Playing a reggae feel?

smgleitch · #1 07-27-2011, 04:18 AM

So the band says lets take this song and give it a "reggae feel". Now I Listen to a bit of reggae, mostly bob and ziggy marley, but feel a little lost as to how to do this.

Is reggae just a bit more laid back root note with the tone controls rolled back for a lower end dub sound? IDK, any thoughts?

makkE · #2 07-27-2011, 04:40 AM

Reggae bass is a broad field. It's often laid back, but not always. It's not all root notes, often thirds and fiths are used, or arpeggios/walking lines. It can range from simple to complex, almost melodic playing.

Just listen to the bass in reggae closely.

This might also help:
‪Reggae Bass Lesson‬&rlm; - YouTube

AlvarHanso · #3 07-27-2011, 07:49 AM

I've seen posted that learning a bassline of I-III-V, IV-VI-oct slowly is the key to hundreds of reggae lines. It sounds right on a lot of tunes, but Family Man definitely played a lot more than that, and some of his lines are tough to crack, to me anyway. I don't get his sense of rhythm, it's pretty amazing.

BurningSkies · #4 07-27-2011, 08:03 PM

Seldom is reggae bass laid back. It's tight playing when it comest to time and groove. The bass drives the song. It's almost impossible to pigeon hole it to a single style though... Modern Jamaican music started in the mid 50's making it nearly as old and diverse as rock is in America.

Rick Brienzo · #5 07-27-2011, 08:11 PM

Try playing on anything but the down beat. Also know as the One Drop. It should change up your feel quite a bit.

VanillaThundah · #6 07-27-2011, 08:22 PM

It's very rhythm-centered while still driving the melody. IMHO, it's a very underrated genre for bass players as there is a lot of "feel" involved in it to get the correct vibe and sound.

CrankenStein · #7 07-27-2011, 08:34 PM

you can do alot of roots and 5ths but IMO its mostly the rhythm that gives it the reggae vibe, as for the sound i usually roll the tone all the way off and play either the bridge pup solo'd or add a little neck if i need a more rounded sound.

makkE · #8 07-29-2011, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Seldom is reggae bass laid back. It's tight playing when it comest to time and groove. The bass drives the song. It's almost impossible to pigeon hole it to a single style though... Modern Jamaican music started in the mid 50's making it nearly as old and diverse as rock is in America.

Maybe I am using the term wrong (and please enlighten me if I do), but to me, laid back often applies, though you are right about it having to be really tight.
To me, a good reggea bassist can rock hard and play relaxed at the same time. A lot of microtiming and articulation going on.

I still think this would be called laid back, wouldn't it?

greggster59 · #9 07-29-2011, 08:16 AM

If you can find some extended dub records, The Mighty Diamonds album, Backstage, is a great example, Robbie Shakespeare will show you how it's done.

Doctor Boom · #10 07-29-2011, 08:30 AM

"King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown" by Augustus Pablo (Robbie on bass, I believe)...
This track is the reason I play.

You must play this LOUD, if your speakers can handle it....

Rickett Customs · #11 07-29-2011, 08:40 AM

All I can say is listen to a few of the "greats", to discover that reggae feel.

Lloyd Brevett
Robbie Shakespeare
Aston Barrett

Doesn't hurt to try starting with pentatonic major and minor scales, but don't sell short the major scale (where most modes can be found) or Ionian scales either. Also try using the "pads" of your fingers, up near the neck position....... experiment with your amp settings as well.

BurningSkies · #12 07-31-2011, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by makkE

Maybe I am using the term wrong (and please enlighten me if I do), but to me, laid back often applies, though you are right about it having to be really tight.
To me, a good reggea bassist can rock hard and play relaxed at the same time. A lot of microtiming and articulation going on.

I still think this would be called laid back, wouldn't it?

Laid back suggests playing back off the beat, and that's rarely the case with most good players. The amount of space, and the timing that creates that space often fools people into thinking that reggae bass is 'lazy' in that way, but its not. Microtiming and articulation are very important, but when you watch guys try to play reggae and often at mid and lower tempo stuff it turns into a dirge, its because they're not tight on the groove and feel and they're dragging the band back by being too far off the beat.