Syncopation: Feel the Beat

Introduction

Syncopation, like a flavorful spice, is a magic ingredient that can add a "kick" to almost any musical style. It results from the deliberate shifts of accent so that a rhythm goes against the steady beat. Because these unusually placed accents feel "out of sync" with the regular accents, they create rhythmic tension. The result is catchy and pleasant, as in the ragtime music of Scott Joplin.

Although syncopation is found in the music of many cultures, it is characteristic of music with strong African roots, such as ragtime, jazz, blues, Afro-Cuban music, funk, and hip-hop. You will find it throughout popular music of the twenty-first century.

In this activity, you will have the opportunity to work with a syncopated blues rhythm. Be prepared to feel the beat from your hands to your feet, and don't be afraid to move them!

In this project, you will:

• Learn to play a syncopated blues rhythm.
• Recognize and perform call and response.
• Sing a blues song.
• Create music in one of the following ways: write and sing original lyrics for a blues melody; improvise syncopated melodic ideas; or work with expressive blues techniques.

Print the worksheet before you begin.

Now continue to Section 1.