The durations of tonal music are divisible by the pulse. Pulses are organized into measures. Measures are organized by patterns of accents. Accents result from both rhythmic placement and harmonic content. The stability of consonance implies strong metrical placement. The embellishing character of dissonance implies relatively weak metrical placement. Techniques of syncopation, however, may displace a strong beat to a weak one by reversing these implicit associations. The affect of tonal music arises in large part from this interplay of pitch and rhythm. Consonance and dissonance, metrical uniformity and irregularity, all conspire to create dramatic patterns of expectations met, frustrated, and finally resolved. Read on........