What Does Syncopation Mean?
Syncopation means an unexpected change in an established rhythm or beat. It comes from the Greek word meaning "to cut short."
Other People Are Reading
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In Music
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William House, Editor of "Reverse Spins," in his article "Why 'Good Vibrations' May be Bad," explains: "The Waltz has three beats with the natural emphasis on the first: ONE, two, three; ONE, two, three. Change that emphasis to the last weak beat and you get: da, da, DUMB; da, da, DUMB. That's a syncopated rock beat." To hear this, listen to the rock group Queen's "We Will Rock You." Another good example is Leroy Anderson's "The Syncopated Clock."
In Dance
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On the website Love Music Love Dance, Philip Seyer says, "A dancer can syncopate by suddenly doing an unexpected touch step or a kick step on a strong beat where one would normally expected a weight change."
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In Words
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Words can be syncopated by leaving out letters or syllables in the middle. The British do this when they shorten Worcestershire sauce to "Wooster sauce." A yachtsman does it when he talks about a "stuns'l" (studding sail).
In Medicine
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Syncope, the root word of syncopation, is a brief loss of consciousness and weakness, followed by recovery. In other words, an interruption of your normal brain activity and muscle tone---you black out, fall down, wake up and can't remember how it happened.
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