Anacrusis

In music and poetry, an anacrusis (plural anacruses) is a very short introduction. The word comes from the Greek: ἀνάκρουσις (anákrousis), which means literally, "pushing up". It is a set of notes or syllables, perhaps just a single one. It comes before the first beat of a musical phrase, or a line of poetry. It is not part of any musical phrase, or line of poetry which might have come before it. The word is sometimes used in publishing. It is very short, and not the literary or musical introduction, foreword, or with a preface). In music it is often called a "pick up" note.[1]

Beginning of BWV 736, with an anacrusis shown in red.

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Anacrusis, in red, beginning Luigi Boccherini's Minuet

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References

Randel, Don Michael, ed. (2003). The Harvard Dictionary of Music (4th ed.). Cambridge: Belknap Press. p. 42. ISBN 0-674-01163-5. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

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[1] Randel, Don Michael, ed. (2003). The Harvard Dictionary of Music (4th ed.). Cambridge: Belknap Press. p. 42. ISBN 0-674-01163-5. Retrieved 1 January 2015.