What is your take on mastering the authentic reggae bass 'feel' that has been so acclimated to Jamaican artists...?
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Reggae 'Feel'
- Thread starter Thumpa Bassie
- Start date
Flatwound strings, tone to 0, light touch and some muting with the fretting hand does the trick for me.
have a good search of youtube, or in fact some TB threads have grewat videos posted in them.
Lots and lots of space in your lines, playing up by the neck, tone rolled off a bit and a fiar amount of syncopation
EDIT: If you search Tuff Lion on Youtube hes got a great reggae guitar one and i think there will be links to bass ones from his video
Lots and lots of space in your lines, playing up by the neck, tone rolled off a bit and a fiar amount of syncopation
EDIT: If you search Tuff Lion on Youtube hes got a great reggae guitar one and i think there will be links to bass ones from his video
Well, in the end to get the feel, you have to 'feel' it, and this can only come by really internalizing the beats and the ways reggae syncopates, and the way various instruments all keep time. Until you feel it you can't play it no matter how good your technique.
The best ways to gain this IMO is to just listen to tons of reggae, and to dance to it as much as possible, unless you grew up doing this already.
The best ways to gain this IMO is to just listen to tons of reggae, and to dance to it as much as possible, unless you grew up doing this already.
The link between the drums and bass is the key thing. If your drummer hasn't got the feel down then it won't really matter if you have.
For a bit of history, get hold of a bunch of the old stuff that came out on Studio One and Trojan, including the old ska and rocksteady stuff. Much of the reggae that came later - all the way up to the '80s electronic dancehall stuff - used the same riddims from those old recordings. Indeed they're still being used all over the place. A lot of them will be instantly familiar to you.
For a bit of history, get hold of a bunch of the old stuff that came out on Studio One and Trojan, including the old ska and rocksteady stuff. Much of the reggae that came later - all the way up to the '80s electronic dancehall stuff - used the same riddims from those old recordings. Indeed they're still being used all over the place. A lot of them will be instantly familiar to you.
Well it's hot down there, highs in the low 30s (86F), and it's bloody humid – a tropical climate. There is very little variation in humidity and temperature year 'round.
So it takes too much energy to play a lot of notes, you'll sweat too much if you do and that's why it can sound ... nearly lethargic.
Relax, chill – better to play behind the beat than on top of it or worse, Jah forbid, playing ahead of it. That's my take on it.
So... Take it easy during the day, wait for evening to move 'round when it cools down a bit or when there's a breeze, you'll get acclimated in due time.
So it takes too much energy to play a lot of notes, you'll sweat too much if you do and that's why it can sound ... nearly lethargic.
Relax, chill – better to play behind the beat than on top of it or worse, Jah forbid, playing ahead of it. That's my take on it.
So... Take it easy during the day, wait for evening to move 'round when it cools down a bit or when there's a breeze, you'll get acclimated in due time.
Lots of good suggestions above but I've noticed many of the great reggae bass players tend to really use their timing to play either just behind the beat for a period in a bass line to give a lazy feel then and right on the beat for a little to keep it all in time. It's this play around the 1,2,3, and 4 that gives many reggae bass lines that organic feel. IMHO.
A lot of ethnic music is played by feel. You're going to have to listen to a lot of reggae to understand this. You just can't be told how to play.
Put on some headphones listen carefully to all the Wailers tracks you can find with Aston Family Man Barrett playing bass. As with all good reggae bass players, his playing is not mechanical or clock perfect but masterfully played around that point is where beat is and this is where the feel comes in. Tone is also extremely important. I spoke with Aston about this on Sunday when I met him for a chat at his hotel. He said the most important thing is feel and tone. He said it's not about having the deepest bass sound, because having too much bottom end that does not give you a good tone if you are playing behind a vocalist and that the clarity of your notes is important..
4/4 time
Often accenting 1st and 3d beats (leave out second) with a 'shout" or "call and response" from guitar etc. with 8th or 16th notes.
Much of the electronic club reggae around is now almost unrecognizable from it's origins.....
Often accenting 1st and 3d beats (leave out second) with a 'shout" or "call and response" from guitar etc. with 8th or 16th notes.
Much of the electronic club reggae around is now almost unrecognizable from it's origins.....
good thread-
after spending a lifetime swinging everything I play, I realize that the reggae feel is hard for me to cop authentically because I naturally swing my notes whereas in reggae they are spaced evenly. its close, but hard to nail if you are coming from a different background.
I really need to nail this stuff too-
I am playing in a situation where there is plenty of it.
after spending a lifetime swinging everything I play, I realize that the reggae feel is hard for me to cop authentically because I naturally swing my notes whereas in reggae they are spaced evenly. its close, but hard to nail if you are coming from a different background.
I really need to nail this stuff too-
I am playing in a situation where there is plenty of it.
Here is a good video that I found that should point you in the right direction
1) Play in the back of the pocket.
2) Drag just behind the back of the pocket.
3) When you think you are too far behind the pocket, back up just a tad more.
4) Relax.
Seriously, let the drummer drag you along. The best way I know how to describe it is to imagine that your drummer is pulling a wagon. You are in the wagon. The handle is made out of a large rubber band. As he pulls you along you will be closer to him at points and further away at points. But you will never be on top of him. You aren't being left behind but you are barely keeping up. The further back in the pocket that you can stay the more relaxed the music will feel. And, in many cases (other than perhaps the more "revolution" style songs), relaxation is the whole point.
2) Drag just behind the back of the pocket.
3) When you think you are too far behind the pocket, back up just a tad more.
4) Relax.
Seriously, let the drummer drag you along. The best way I know how to describe it is to imagine that your drummer is pulling a wagon. You are in the wagon. The handle is made out of a large rubber band. As he pulls you along you will be closer to him at points and further away at points. But you will never be on top of him. You aren't being left behind but you are barely keeping up. The further back in the pocket that you can stay the more relaxed the music will feel. And, in many cases (other than perhaps the more "revolution" style songs), relaxation is the whole point.
