Meaning & use
a downbeat
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Meanings
nouncountablemusic
The first strong beat of a bar in music, marked by the conductor's downward hand movement.
Grammar: Countable and technical: the downbeat, the downbeats; often used with 'on'.
Patterns
- on the downbeat
- the first downbeat
- count the downbeats
The drummer hit the cymbal on the downbeat.
Watch the conductor's hand for the downbeat, then start singing.
The song begins on a downbeat, so take a breath before you play.
nouncountablefigurativeinformal
A moment when something begins or when activity starts, especially in a performance.
Grammar: Informal and figurative; often in 'on the downbeat', meaning at the very start.
Patterns
- on the downbeat
- from the downbeat
The band was tight from the downbeat.
On the downbeat of the new season, ticket sales jumped.
Word forms
| plural | downbeats |
|---|
Common combinations
- on the downbeat
- She came in exactly on the downbeat.
- the first downbeat
- The first downbeat of the piece is very loud.
- catch the downbeat
- New players often fail to catch the downbeat.
- from the downbeat
- The choir sounded confident from the downbeat.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beat
- Beat is the general word for any pulse in music; downbeat means only the first, strongest beat of the bar.
- upbeat
- Upbeat is the weak beat before the downbeat and also means 'cheerful', so do not mix the two.
Opposites
Word family
- downbeat adjective
- Meaning quiet and not hopeful, as in a downbeat ending to a film.
Commonly confused: a downbeat or upbeat?
a downbeat vs upbeat
An upbeat is a light beat before the strong one, and as an adjective it means cheerful; a downbeat is the strong first beat and as an adjective means gloomy.
Practice
A conductor raises a hand and brings it down. What is that movement marking?
Choose one answer.
The downward stroke marks the downbeat, the strong first beat. The upbeat is the lighter beat before it, and an offbeat or backbeat falls between the main beats.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a downbeat”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.