Anacrusis vs Downbeat

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Anacrusis	Downbeat
Definition	One or more notes that precede the first full bar of a piece, functioning as an upbeat or pickup.	The first and strongest beat of a bar, typically where the conductor's baton reaches its lowest point.
Category	rhythm	rhythm
Pronunciation	/ˌænəˈkruːsɪs/	/ˈdaʊnbiːt/
Origin	Greek (anakrousis, a pushing up)	English (descriptive)
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	upbeat pickup pickup bar	first beat strong beat one
Antonyms	downbeat	upbeat offbeat anacrusis
Usage	The melody begins with a quaver anacrusis that leads naturally into the first strong beat of bar one.	The entire ensemble enters together on the downbeat of bar one for maximum impact.

Definition: One or more notes that precede the first full bar of a piece, functioning as an upbeat or pickup.
Category: rhythm
Pronunciation: /ˌænəˈkruːsɪs/
Origin: Greek (anakrousis, a pushing up)
Synonyms: upbeat pickup pickup bar
Antonyms: downbeat
Usage: The melody begins with a quaver anacrusis that leads naturally into the first strong beat of bar one.

Definition: The first and strongest beat of a bar, typically where the conductor's baton reaches its lowest point.
Category: rhythm
Pronunciation: /ˈdaʊnbiːt/
Origin: English (descriptive)
Synonyms: first beat strong beat one
Antonyms: upbeat offbeat anacrusis
Usage: The entire ensemble enters together on the downbeat of bar one for maximum impact.