{"items": [{"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/236314159766126?comment_id=236347706429438", "anchor": "fb-236347706429438", "service": "fb", "text": "@Chloe: sure", "timestamp": "1320613791"}, {"author": "Mac", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/236314159766126?comment_id=236353193095556", "anchor": "fb-236353193095556", "service": "fb", "text": "Technical nit: The down beat is always the first beat of any measure. It's the beat where the conductor is bring his baton down. So in contra \"eight to the bar\", only the first beat is the down beat. Maybe say \"...bold syllables are said ON the beats, and the remaining text is between the beats.\" Good presentation!", "timestamp": "1320614645"}, {"author": "BDan", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/236314159766126?comment_id=236364786427730", "anchor": "fb-236364786427730", "service": "fb", "text": "Walker: generally, contra music is in 8-bar phrases, of either 4/4 or 6/8, so technically every other bold syllable is a down beat, and the alternate ones are the secondary accent of the bar (3 of 4/4, or 4 of 6/8). Contra bands pretty much never have conductors, though.", "timestamp": "1320616597"}, {"author": "Jeff Kaufman", "source_link": "https://www.facebook.com/jefftk/posts/236314159766126?comment_id=236440326420176", "anchor": "fb-236440326420176", "service": "fb", "text": "@Walker: that's not how contra dance musicians or callers think about it. To a dance musician, the down beats are where people take steps, and in a jig or reel there are two in each measure, 64 in the tune or dance.
That the classical music derived visual representation we use doesn't fit this is a flaw in the notation, not sloppiness on the part of the callers and musicians.
You're right that this is confusing as written to people with a classical background, and I'll fix it above.", "timestamp": "1320629947"}]}