Rhythmic effect created by using notes played on weak beats or weak sections of a measure and strung over strong beats.

Syncopation is found in many styles of music. Jazz, African, and Caribbean music make heavy use of syncopation, as shown in the following excerpt from Caribbean music:

In the previous fragment, all the notes in red are syncopations, since they are played on the weak part of the beat and extended on the strong part.

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