Music Theory/Reggae
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Reggae is a style of music which originated in the Caribbean. Bob Marley is one of the most famous reggae musicians.
Reggae usually has a 4/4 time signature, and a low tempo.
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[edit] Drums
Most of the time there are eighth notes on the high hat. A loud snare or rimshot can almost always be heard on the third beat. The bass drum varies: sometimes it's just on the first beat, the first and the third, every beat, or even just the third.
[edit] Guitar
The standard rhythm guitar in reggae uses quick upstrokes on the offbeat (The 'And' between the beats). 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. This is often referred to in reggae as the "skank".
[edit] Bass
A reggae bassline is simple, with a lot of space in it. All the high frequencies (above 1000 Hz) should be filtered out. Bass is often considered the "lead" instrument in reggae because it is responsible (along with the drums) for establishing a song's groove.
[edit] Vocals
The vocals in reggae are often religious or concerning marijuana, but they don't have to be. There are songs about love, bank robberies, and seemingly nothing as well.
