Hi. This is a question about rhythm guitar in reggae. I would like a definitive answer from someone who knows what they are talking about.
In reggae the snare and kick hit on the 3rd beat of 4 bars, which is called the “one drop.” Meanwhile, I have seen the rhythm guitar “chop” or “skank” taught 2 different and contradictory ways.
The first way says that it is on the the 2nd and 4th beat of 4 bars.
The second way seems to be saying that it on the off beats, as in: 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4 AND.
So my question is, for a 4 bar measure, what are the correct beats on which to play the rhythm guitar chop?
Thanks if you can give that absolute correct answer.
First off, there’s no such thing as a 4 bar measure. 4 bars is 4 measures. Secondly, playing on 2 and 4 with a fast tempo sounds the same as playing on the ands at a slower tempo, so it really isn’t two contradictory ways.
Yes, sorry, 4 beat measure. So Doug K. at what BPM would you switch over? Also would you still have the snare and kick on the 3? I guess I don’t really get what you are talking about.
He’s saying you can count it either way. It depends on how fast you’re counting the four beats. You can count it so there’s only a one drop, the snare falls on the three, and the guitar beats are on two and four (this is counting it in “half-time”), or you can count it so there’s a snare on the two and four, there’s a drop on the one and three, and the guitar beats are on the “ands” of every beat. It just depends on how fast you’re counting the beat. They’re equivalent, but I’d say reggae is better notated with a half-time feel with the snare and kick on three, and the rhythm instruments on two and four).
by-tor - I cannot give you the “absolutely correct answer.” Perhaps our local reggae guitar hero, the fellow who is in the charting band Hip Abduction can chime in if he is not on tour.
It’s a Sunday morning and I am enjoying a bit of reading and guitar time outside. I was noodling to think about your post, and I will say this: I don’t think there is an absolutely correct answer. Reggae has a chanky/upstroke groove to it, and however you want to position the guitar in the mix will dictate how much of that rhythm you assert vs. withhold.
If I am playing on my own and want to fill in the rhythmic space, I find myself playing on the one-AND-a-two-AND, one-AND-a-two-AND sorta chank, hitting the AND’s with downstrokes. Other times I will do more of a down-down, up-up chank, or just play the AND’s in the first groove to really be minimalist. It’s all good.
Depends on the song of course, but I’d say you should go for the 2s and 4s if you want to play reggae. Playing on the 1 AND 2 AND was more of a ska thing.
Well, it really does depend on how you’re counting it. I agree that 2 & 4 is the way I would generally write it (especially if you have a swinging high hat part over it). But if you’re counting at half speed (by that, I mean slower), then it would fall on the "AND"s. If you google image search “reggae rhythm,” you’ll see a lot of it (looks like most, actually) is written out as an eighth note pulse with the rhythm instruments (whether guitar or piano/organ) on the “and” and a tempo of around 60-80 bpm instead of a tempo of 120-160 bpm and the chords on the 2 & 4.