---
title: Steve on Syncopation
date: 2020-10-09
---

Every month [Steve Lawson](https://www.stevelawson.net/) hosts a video call for Bass Pack members of [Musical U](https://www.musical-u.com/)).
I always enjoy this immensely and this Fridays call was particularly eye opening (or ear opening, I guess).

I've thought of syncopation as pushing or delaying emphasis forward before or after the bar so the emphasis lies off the 'one' .
But inspired by Musical U's definition of it as 'the unexpected' Steve took as in another facinating direction.

Steve took 2 bars of quavers (eighth notes) and rather than counting as

```
| 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & |
```

He counted as

```
| 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 | 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 |
```

With the usual emphasis on the '1' beats this gives interesting syncopation patterns, especially when notes are dropped.

As an example listen to Toto Rosanna, which is actually 16th note shuffle, and includes a straight section too:

{% video vid="K2O9ryz7Eik", title="Toto - Rosanna" %}

Up to now I've been under the impression that Western music usually has a time signature of 4/4 or 3/4.
This call showed me it can be **both** at the same time with syncopation.
For example the keyboard stabs of Billy Jean:

{% video vid="Ji1LmBhN9iM", title="Michael Jackson - Billy Jean" %}

We also discussed the relationship of this to the latin [Clave](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clave_(rhythm)>) and African [polyrhythms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyrhythm).
Plus a diversion into the wonderful Indian [Konnakol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konnakol).

I found counting this way helped with this classic:

{% video vid="tGSUjuSBt1A", title="Mission Impossible theme (original)" %}

This is often [scored like this](https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0056668) but I found it useful to count thus:

```
| 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 2 |
        ^
```

Fascinating and worthy of much exploration.
