Re: Why 2 and 4?

Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 08:08:34 GMT
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.percussion
Size: 1,895 bytes

I feel the back beat as the ultimate syncopation in American gospel/blues
music. It is most natural to step and dance on the down beats, so the
clapping in between the beats is the first natural syncopation we hear. In
cut time music like fast gospel music the downbeats are beats one and two
and we clap the backbeat on the ' and" offbeats (afterbeats) and in 4/4 the
backbeats are on 2 and 4, but it's really the same thing; At slower tempos
where it is most natural to step on all four beats then the backbeat is not
in between the beats anymore but placed on every other beat, the mid point
between the swing of the hammer in work songs.
--
George Lawrence
George's Drum Shop
1351 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road #21
Copley, Ohio 44321
http://www.GeorgesDrumShop.com
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330 670 0800
toll free 866 970 0800 "If thine enemy wrong thee,
buy each of his children a drum." -Chinese proverb
<email-address-deleted> wrote in message
news:b8aum4$mhu$email-address-deleted...
> Kevin Buffardi <email-address-deleted> wrote:
>
> > I'd say western music's emphasis on 2 & 4 is rooted in early formations
of
> > blues and r&b. Since early blues and jazz has a strong influence on
modern
> > music in the US, the backbeat survived.
>
> I agree. If you look at European traditions, generally the emphasis
> is on the 1 or 1 and 3. Think Polka or Waltz. The emphasis is always
> on the "om" rather than on the "pah". A polka IS played with a
> backbeat, but all the force is in the "one" rather than the 2 and 4.
> You always clap 1 and 3 to a polka. Ask anyone from Cleveland! :-)
>
> > Probably my BIGGEST pet peeve is when people clap on 1 & 3 on songs that
> > have a 'natural' 2 & 4 backbeat... drives me CRAZY.
>
> You mean when their culture clashes with yours? :-)
>
> > Yeah I top-posted. Deal with it.
> Thank you VERY much!!!
>
> Benj