How to play reggae??

[skier4467]

Please give some tips about playing reggae on a keyboard. I know about playing accenting the upbeat instead of the downbeat.

 

What inversions?

Right/left hand tecniques?

[eric]

Search on the forum...we did a long discussion one time...

 

Regards,

Eric

[eric]

Hey mon, here's an irie link for jah:

 

Easy Skankin'

 

Let us know what kind of reggae tunes you be tryin' to do and we will help as best as we can. I'm sure Outkaster can step in here and give all sorts of lessons.

 

Regards,

Eric

[Prog]

Spliff?

[suitandtieguy]

yes i would recommend accenting the "and" over the "one", "two", "three", or "four".

 

then in reggae you branch out into the "e", playing the "and-e", though that does reach back into rocksteady.

 

if you're playing ska then just the "and" will do.

 

putting the "e"s and the "and"s in alternating hands is more advanced reggae technique reserved only for those people who know that Bob Marley once got into a gunfight with Lee Perry.

 

but what the {censored} do i know? eric and outkaster have plenty of good things to say about playing reggae. pay attention to them.

 

however, if you want some more advice, i would say that you need to spend quite a bit of time reaching back to the Skatellites and then ahead through the genre into Bill Laswell dub records to really get what's going on.

 

{censored} ... if you only listen to bill laswell and the skatellites you're doing pretty {censored}ing well, however most reggae people hate ska for some reason which escapes me. of course most ska people hate reggae. for some reason they both tend to halfway like dub. finding jamaican music listeners who like all three tempo ranges of the genre seem to be few and far between. apparently reefer is very important for some people, although there is plenty of good jamaican music made without the appearance of marijuana.

 

jamaican music is where jazz meets ambient for the first time, and turns swing drumming on its head in a major way.

 

alright ... enough of this. i'm going to drink some more bourbon and watch Hudson Hawk.

[Outkaster]

I bumped up that old thread "Any favorite B3 settings for Reggae?". PM me for more information.

[Stopmakingsense]

The Bubble: Repeat the rythm below for the length of the gig.

 

Note: Smoking spliff may help with the mind numbing repetitiveness of the keyboard players robotic role.

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left

And/Two/And And/Four/And

 

Repeat infinitum, until you play a style other than reggae.

[suitandtieguy]

 

Originally posted by Stopmakingsense Note: Smoking spliff may help with the mind numbing repetitiveness of the keyboard players robotic role.

 

 

HA!

 

wow. that's the first reasonable explanation of the extreme weed bias of the jamaican music i've heard in a long time.

[Outkaster]

Originally posted by Stopmakingsense The Bubble: Repeat the rythm below for the length of the gig. Note: Smoking spliff may help with the mind numbing repetitiveness of the keyboard players robotic role. Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Left/Right/Left Left/Right/ Left And/Two/And And/Four/And Note: Smoking spliff may help with the mind numbing repetitiveness of the keyboard players robotic role.   Not neccesarily. Smoking weed is not neccesary to be able to play. That pattern above has to be FELT not just learned.

[SlickHenry]

The best way to learn how to play is to listen to some Augustus Pablo or King Tubby stuff again and again. Often they would do dubs that were remarkably similar with subtle variations. So if you can listen to them and begin to discern the rhythmic variations you are on your way. I agree with the FEEL comment, its hard to infuse feeling into three notes but those wacky jamicans did it.

[Outkaster]

 

Originally posted by SlickHenry The best way to learn how to play is to listen to some Augustus Pablo or King Tubby stuff again and again. Often they would do dubs that were remarkably similar with subtle variations. So if you can listen to them and begin to discern the rhythmic variations you are on your way. I agree with the FEEL comment, its hard to infuse feeling into three notes but those wacky jamicans did it.

 

 

And why would we be wacky? There is more to it than those two you mentioned. Much more...Don't get me {censored}in started.

[Fear My Potato]

 

Originally posted by Outkaster And why would we be wacky? There is more to it than those two you mentioned. Much more...Don't get me {censored}in started.

 

 

Hey let's all keep it chill in here...Reggae is just one more cultural genre like country/western or grunge.

 

Let's at least declare a Christmas armistice ...if only for Bob.

[suitandtieguy]

 

Originally posted by Outkaster That pattern above has to be FELT not just learned.

 

 

+1

 

 

the "feel" is as important in reggae as it is to the Memphis grooves of Stax, Hi, etc ...

 

your personal gravity has to relate to the music or you will do a terrible job of it.

 

this is not to say you have to be poor and live in poverty in Kingston or Memphis ... there are many things going on outside of the notes which if you can relate to your life and then embrace the connection it will make the music flow much better.

[Outkaster]

 

Originally posted by suitandtieguy +1 the "feel" is as important in reggae as it is to the Memphis grooves of Stax, Hi, etc ... your personal gravity has to relate to the music or you will do a terrible job of it. this is not to say you have to be poor and live in poverty in Kingston or Memphis ... there are many things going on outside of the notes which if you can relate to your life and then embrace the connection it will make the music flow much better.

 

 

Of course. I just do not like the dismissal of the music like it is easy because it is not. Bad enough I have to constantly tell musicians this all the time I deal with the same thing. Anyway have a good holiday.

[SlickHenry]

Music is easy insofar as you define it to be easy. What separates child finger painting from Van Gogh? It all relies upon what you the perceiver values in your art and more specifically how you define your criteria. Its really easy to try and mystify your craft or art, I know I do it all the time especially when I talk about feeling or groove or improvisation. But the reality remains that art exists because it relies upon a definition that the creator gives it. Whether intentional or not, your own personal definition defines your expression.

