Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

Originally Posted by: dlwalke

Um....just want to make sure I got this terminology correct.[/quote][p]Some of that is right. :)

All counted numbered beats are downbeat: 1-2-3-4. All downbeats.

The 1/8th note subdivisions in between are upbeats: "and" in between the downbeats.

Strong beat & weak beat are older terms that don't get much use outside of classical music & academic contexts.

Strong beats are downbeats 1 and 3. Weak beats are beats 2 and 4. It's important to realize that those terms are not prescriptive. They don't indicate to use a certain beat to make the music "sound strong or weak". They are simply terms used to distinguish between rhythmic events. Most music has some variety of beats with syncopated rhythms to make things interesting.

The backbeat is where the classical terms got reversed in popular music! The backbeats are beats 2 and 4. Where the snare drum typically pops to push the rhythm forward.

[quote=dlwalke]You typically use downstrokes on both the down and up beats (that doesn't help) and upstrokes on the off-beats.

That does happen quite a bit. But I think it's more of a correlation than a technique principle. Sometimes it's better (more efficient or musical) to use the opposite, an upstrum on a downbeat, or a downstrum on an upbeat.

There is no rule that says you must start with downstrums on downbeats. It's just a matter of convenience in basic strumming patterns.

Hope that helps!

After looking at more sources on the net (including reputable ones like music schools and such, not just random people), I think the inconsistencies make some of these terms nearly useless unless you are communicating with people you know and you all agree in advance, implicitly or otherwise, on how you are defining your terms. Some sources say as I did (based on what I read previous to posting) that the 1rst and 3rd quarter notes (in 4/4) are the downbeats, others say as you do that 1, 2, 3, and 4 are each downbeats (and someone else said that all 4 are referred to as "on-beats"), several others say that only the first quarter note, the "1" is the downbeat. Also some inconsistency with off-beats. I haven't heard anyone say that the backbeat is anything other than 2 and 4 however (although I did see these referred to alternatively as the "up-beats"), so I am grateful for that!

If I were actually trying to communicate something to someone, I think that the safest approach would be to refer to the actual numbers or the "ands." Like, "toot that horn on the 1 and 3's" or "I'm gonna stroke this washboard on the 'ands'."