29: Syncopation

 

Syncopation, one of the key rhythmic elements of jazz and other styles influenced by it, is the placing of stress on a normally unaccented beat or portion thereof. When we count something, say, in 4/4, if we count in eighth notes, for instance, we count “one and two and three and four and”—and the numbers have more stress than the “ands”.  Syncopation would, somehow, place (more) stress on the “ands.” This technique, ubiquitous as it is in jazz, also plays an important role in classical works.
               Consider the opening of Mozart’s 25th symphony. These are the actual first four bars of the first violin and cello parts. I have added the timpani part for clarity.

A sheet music with symbols and notes AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Underneath each part is how you would count that. Notice that the cello and timpani parts are easy: counting quarter notes or eighth notes without any complications. But then look at the violin part. We’re offset from the cellos by half a beat at every point in each of these measures except in the first half of the first beat. The “ands”, as I said, are traditionally regarded as weaker points than the full numbers. But by placing a melodic note there, Mozart anticipates the stress, putting on the and of 1 what should fall cleanly on 2, on the and of 2 what should fall cleanly on 3, on the and of 3 what should fall cleanly on 4, and on the and of 4 what should fall cleanly on 1 of the next bar.

This is syncopation at its most quintessential: everywhere, the stress is anticipated, against another line where the stress is where you expect it, making you feel off balance if you’re a classical musician, and perfectly in your element if you’re a jazz musician.

This is K. 183 (and you can search any music service—YouTube, Pandora, Spotify—for the Kochel number, and it’ll come up), and I highly recommend that you listen to the opening movement several times, and as you do, count out loud that opening “1-and-and-and-and” figure once, then count a straight “1-2-3-4” and go back and forth several times so you come to have an understanding of how the two lines relate to each other.

A word of caution: if you don’t have much experience in music (and even if you do), this will be frustrating at first. Be kind to yourself, and don’t give up. Counting at this level is just something you have to do over and over again until you learn to internalize it.

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