Syncope ( other Greek συγκοπή , Latin syncopa, sincopa , literally - chopping off; linguistic contraction, contraction of <word> [1] ) in metrized music - shift of emphasis from a strong beat to a weak beat , that is, a rhythmic accent mismatch from metric .
Content
Historical Review
The first descriptions of syncops (sincopa) date back to the Ars nova period — in the anonymous treatise of Vitry ’s school “Ars perfecta” [2] and in the “Libellus cantus mensurabilis” of John de Muris . In both cases, we are talking about the breakdown of the counting unit of menstrual music - modus, tempo and prolation - and the notation of such a break with the help of a dot (punctus perfectionis, punctus divisionis). Descriptions of syncopes, closer to its modern understanding, are distributed in the second half of the 15th century. They are in the treatises of John Tinktoris (“The Book of the Art of Counterpoint”, “Musical Proportions”, “The Book of Alterations”, “Determinant of Musical Terms”) and in the work of Guillemo Monk “Instructions in Musical Art” ( De praeceptis artis musicae , c. 1480 ) In all cases, syncopation is understood as a prepared detention , and scientific musicians do not operate on the concepts of strong and weak beats (as well as the concept of tact ) (since the accent metric has not yet developed). N. Vicentino (1555) [3] gives the definition of syncope together with its extensive musical illustrations in the middle of the 16th century [3] , however, he also operates not with “strong and weak beats”, but with the thesis and arsis ( parte nella battuta and parte nel levare ) Tactus [4] .
Syncope Functions
Syncope, depending on the musical context, can perform three functions: creating conflict (exacerbation), mitigating and connecting. Softening syncopy occurs when the syncopation contradiction to the metric accent is masked. When masking syncopation, not a single voice of the texture indicates a strong beat of the measure, which creates a special effect of sliding the melody through the meter. [five]
Another function of syncopy is the binder.
Three types of binding syncopy can be distinguished.
- Continuous Syncop Groups
- Pulling the lobe to the left
- Highlighting the climax through syncopation [5]
Syncope in Non-Academic Music
Syncopy is an integral element of the rhythm of bossa nova , ragtime , jazz , funk , reggae , drum and bass and some other types of popular music.
Types of syncop:
- Intact
- Interdact
- Intralobar
Notes
- ↑ For example, mile instead of mille, forsan instead of forsitan. For more details see Syncope (linguistics) and Syncope (versification) .
- ↑ Sincopa est divisio cuiuscumque figurae at partes separatas, quae ad invicem reducuntur perfectiones numerando (CS III, p. 34a).
- ↑ La sincopa sara questa: che ogni volta una nota pigliera e legara la metà di due note allora la prima metà di due note allora la prima metà sara della seconda metà della prima nota e l'altra metà sara della prima metà della seconda nota ( Pract. II, 4).
- ↑ La sincopa si può discernere almeno per cagione d'una parte che canti nella battuta e l'altre parti cantino nel levare, acciò si posse cognoscere le differenze del moto, e quali note si moveno nel battere e quali nel levare (Pract. II ,13).
- ↑ 1 2 Denis Chufarov. Syncope . Music College Online . StudyMusic (03/11/2012).
Literature
- Dahlhaus C. Zur Geschichte der Synkope // Musikforschung 12 (1959), SS. 385-391.