Offbeat
Any beat or subdivision that falls between the main beats of a bar, often used for rhythmic interest and lift.
Category
rhythm
Pronunciation
/ˈɒfbiːt/
Origin
English (descriptive)
Length
181 words · 1 min read
About Offbeat
Offbeats are the weaker pulses that occur between the strong beats of a metre. In 4/4 time, if the main beats fall on counts one, two, three, and four, the offbeats fall on the "and" between each count.
More rhythm terms
Quaver
View all rhythmterms →A note lasting half a beat in common time, equivalent to an eighth note in American terminology.
Time SignatureA notational convention indicating how many beats are in each bar and which note value gets one beat
BeatThe basic unit of time in music — the regular pulse a listener feels
TripletA group of three notes played in the time normally occupied by two notes of the same value.
BarA segment of music bounded by bar lines, containing a fixed number of beats
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →