Culture · 6 pages · 12 min
Why a backbeat defines a lot of popular music
A backbeat puts the snare on two and four, and that accent pattern carries the groove.
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From the opening
A backbeat is a strong accent on the normally weaker beats of a four-four measure, typically a snare drum on beats two and four, often against a bass drum on one and three. That reversal of the old strong-weak expectation is a defining rhythmic signature of a great deal of rock, rhythm and blues, and the popular styles that descend from them. The opening covers snare on beats two and four, the kick can still hold one, and reggae offbeats are not this.
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Inside
- Snare on beats two and four
- The kick can still hold one
- Reggae offbeats are not this
- Not every popular groove uses it
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- The backbeat as snare accents on beats two and four
- Rhythm-and-blues and rock drumming practice