Up Beats Explained

Posted on March 18, 2009 by WaltRibeiro

What is a Down Beat in Music?

When you bop your head to a piece of music, or when you dance to something, you are following a pulse (or a beat). The pace at which your head is bopping to the music. To understand beats more feel free to look at Beats #1 and also Beats #2

Dance music is a genre that utilizes the down beat almost every time. Simply explained, the down beat is the ‘pulse’ that hits on the

There are 2 parts to a beat: The Up Beat and the Down Beat.

“Saturday Night Fever” is an excellent example to show off the beats. The bass drum hits on the down beat, and the Drums’ Hi-Hat hits on the up-beat. The upbeat is literally the center of the beat, and the downbeat is literally the beginning of the beat.

Examples of Dance/Electronica Music emphasizing the strong DOWN Beat:

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  • john smith

    Hey man so basically when notes are tied you play the upbeat not counting the note out… right? Also 50 seconds in you have the notes tied, yet you still have the tied note labeled as the second beat, isn’t that a contradiction? Wouldn’t it just be an upbeat that is not counted like you later say?

  • john smith

    the u… does mean upbeat.. right? lol

  • http://www.waltribeiro.net Walt Ribeiro

    Ties simply extend the notes. You would play the first note, but let it sustain throughout the tied note.

    You would still count any beat, or upbeat.. you just wouldn’t play it :)

  • http://www.waltribeiro.net Walt Ribeiro

    Ties simply extend the notes. You would play the first note, but let it sustain throughout the tied note.

    You would still count any beat, or upbeat.. you just wouldn’t play it :)

  • Kerry

    I have been a big fan of Ska music for many years. I have never been really knowledgeable about music though, as I never took any formal music lessons other than choir in school and they don’t teach you much about counting music lol I found this SOO informative. Thank you so much.

  • Kerry

    I have been a big fan of Ska music for many years. I have never been really knowledgeable about music though, as I never took any formal music lessons other than choir in school and they don’t teach you much about counting music lol I found this SOO informative. Thank you so much.

  • http://www.thedailydecibel.com/ Chris Bennett

    I understand your video. But on Twitter, you said, “backbeat=upbeat”. That part I don’t understand. Isn’t upbeat the opposite of downbeat? Lemme try some examples. One is Bee Gees — not Sat Night Fever, but instead “Stayin’ Alive”. OK, “Stayin’ Alive” accents the downbeat just about the whole way through. How about a couple songs: “The Do, Do Do, The Da, Da, Da” by The Police, and “Roxanne” by The Police. Or, “Runnin’ With The Devil” by Van Halen. I’m pretty sure they all accent the downbeat. If there are “1-and-2-and-1-and….” The accents are never on the “and” part of it. Is that right? Those are songs that accent the backbeat, right? Pop songs do this. downbeat=backbeat, right? So, then the only thing I don’t understand is: how do you get from there, to “backbeat=upbeat”? I have an example of a song accenting the “and” part. “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra. On the last verse, you can really discern it. The accent is on the “and” part, right? It’s really pronounced. Correct me if I’m wrong. I have learning disabilities. But I’m pretty sure that the “New York, New York” has accent on the 2nd part. Like, the accent comes right when the Sinatra finishes the word “News”, right?. OK so I just don’t understand the terms, right? I feel like deleting my post because I don’t know if I am making sense but I hope I am. thank you!!!

    • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

      A back beat (also backbeat) is a syncopated accentuation on the “off” beat. In a simple 4/4 rhythm these are beats 2 and 4

      Downbeats 2 and 4.

      Or back beat 2 and 4

      Upbeat is the (“AND”) syncopated beat off of the 1,2,3,4 = 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND

      • Chris Bennett

        Walt, I’m still trying to understand this stuff. I’m not exactly sure what syncopation is. thanks again for your help!!

        • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

          daily decibel!!!!

          in 4/4 time signature, the back beat is beats 2 and 4.

          syncopation is something different:

          syncopation is having notes NOT hit on the downbeat of a song (so for example, hitting on the upbeats)

  • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

    A back beat (also backbeat) is a syncopated accentuation on the “off” beat. In a simple 4/4 rhythm these are beats 2 and 4

    Downbeats 2 and 4.

    Or back beat 2 and 4

    Upbeat is the (“AND”) syncopated beat off of the 1,2,3,4 = 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND

    • Chris Bennett

      Walt, I’m still trying to understand this stuff. I’m not exactly sure what syncopation is. thanks again for your help!!

      • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

        daily decibel!!!!

        in 4/4 time signature, the back beat is beats 2 and 4.

        syncopation is something different:

        syncopation is having notes NOT hit on the downbeat of a song (so for example, hitting on the upbeats)

  • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

    A back beat (also backbeat) is a syncopated accentuation on the “off” beat. In a simple 4/4 rhythm these are beats 2 and 4

    Downbeats 2 and 4.

    Or back beat 2 and 4

    Upbeat is the (“AND”) syncopated beat off of the 1,2,3,4 = 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND

  • Mshamoon

    Hi Walt!
         Ok, I heard that the bars in 4/4 time also follow the strong, weak, medium, weak pattern. So Bar 1 would be stronger than Bar 2. However, I got confused when I was reading a lesson on berkleeshares.com, heres the link: 

    http://www.berkleeshares.com/songwriting__arranging/musical_stress

    In it it says that beat 3 of bar two is stronger than beat 3 of bar 1, why is that? 

    thanks so much!
    Mallory

    • http://www.fororchestra.com WaltRibeiro

      hmm, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but a lot of that stuff is foreign to me. just play music, and have fun with it. people get all caught up in that stuff, and while I suppose its good to learn, at the end of the day, just play.