der Beat
beat
The basic rhythm or pulse in a piece of music, especially in pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music.
EXAMPLE
Der DJ spielte einen Track mit einem schnellen, treibenden Beat.
The DJ played a track with a fast, driving beat.
der Beat
beat
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Meanings
der Beat
beat music
A style of music, also called beat music, that originated in Great Britain in the early 1960s and was popularized by bands like the Beatles.
EXAMPLE
In den 60er Jahren war der Beat aus Liverpool in ganz Europa populär.
In the 1960s, the beat music from Liverpool was popular throughout Europe.
Usage tips
English loanword
'Beat' (beat) is a direct loanword from English and is pronounced similarly. It has become established in German as a common term in music.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Song hat einen wirklich coolen Beat.
This song has a really cool beat.
Typical collocations
In the meaning 'Rhythmus' (rhythm), 'Beat' (beat) is often combined with adjectives like 'schnell' (fast), 'langsam' (slow), 'treibend' (driving), or 'funky' (funky). Typical verbs are 'den Beat fühlen' (to feel the beat), 'zum Beat tanzen' (to dance to the beat), or 'einen Beat produzieren' (to produce a beat).
EXAMPLE
Ich kann bei diesem treibenden Beat nicht stillsitzen.
I can't sit still with this driving beat.
Context clue: music style
When 'Beat' (beat music) refers to a style of music, it usually means the music of the 1960s. You can often recognize this meaning from clues such as years ('in den 60ern' — in the 60s) or geographic places ('aus Liverpool' — from Liverpool).
EXAMPLE
Meine Eltern haben früher oft Beat-Musik gehört.
My parents used to listen to beat music a lot.
Compare with
Beat vs Rhythmus
rhythm
Rhythmus and Beat can both describe the temporal character of a piece of music. Beat refers especially to the regular basic beat, while Rhythmus also includes the entire sequence of different note lengths and stresses. Use „Beat“ for the driving basic pulse and „Rhythmus“ for the broader pattern.
Beat
Der kräftige Beat des Liedes gibt den Tänzern einen klaren Grundpuls.
The song's strong beat gives the dancers a clear basic pulse.
Rhythmus
Der Rhythmus des Stücks verbindet den regelmäßigen Beat mit schnellen und langsamen Schlägen.
The piece's rhythm combines the regular beat with fast and slow beats.
In real life
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