# Seeking a musical term for rhythmic ambiguity



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Folks, I'm not sure where to put this question or even how to phrase it.

There is an effect I've noticed in some music that stems from an ambiguity as to which beat is accented. Whether accidental or intentional, I've always found this fascinating. It usually happens when a piece starts on an unaccented beat at the end of a measure (I may not be using the correct terms, but you probably know what I'm trying to say) and then continues with an accented beat at the beginning of the second measure (which is the first full measure).

One well known example of what I mean is in Handel's Bourree from Water Music:






I always hear that first note as accented, then find myself having to rapidly shift mental gears when there suddenly seems to be an extra beat at the end of the phrase. When the entire ensemble comes in it becomes obvious where the accents should lie, but those first few moments of ambiguity hold a lot of magic for me, whether I'm supposed to hear them that way or not.

Since our brains are more used to the first note of a piece coinciding with the first accented note of a measure, we tend to interpret the note as accented, or I do anyway, no matter how much the performer may suppress it.

Is there an official musical term for the effect I'm describing? I don't think it's hemiola though that is a similar effect, I believe dealing more with a timing ambiguity than with an accent ambiguity. If there is no term already in place, and in keeping with the Italian tradition, I nominate _ritmo falso_.

Also, do composers use this effect on purpose, or are we expected to know where the accent lies based on our knowledge of the type of piece, dance movement, or whatever being played? If it is not intentional, why not use the effect intentionally as a way of keeping us guessing, if only for a few moments?

Lastly, are there any other well known pieces in which I could get pleasantly lost in the "wrong" rhythm?

Thanks for you patience.


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## R-F (Feb 12, 2008)

We get these kind of questions in Music exams, and the term we're told to learn is cross rythms. That seems to fit the bill. On a more simple level, would syncopation do?


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## Mr. Terrible (Oct 17, 2008)

Are you a listener only or a player as well? 
These things seem to become a lot easier to discern when you are used to actually playing pieces for some reason.

Often it just comes down to counting 1234 or 123 in your head until you establish where the downbeat is & then adjust to it!
Sounds a bit mad, but...

Mind you if it is in mid-piece counting will of course keep you on the straight and narrow assuming you have the strength of character to stick to that metronome in oyur head despite the pull of the syncopated beat..

Like you say, generally a pleasurable experience for all that.

Among the jazz and pop fraternity, the rhythm section will often extemporise outside the basic tempo and then come sneaking back just for the fun of doing it.
Sometimes it is great & also enjoyable for the listeners, sometimes it isn`t! ()grin)


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

If I were playing it, even at my puttering skill level, I could feel the right rhythm - or count it, yes. It's only as a listener that the momentary confusion arises. Maybe in my example Handel knew there was going to be that brief confusion. It is a playful piece, after all. 

I do love the effect and it would be a little sad if musicians or the cognoscenti are immune to it.

I'll start thinking of the effect as cross rhythms then. Thanks for the input.


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## Mr. Terrible (Oct 17, 2008)

You might be surprised at just how far away from the staight and narrow it is possible to stray and still slide it right back in.

And sometimes it`ll lose you even if you are playing along with it.

I`ll try and dredge up an example of a really silly one for you.
May take a day or 2


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