Backbeat
Emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time, typical of rock and pop.
What it means
A backbeat is an emphasis on beats 2 and 4 in 4/4 time — the beats that are normally weak. Instead of stressing beats 1 and 3, as many older musical styles do, the rhythmic weight shifts to the even-numbered beats.
In a drum kit part, the backbeat is almost always marked by a strong snare drum hit, while the bass drum typically falls on beats 1 and 3. This basic pattern forms the rhythmic backbone of most rock, pop, and funk songs.
Musical use
The backbeat emerged in blues, rhythm and blues, and early rock and roll of the 1940s and 1950s, and from there spread into nearly every genre of popular music. It gives music a driving, physical pulse that invites listeners to move and dance.
The backbeat should be distinguished from the offbeat, where the unstressed beats between the main pulses are emphasized, as in reggae or ska. While the offbeat falls between the main beats, the backbeat lands squarely on beats 2 and 4 themselves.
Performance practice
If you play drums, first practice a simple pattern with the bass drum on 1 and 3 and the snare on 2 and 4 before adding embellishments. As a listening exercise, clap along deliberately on beats 2 and 4 to familiar pop songs to develop a feel for the backbeat shared by many styles of music.