Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/A/Accent of notes

by John Weeks Moore

Accent of notes. The bars of music are not only useful for dividing the movement into equal measures, but also for showing the notes upon which the accent is to be laid. The measures of common time are divided into four parts; of these, the first and third are accented;the second and fourth unaccented. We shall term the accented strong parts, and the unaccented weak parts, of the measure, thus : -

The measures of triple time consist of three parts; the first strong, the two others weak; although the last part is rather strong in comparison of the middle part.

In slow common time, the accents are more frequent; but they are found in the same proportion on the first, third, fifth, and seventh quavers, which are the strong parts, while the second, fourth, sixth, and eighth are the weak parts. In three crotchet time, when divided into quavers, the first, third, and fifth quavers are strong; the second, fourth, and sixth weak. In six quaver time, the first and fourth quavers are strong, and the others weak. From the nature of accent arises the necessity of beginning some movements with only part of a measure, as with a single weak part, thus:—

From the same reason arises the necessity of commencing a melody with a half measure, as,—

The following melody, barred in two different ways, produces two opposite effects, the accent falling upon different notes.

When the composer intends that the weak parts of the measure should be made of more importance than the strong parts, such deviation from the regular accent should be termed emphasis. In passages like the following, the quavers are often grouped together according to the emphasis, and not, as is general, according to the accent.

In the first two measures of this example, the quavers are grouped according to the accent; in the third, according to the emphasis, contrary to accent; and in the fourth, the accent again resumes its importance. The Germans divide accent into two principal species—grammatical and rhetorical; and the first of these we term here accent, and the last emphasis. The Italian words Rinforzando, Sforzato, or their contractions, Rinf, Rf., Sforz., Sf., are often used to mark the emphasis, and sometimes are placed over accented notes. As every species of measure may be subdivided by accents, according to the degree of quickness in which it is performed, so also the weak parts of every measure may be occasionally made emphatic at the pleasure of the composer. To this species of effect may be referred the syncopated or driving notes, which begin on the weak and end on the strong part of the measure. See the following examples:—

In this example, the emphasis is on the syncopated minims, which begin on the second and and on the third part of the measure.

In this example, the emphasis is on the syncopated crotchets, which begin on the second and sixth, or the weak, and end on the third and seventh, or the strong parts of the measure.