In a conversation with Terry the other day, regarding St James Infirmary, upbeats and downbeats came up.
“Hi Neal
How would you define upbeat/downbeat?
Here’s a downbeat that starts on beat three. It has two complete counts before it, so it starts on a downbeat.
To divide a quarter note into downbeats and upbeats, we can use eighth notes.
The first eighth note is a downbeat, the second is an upbeat. The third is a down beat, the fourth is an upbeat, etc.
After the first two eighth notes which are a downbeat and then an upbeat, we reach another downbeat.
After a single eighth note, which is a downbeat, comes an upbeat. It could be another eighth note or another note, like a quarter note in this next example.
The final eighth note before the end of a measure if it is directly before the end of the measure will be an upbeat. So we can also count backwards from the end of the measure to figure out what part of the beat a note will land on.
If there were an eighth note before the last eighth note, it would be on a downbeat. But a quarter note is the value of two eighth notes, so it is two eighth notes before an upbeat.
You can count backwards. Up, Down, Up and you get to Up.
Four beats would have
downbeat | upbeat | downbeat | upbeat |downbeat | upbeat |downbeat | upbeat
Application
Go to this page and listen/try the examples.
Rodney Hamler says
Hello Neil:
after the conversation between you and Terry about Down beat vs. up beat, it seems that st. james start on a up beat,
is that correct.does the first quarter not land up, the second one land down,and the third one land up.
does the second part which is eighth note is a down beat and the second eighth note is up beat, and the half note is down for two beats.
The final measure the first eighth note will be an upbeat, the second eighth note is down beat, and the last quarter note that connect gets two beats.
Neal says
Hello Rodney,
First quarter is on an upbeat, second one is on a downbeat. Not sure what you mean by the third quarter note, where it is.
For the final measure, it starts on a downbeat. If you start a new measure and there is no note or beat before a first note or rest, that means the first note or rest starts on beat 1 which is a downbeat.
Mostly you got that right, not quite all of it.
B. says
That clears up the downbeat/upbeat thing for me.
Thanks