Syncopation

In music, syncopation is a variety of rhythms played together to make a piece of music, making part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beat. More simply, syncopation is "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm": a "placement of rhythmic stresses or accents where they wouldn't normally occur".[1] It is the correlation of at least two sets of time intervals.[2]

For other uses of the same name, see Syncopation (disambiguation).
\relative c''' { \clef treble \time 2/4 \key d \major e16 cis\sfz a e\sfz d b\sfz gis e\sfz b'4\p( a8) }
Syncopation (sfz) in Beethoven's String Quartet in A major, Op. 18, No. 5, 3rd movement, mm. 24–25
\new Staff << \new voice \relative c' { \clef percussion \numericTimeSignature \time 6/8 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t \tempo 4. = 80 \stemDown \repeat volta 2 { g4. g } } \new voice \relative c' { \stemUp \repeat volta 2 { f4 f f } } >>
Vertical hemiola (the ratio 3:2)

Syncopation is used in many musical styles, especially dance music. According to music producer Rick Snoman, "All dance music makes use of syncopation, and it's often a vital element that helps tie the whole track together".[3]

Syncopation can also occur when a strong harmony is simultaneous with a weak beat, for instance, when a 7th-chord is played on the second beat of 3
4 measure or a dominant chord is played at the fourth beat of a 4
4 measure. The latter occurs frequently in tonal cadences for 18th- and early-19th-century music and is the usual conclusion of any section.

A hemiola (the equivalent Latin term is sesquialtera) can also be considered as one straight measure in three with one long chord and one short chord and a syncope in the measure thereafter, with one short chord and one long chord. Usually, the last chord in a hemiola is a (bi-)dominant, and as such a strong harmony on a weak beat, hence a syncope.

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