Reggae

About Reggae

Reggae's signature is the 'skank' — a short, muted chord or guitar stab on beats 2 and 4. This is the opposite of rock, which emphasises beats 2 and 4 with the snare but usually puts rhythm instruments on the beat. The bass in reggae is melodic and prominent, often playing on the off-beats or in a flowing syncopated line. The tempo is slower than ska (its predecessor), creating a relaxed, heavy feel.

How to identify it

• 1The guitar or keyboard plays a short stab on beats 2 and 4 — nothing else
• 2Bass is prominent and often syncopated, moving independently
• 3The tempo is slow — rarely above 110 BPM
• 4Drums often use the 'one drop': kick and snare both on beat 3, other beats sparse

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Famous examples

Often confused with