! [PDF LINK MISSING]