What is the "downbeat"?

I was watching Beat Kings again and I noticed 45 King mention that he 'chopped the record on the downbeat".

I've heard the term "downbeat" many times before, but dont really know what it means. Can anyone explain?

Come on if you don't know this than you shouldn't be making beats.

the first beat of a measure. a measure is 4 beats (most western music you can count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 ect. thats called 4/4 timing.) its the first beat. usually phrases of music will start on the downbeat.

what is a measure?






srsly what is it.....



come on im not joking....

714, your reply doesn't answer my question.

Thank you, eastcoast121.

If you count...(nod your head while you count aloud it really helps to understand)

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (8th notes)

1, 2, 3, 4 would be the downbeats and all of the &'s would be the upbeat.

7 1 4 Beats wrote:Come on if you don't know this than you shouldn't be making beats.

Sorry but I disagree with this only because there are so many people out there who can pick up any instrument and play it not knowing shit about the technical terms of music, the fact is they know music. Sorry to hate but that was an empty ass statment.

I think that most ppl know what it is but just not that the name of it.

JayP wrote:If you count...(nod your head while you count aloud it really helps to understand)

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (8th notes)

1, 2, 3, 4 would be the downbeats and all of the &'s would be the upbeat.

Good sh*t Mr. JayP, very good sh*t indeed

Jay P quoted :


Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 8:20 pm
Posts: 45 If you count...(nod your head while you count aloud it really helps to understand)

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & (8th notes)

1, 2, 3, 4 would be the downbeats and all of the &'s would be the upbeat.


Technically, the upbeat is the last beat in the bar before the downbeat again ... but many do determine the upbeat in that way he suggests.


Sorry to be a boff.

Meh to each his own, Ive been a drummer for a few years and Ive always known the downbeats to be the quater notes and the upbeats to be the &'s. I guess you could say that the UPBEAT(singular) would be the last "&" of the bar measure but UPBEATS(plural) would be all the "&'s".

If anyone else has any other questions about timing, signatures or anything drum related just PM and I'll do my best to try and break it down.

SeanEbo wrote:

7 1 4 Beats wrote:Come on if you don't know this than you shouldn't be making beats.

Sorry but I disagree with this only because there are so many people out there who can pick up any instrument and play it not knowing shit about the technical terms of music, the fact is they know music. Sorry to hate but that was an empty ass statment.

That's true I can agree with that.

JayP wrote : "I guess you could say that the UPBEAT(singular) would be the last "&" of the bar measure but UPBEATS(plural) would be all the "&'s" .


You won't see a basic explanation much better expressed than this .... spot on !

some one is getting beat-down if we have a 4 page thread about what a down-beat is.

Internet beat-down, i likey.