Rhythm is one of the main components of music. Durations, combining into various options, form the figures that make up the rhythmic pattern of a musical work. It is he who allows the audience to distinguish a waltz from a march, song, and so on.
Rhythmic "brokenness"
Syncope in music is found everywhere, but the essence of this concept is not known to everyone. The classic definition is “shifting a strong beat to a weak beat” and professional musicians immediately pick up this rhythmic “brokenness” by ear. Very often syncopes are used by the composer to culminate or sharpen musical material. For a person who does not have a special musical education, the simplest example of musical syncopation can be Ragtime Joplin. This music is known to everyone. It is the syncope that sounds in almost every measure that gives light dance and elegance to it. Thus, syncope is a conflict of rhythmic accent with metric.
There are more than girls in jazz!
Jazz music and syncopation are actually synonyms. The homeland of jazz is the USA, where it appeared in the mid-10s of the XX century and then spread throughout the world. The origins of this genre are diverse - they are in pop songs that sound in cabarets and taverns, in elements of Negro folklore. Jazz is rich in original texture, timbre colors and rhythm. Specific performance techniques, style, improvisation, syncope - these are characteristic features of jazz music. One of the greatest masters of American music is George Gershwin. Starting his career with composing songs and succeeding in this, he set himself the difficult task of introducing jazz rhythms and intonations into symphonic music.
The Blues-style Rhapsody develops the characteristic rhythms of jazz music, including syncopation. This can be seen in all 3 themes of Rhapsody - 2 of them are close to blues, and the third to ragtime. Syncopated rhythm, polyrhythmia, unusual intonations characteristic of African-American music dictate dynamism and temperament to music. The Blues-style Rhapsody is the most popular and performed concert ever created in America.
Syncope. Classical example
If jazz syncopy is simply impossible not to “notice”, then in classical music everything is a little more complicated. Very often, syncope is masked, and then not a single beat in the measure is strong.
Thus, the effect of sliding through the meter is created, making the sound of the syncope soft and invisible. In the works of the romantic period, a delayed syncope is often heard. This significantly weakens the rhythmic pulsation and the melody becomes “ruby”, that is, free. In the Second Concerto for Piano and Rachmaninoff Orchestra in the theme of a side part, the melody moves energetically upward, then slowly and softly glides down. The syncopated development of the second motive from the second measure makes the music active and aspiring. The whole concert is full of energetic and strong-willed rhythm. Rhythmic formulas, syncopes and ostinato are intertwined with wide singing tunes.
Syncopes in folk, folk music
In Russian folk music, old songs are often distinguished by the richness and variety of the rhythmic structure. Its features in a kind of poetic warehouse of texts. In many cases, the arrangement of musical accents is not at all subject to uniform ripple. This creates additional difficulties in recording such tunes. As a result, the free arrangement of time lines and the change of clock designations. The rhythm of the Russian song is original and complex. “Spell of Spring” in Kursk Region, “Kupalskaya” Krasnoyarsk Territory - with the seeming simplicity, the tunes make a deep impression due to the bright intonation expressiveness and rich rhythm with numerous syncopations.