Monday, February 6, 2012

Learning To Play Reggae Guitar

July 4, 2010 by admin  
Filed under Reggae Music

People often only associate reggae music with vocals. However instruments especially the guitar are crucial in the Reggae sound. In fact the guitar is the most popular instrument in Reggae Music today. If you want to learn how to play Reggae guitar , and play one of the most popular musical genres. Then these tips may help you in your quest to learn Reggae guitar.

Reggae started in the 1960s in Jamaican has become very popular since then. The most popular Reggae Artist is Bob Marley and he used the guitar extensively in his music. The key factor when playing Reggae guitar is that like Ska music you need to play it at a very slow pace. The music is quite straight forward , but can take some practice to get the riffs just right.

One of the most important requirements needed is a sense of rhythm. If you don’t have a feel for rhythm and a knowledge of beats then you will struggle to play Reggae guitar. There are a few basic exercises you can try to help develop your natural rhythm. Tap along with a metronome for a while and the turn it off. Continue and maintain the beat for while. After a period – you can turn the metronome back on and see how you maintained the beat.

While learning to play Reggae guitar you will notice that most notes land on the off-beat. What this means is that if you are playing along with a metronome, most of your notes will be played while the metronome is NOT playing. This time period is referred to as the off-beat. In the beginning this may be quite difficult , but once you develop a feel for it and can feel the rhythm it becomes quite easy.

Watching a professional Reggae musso may also help you develop your technique. A good way to acheive this is to watch a video tutorial of professionals playing. Hiring a tutor is another good way to get up to speed quickly. If you can’t afford a tutor there are many reputable online courses available as well.

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