Up Beat, Down Beat, & Back Beat

[Deleted]

It is amazing that one can be quite advanced in a topic and still be quite ignorant of basic terms. I was sorting through junk on my desk this morning and came across a piece of scrap paper with the words "Up Beat", "Down Beat" and "Back Beat" written on it. I had intended a long time ago to bring up these terms on this forum but had not gotten around to it. So, this morning, after stumbling across the piece of scrap paper, I took the time to google. Below is a link that clearly explains the terms (put here for anyone else who is less than "up" on their rhythmic terms and who may be feeling "down" about it and who certainly wouldn't want to be "back" of the crowd in their knowledge of them).

Down Beat Up Beat Back Beat

[ceg]

Hmm, I think I disagree with the article you link to - I think that what they describe as the "up beat" is the off beat (or possibly syncopation) and what they call the "down beat" is just "the beat". To me, the down beat is the first beat of the bar, and the up beat is the beat before the down beat (also known as the anacrusis).

I agree with them about the back beat though!

:-)

Charles

[Ed Sharpe]

Dear Anne,

I agree with Charles on this one. The Article is a bit misleading. Back Beat almost always (if not always) refers to (as the article says) the heavy emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in rock and rock derived music.

Down beat is almost always is referring the down beat of the bar, as Charles stated. I have not run into the term "up beat" that often, like Charles stated we tend to use other words to describe what the article is referring to as an "up beat".

[Joseph]

two cents . . . first most theory books will address thesis (downbeat) and anacrusis (upbeat) so a simple trip to the book shelf should help clarify the issue. More, I agree downbeat most always references the first beat in a measure. I also agree that a beat other than on "1" is simply referred to as the beat (as in beat 2, beat 3, etc.). I disagree that anacrusis or upbeat references only the upbeat before the traditional downbeat (first beat in the next measure). I'll make it easy. If you have a measure in common time and there is a 1 1/2 beat rest before the music begins, don't you refer to the entrance as on the up beat of 2?. Anacrusis also at times is used to reference more than that simple up beat. Some theorists put forth an argument suggesting such a case (reference Walter Piston's Harmony, 3rd edition page 123, here he cites the opening measures of Brahms' Capriccio op. 116 No. 3 and suggests that the quarter notes on beats 2, 3, & 4 of measure 2 'all' serve as an anacrusis to measure 3) Different theorists have different ideas. I think we can all agree on the downbeat as well a the backbeat (no discussion necessary, it is exactly that which has been described and I'm no historical theorist but I'd surmize the term came into use in the 20th century - thanks Chuck!). We may have to reconsider our thoughts on the anacrusis though I feel an upbeat is simply that. Downbeat and upbeat probably came from the string section with the directions for down and up bowing . . . maybe.