Syncopation
Abstract
Syncopation occurs when a weak beat or weak partial of a beat is stressed. Listeners and performers alike become accustomed to certain regularities in music—the resolution of V-I, the leading tone resolving up to tonic, and the structural power of metric stress. Syncopation disrupts our perception of the beat or meter, creating ambiguity and tension in music; we have an innate need for the syncopation to resolve itself.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Neuroscience and Music Perception
Musicology and Musical Analysis
Diverse Music Education Insights
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Routledge eBooks
- Pages
- 370–392
- Publication date
- 23 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Book chapter