Accent (music)

Common card · No. 426166

In music, an accent is an emphasis, stress, or stronger attack placed on a particular note or set of notes, or chord, either because of its context or specifically indicated by an accent mark. Accents contribute to the articulation and prosody of a performance of a musical phrase. Accents may be written into a score or part by a composer, or added by the performer as part of their interpretation of a musical piece. Compared to surrounding notes: A dynamic accent or stress accent is an emphasis using louder sound or stronger sound; typically, most pronounced on the attack of the sound. A tonic accent is an emphasis on notes by virtue of them being higher in pitch, as opposed to higher in volume. An agogic accent is an emphasis by virtue of notes being longer in duration. Accents that do not correspond to the stressed beats of the prevailing meter are said to be syncopated. For example, in common time, also called 44, the most common metre in popular music, the stressed beats are one and...

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