Accent

An accent is a basic articulation marking, indicated by the wedge-shaped symbol > above or below a note. It instructs the performer to give that note slight additional emphasis — a touch louder, a touch sharper in attack — than the surrounding notes.

Accents are the workhorses of expressive articulation. They are weaker than sforzandos (which are explosive emphasis) and more pointed than tenutos (which are weight without sharpness). A skilled performer uses accents to shape phrasing, to create rhythmic life, and to highlight harmonic or melodic events of importance.

In syncopated music — jazz, Latin, much 20th-century repertoire — accents are essential to the rhythmic feel. Off-beat accents create syncopation; expected accents on downbeats produce regularity. The placement and weight of accents is one of the most powerful expressive tools available.

From Latin accentus, ‘sounding alongside’, from ad- + cantus (‘song, sound’).

Don’t overplay accents. A slight increase in attack and volume is enough — too much, and you’ve crossed into sforzando territory. The note should feel emphasized but not exaggerated.