It took until the 1970s for the Reggae sound to finally gain acceptance in the US. That would be thanks to the pioneers such as Lee Scratch Perry and by 1968 rock bands such as the Beatles were actually borrowing the reggae drum beat. The beat of reggae is hypnotic and is usually considered 4/4 time but even about that there are those who argue.
The Wailers' drummer, Carlton Barrett, is often mentioned as the creator of the One-Drop rhythm. One-Drop is played on a standard drum set and has an emphasis on the 3rd beat and an empty 1st beat, with the emphasized 3rd beat often played with both snare drum and bass drum simultaneously. Carlton Barrett became famous for his hi hat counter-rhythm with a triplet feel, a sound used in many of the Wailer's songs.
Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (or Drumbar and Basspear as they were often called) invented the Rockers Beat. In Rockers, the first beat is emphasized with a bass drum hit, but also the third beat similar to One Drop. Drummer Sly Dunbar played a typical example of Rockers in the song Right Time by the Mighty Diamonds. Last but not least is the Steppers beat, which has a bass drum driving all four beats. Steppers is commonly referred to as Four-on-the-Floor.
Attempting to play the reggae beat requires placing emphasis on beat three as opposed to 2 and 4 in standard music. Use a bass drum with a snare on beat three it emphasizes the rhythm. You don't have to be simplistic you can use complex patterns but ensure that that beat three is always the dominant beat. The emphasis on beat three carries through all three types of reggae drum beats.
Invented by King Tubby and producer Lee Scratch Perry, Dub is relying on bringing out the bassline and drums by applying mixing techniques. The beat doesn't actually differ much from the main three reggae drumming styles, Dub is considered a separate sub genre because of the sound produced at the remixing stage.
Though a regular drum set can easily be used, the snare needs to have a higher pitch to get a reggae sound. Using a second snare or a timbale can add variety to the drum beats. In addition, side sticks and rim shots are used freely in the reggae drumbeat. You can and should even add a larger variety of percussive instruments sounds such as the conga, the claves, shakers or cowbells to add interest and a counter rhythm. Whether you have an acoustic drum kit or are using computer software and a keyboard to synthesize the reggae beat the most important parts are the beat 3 and to vary it, have fun it is not a simple pattern with no variations but instead its own driving beat that is fascinating and complex.
The Wailers' drummer, Carlton Barrett, is often mentioned as the creator of the One-Drop rhythm. One-Drop is played on a standard drum set and has an emphasis on the 3rd beat and an empty 1st beat, with the emphasized 3rd beat often played with both snare drum and bass drum simultaneously. Carlton Barrett became famous for his hi hat counter-rhythm with a triplet feel, a sound used in many of the Wailer's songs.
Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (or Drumbar and Basspear as they were often called) invented the Rockers Beat. In Rockers, the first beat is emphasized with a bass drum hit, but also the third beat similar to One Drop. Drummer Sly Dunbar played a typical example of Rockers in the song Right Time by the Mighty Diamonds. Last but not least is the Steppers beat, which has a bass drum driving all four beats. Steppers is commonly referred to as Four-on-the-Floor.
Attempting to play the reggae beat requires placing emphasis on beat three as opposed to 2 and 4 in standard music. Use a bass drum with a snare on beat three it emphasizes the rhythm. You don't have to be simplistic you can use complex patterns but ensure that that beat three is always the dominant beat. The emphasis on beat three carries through all three types of reggae drum beats.
Invented by King Tubby and producer Lee Scratch Perry, Dub is relying on bringing out the bassline and drums by applying mixing techniques. The beat doesn't actually differ much from the main three reggae drumming styles, Dub is considered a separate sub genre because of the sound produced at the remixing stage.
Though a regular drum set can easily be used, the snare needs to have a higher pitch to get a reggae sound. Using a second snare or a timbale can add variety to the drum beats. In addition, side sticks and rim shots are used freely in the reggae drumbeat. You can and should even add a larger variety of percussive instruments sounds such as the conga, the claves, shakers or cowbells to add interest and a counter rhythm. Whether you have an acoustic drum kit or are using computer software and a keyboard to synthesize the reggae beat the most important parts are the beat 3 and to vary it, have fun it is not a simple pattern with no variations but instead its own driving beat that is fascinating and complex.
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