Regge sound and technique

[MortalMadMan]

I wanna be able to play "Jammin" by Bob Marley. I need to find a way to at least replicate the regge sound; and the trademark regge style where they hold the chord for a quarter second.

[MilkMan12]

Tons and tons of reverb #1...trebly and bright too but not too bright. Very syncopated which is basically being a little off rhythm...more free form. Attacks are pretty strong (when playing chords) and usually only involve the G, B and high E string. I usually see only minor and major chords being used...nothing too complicated. Soloing is a whole different ball game though.

[Jesus]

When I learned reggae the simplist thing he said was just strumming on the off beat. And I ahve found that you generally strum then immediately palm mute to get that reggae feel.

[AcousticShred]

Try upstrokes when playing the chords...rather than strumming or just down strokes

[JonR]

Fret muting is the secret - or a combination of fret and palm muting.
And a clean sound of course.
As MilkMan12 says, just use the top strings, not full barre chords.
The amount of reverb is arguable. I'd say not too much, but it depends on the track. Dub reggae uses gallons of reverb and delay, creatively, but AFAIK Bob Marley didn't use that much.

Some say use upstrokes, but I think downstrokes are better - you tend to eb able to control the rhythm more precisely with downstrokes.
In ska it's different: the rhythm is much faster and you have to use upstrokes.

[anthony2]

I wanna be able to play "Jammin" by Bob Marley. I need to find a way to at least replicate the regge sound; and the trademark regge style where they hold the chord for a quarter second.
I've watched a friend play this reggae style of music, that you are talking about. He's really into Bob Marley, particularly "No Woman, No Cry." He plays a lot of other raggae style music too, but that's a title I thought you'd quickly recognize. And it's the same artist Bob Marley.

I think the most important thing that I see him doing is slapping down on the strings with the fingers, and or palm of his playing hand, from a height way above the guitar. I mean really emphasizing slapping down on the guitar. He also adds a lot of emphasisis in slapping down his thumb onto the strings as well.

A second tecqnique. Another important thing I see in his playing is using the index and middle fingers of his playing hand, in an alternating pattern, like he would be playing the strings on a bass.

A third thing. When he's strumming quickly his wrist kind of hangs, relaxed. And there's a lot flicking movement in his hand.

A fourth thing, he uses the fretting hand to really overemphasize bent strings. He'll pull the sixth string almost all the way over to meet the fifth string. And then be slapping down on the guitar. He also plucks with an intensity, sometimes I was a little concerned that the strings might break from being pulled up so hard.

Anthony

[MortalMadMan]

I've watched a friend play this reggae style of music, that you are talking about. He's really into Bob Marley, particularly "No Woman, No Cry." He plays a lot of other raggae style music too, but that's a title I thought you'd quickly recognize. And it's the same artist Bob Marley.

I think the most important thing that I see him doing is slapping down on the strings with the fingers, and or palm of his playing hand, from a height way above the guitar. I mean really emphasizing slapping down on the guitar. He also adds a lot of emphasisis in slapping down his thumb onto the strings as well.

A second tecqnique. Another important thing I see in his playing is using the index and middle fingers of his playing hand, in an alternating pattern, like he would be playing the strings on a bass.

A third thing. When he's strumming quickly his wrist kind of hangs, relaxed. And there's a lot flicking movement in his hand.

A fourth thing, he uses the fretting hand to really overemphasize bent strings. He'll pull the sixth string almost all the way over to meet the fifth string. And then be slapping down on the guitar. He also plucks with an intensity, sometimes I was a little concerned that the strings might break from being pulled up so hard.

Anthony

That sounds like an intense playing style.

[anthony2]

Yes it is intense. It's got raggae written all over it. That's what makes it reggae. The intensity. The intensity. I've never really heard him play softly except with the blues.

But about the only thing different then is that he's not smacking those strings so much. He's still bending, picking, and flicking.

I'd say he's always playing the guitar like he would be playing a drum.

Anthony

[anthony2]

Mortal Mad Man,

Oh, and one more thing to consider.

"No Woman, No Cry"

It's C, G/B, Am, F
C, F, G

332010, x2003x, x02210, xx3211, 320003


You can see that it's obviously not about the chords. It's about the intensity.

Anthony

[Jesus]

A lot of different types are music arent about the chords. But i wouldn't just say its about the intensity. Because some would argue that metal is intense but that doesn't make it reggae. WHat it all really comes down to is technique.

[Cokes]

Mortal Mad Man,

Oh, and one more thing to consider.

"No Woman, No Cry"

It's C, G/B, Am, F
C, F, G

332010, x2003x, x02210, xx3211, 320003


You can see that it's obviously not about the chords. It's about the intensity.

Anthony

the first chord you listed is a C/G and the second is an Em7 i believe.

[anthony2]

Cokes,

Guess you're right, it is a C/G. I've gotten so used to using C/G everytime I go to make a C major chord. Sometimes I forget to write that down. I had a guitar teacher who taught me this chord, and I've been hooked on using it ever since. The only time I might use a regular C chord is when I'm feeling lazy or need to change to something like a C6. X3221x.

Anthony

[Cokes]

Cokes,

Guess you're right, it is a C/G. I've gotten so used to using C/G everytime I go to make a C major chord. Sometimes I forget to write that down. I had a guitar teacher who taught me this chord, and I've been hooked on using it ever since. The only time I might use a regular C chord is when I'm feeling lazy or need to change to something like a C6. X3221x.

Anthony

yeah, i love the sound of the C/G chord, it's my second favorite sounding chord after the Emaj7 on the 7th fret... mmmmmm