 

Yes your cultural milieu can deeply influence your output or perhaps exist as the definition of your music, but I am strong believer that there is a division between art and craft. Yes what we do is art but there is also a major craft aspect to all of our art. Why cant people intently study the craft of Reggae and learn its nuances as an exercise in theory and ability? An excellent example of study of "feel" would be Han van Meegeren who was so adroitly able to mimic the style of Vermeer that his paintings were displayed in museums around the world. He studied the various periods of Vermeer well enough to be able to synthesize his still to near perfection. Now with more modern dating techniques since the 40s, his fraud had been exposed but his paintings fooled curators (ie experts) for years.

 

My conclusion? Art and music are too complicated to simply mystify them with obtuse language. The key is your own personal expression can be simple or very complex, an aggregate of learned craft and art, but truth is that it is personal. You maintain your own standards, dont place your value system on others.

[Outkaster]

 

Originally posted by SlickHenry Music is easy insofar as you define it to be easy. What separates child finger painting from Van Gogh? It all relies upon what you the perceiver values in your art and more specifically how you define your criteria. Its really easy to try and mystify your craft or art, I know I do it all the time especially when I talk about feeling or groove or improvisation. But the reality remains that art exists because it relies upon a definition that the creator gives it. Whether intentional or not, your own personal definition defines your expression. Yes your cultural milieu can deeply influence your output or perhaps exist as the definition of your music, but I am strong believer that there is a division between art and craft. Yes what we do is art but there is also a major craft aspect to all of our art. Why cant people intently study the craft of Reggae and learn its nuances as an exercise in theory and ability? An excellent example of study of "feel" would be Han van Meegeren who was so adroitly able to mimic the style of Vermeer that his paintings were displayed in museums around the world. He studied the various periods of Vermeer well enough to be able to synthesize his still to near perfection. Now with more modern dating techniques since the 40s, his fraud had been exposed but his paintings fooled curators (ie experts) for years. My conclusion? Art and music are too complicated to simply mystify them with obtuse language. The key is your own personal expression can be simple or very complex, an aggregate of learned craft and art, but truth is that it is personal. You maintain your own standards, dont place your value system on others.

 

 

Ok well know this Reggae is not about just music. It is about the culture, food, politics and history of the Jamaican people. And truth be told you have to understand or experience it. I will say it again it is not the same as sitting down and playing a Lynard Skynard tune or something like that.

[Steve LeBlanc]

keep it simple

[wikwox]

Still tryin' to get the band to play "Get up, stand up"... Wish me luck, mon".

[Fear My Potato]

 

Originally posted by Outkaster Ok well know this Reggae is not about just music. It is about the culture, food, politics and history of the Jamaican people. And truth be told you have to understand or experience it. I will say it again it is not the same as sitting down and playing a Lynard Skynard tune or something like that.

 

 

Oh of course not, because in order to fully understand Skyrnard, you don't have to know jack {censored} about southern culture, food, politics, or history.

 

...

 

C'mon man, you're not going to honestly sit there and deny the existence of other cultural genres (such as southern rock) are you?

 

Bottom line: I've gone to gigs and heard plenty of half-ass reggae bands, and I've heard just as many half-ass rock bands. If you're going to do a genre right, you have to be rooted in the culture of it. It isn't exclusive to Reggae. Sit down and play southern rock or country/western in front of me and you'd be doing the same thing as if I sat in front of you and tried to pull off reggae...but the feeling and understand is equally important.

[Outkaster]

 

Originally posted by Fear My Potato Oh of course not, because in order to fully understand Skyrnard, you don't have to know jack {censored} about southern culture, food, politics, or history. ... C'mon man, you're not going to honestly sit there and deny the existence of other cultural genres (such as southern rock) are you? Bottom line: I've gone to gigs and heard plenty of half-ass reggae bands, and I've heard just as many half-ass rock bands. If you're going to do a genre right, you have to be rooted in the culture of it. It isn't exclusive to Reggae. Sit down and play southern rock or country/western in front of me and you'd be doing the same thing as if I sat in front of you and tried to pull off reggae...but the feeling and understand is equally important.

 

 

Of course that is what I am trying to say. I do not dismiss other genre's. What I dismiss is the people that don't respect Reggae music and dismiss it as an "easy music" or not worthy of the same treatment of all the FM Classic Rock stuff that is mentioned all the time on this forum is. Maybe it is entirely different argument but I am sick of talking about it.

[suitandtieguy]

 

Originally posted by Fear My Potato Oh of course not, because in order to fully understand Skyrnard, you don't have to know jack {censored} about southern culture, food, politics, or history.

 

 

the Suit & Tie Guy Band makes monthly trips to eat at the Cracker Barrel for exactly this reason.

[grumphh]

 

Originally posted by Fear My Potato If you're going to do a genre right, you have to be rooted in the culture of it.

 

 

Fookin' rubbish, mate!

 

You just have to be a good musician to play a genre right.

 

But of course if the audience is racist and can't abstract from your looks/skin colour they will always claim that you don't do it correctly...

[Fear My Potato]

 

Originally posted by Outkaster Of course that is what I am trying to say. I do not dismiss other genre's. What I dismiss is the people that don't respect Reggae music and dismiss it as an "easy music" or not worthy of the same treatment of all the FM Classic Rock stuff that is mentioned all the time on this forum is. Maybe it is entirely different argument but I am sick of talking about it.

 

 

Right on.