Upbeat
The beat immediately before the downbeat, or more loosely the off-beats of the bar that fall between the main pulses.
An upbeat is what leads into the strong beat, whether it is a single pickup note or a full bar of anticipation, and it is the reason a phrase can feel as though it starts before it begins. In guitar playing the word also describes the weak beats between the main pulses, which are where upstroke strums and chopped chords commonly fall. Understanding the upbeat is what makes syncopation playable rather than accidental.
Example: A single strum played immediately before the first beat of the bar, leading into it, is an upbeat.
See also
Related
- PageDownbeat
- PageSyncopation
- PageBackbeat
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley