Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

In a Reggae outfit!


bubinga5
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hey people, i have recently joined a reggae outfit, and im really enjoying it! Doing covers such as Toots, Burning Spear, Marley, UB40, and various riddims..
Like with many genre's, it has sub genres, but its interesting to see the riddims passed along from the originator, to other artists, and to hear there lyrical take on it.
Riddims like Ali baba, Slengteng, Declaration of Rights, Police in Helicopter, Forever lovin Jah riddims..Also great songs like UB40's Food for thought, and my favorite Marley's waiting in vain..

These riddims/bass lines have to be kept to the original, and i like to improvise , so i have to erm....reel in my ego and stick with the groove (and i mean note for note)
I also feel that it has a very close relation to funk, in as much as the groove and feel/touch is everything, wether it be on the one, or off the beat..

Any one had experience playing reggae??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

no, im pretty new to reggae as of some time early last year, but im already in love with it, i even was daft enough to get 54-46 tattoo'd on my arm

Im not playing in a band at the minute, i jam with friends, but ive started to notice how listening to so much reggae is affecting my own lines and improv jams, ive started to simple lines down the lines and give a lot more feel into each note. Im not saying im a reggae bass master all of a sudden, but i would love to try myself out in a reggae cover band

hmmm maybe im going to have to post an ad in the local music shop...

would love to hear some of your covers btw

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='bubinga5' post='408163' date='Feb 13 2009, 12:03 AM']Hey people, i have recently joined a reggae outfit, and im really enjoying it! Doing covers such as Toots, Burning Spear, Marley, UB40, and various riddims..
Like with many genre's, it has sub genres, but its interesting to see the riddims passed along from the originator, to other artists, and to hear there lyrical take on it.
Riddims like Ali baba, Slengteng, Declaration of Rights, Police in Helicopter, Forever lovin Jah riddims..Also great songs like UB40's Food for thought, and my favorite Marley's waiting in vain..

These riddims/bass lines have to be kept to the original, and i like to improvise , so i have to erm....reel in my ego and stick with the groove (and i mean note for note)
I also feel that it has a very close relation to funk, in as much as the groove and feel/touch is everything, wether it be on the one, or off the beat..

Any one had experience playing reggae??[/quote]


Oh, So envious.
In the 70's I was the white bloke on Rickenbacker bass in a an otherwise all black reggae band. Good times... I have a long term plan to get another reggae band together to play the ol' classics again. No modern yoof ska-punk stuff just the old stuff with a major groove componant.
Just wating for the right people to happen along..


Yup "less is more" applies here and, of course, the whole thing is resting on your shoulders ;)

You might like to check out his new release:

The Highrise project. It's a CD linked with a campagn to combat gun and knife crime.
review:
[url="http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/node/215"]http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/node/215[/url]

Lots of the tracks are on a continuoious Cherry oh Baby riddum whihc is a good thing in my book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im really good at reggae,i was quite lucky and just seem to have a natural feel for it in my playing,(I know some people find it very difficult) I wish i was lucky enough to be able to find a reggae band to play in,all that dub stuff lee scratch perry an scientist did is brilliant some early aswad stuff is kicking as well there is a brilliant live album of them at notting hill carnival. Reggae bass lines are lovely to play.

Edited by YouMa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a stack of classic 70's reggae on vinyl. Lots of 'roots' Jamaican stuff, plenty of dub & quite a lot of lovers as well.

Moved up to London in '78 when there was a lot of reggae in the clubs and bars I used to go to.

Cost me a small fortune though to buy Ja imports, the best 12" singles were £4.50 a throw - remember this was 30 years ago!

Funnily enough I've never really tried to play much reggae myself - although Marcia Aitken's "I'm Still in Love With You" is a pretty comon slow warm up song for me (I'm sure the bass line was from something else but I first heard it on Aitken's song so that's what I associate it with - been used loads of time since of course!).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been playing nothing but reggae for 30 years - it's a spiritual thing and a direct route to the soul.
It's a music you feel with your heart rather than hear with your head and who feels it knows it.
To all those bassists who wish they were in a reggae band I say - form one now, today's dream is tomorrow's reality.
The sheer quantity of incredible Jamaican music over the past 40 years is unbelievable for a small 3rd world island and the message has spread all over the world with great new roots bands in every country.
It's influence is heard in most poular music from punk to rap and while never mainstream, it appeals to a wide range of people, unlike most other genres.
It's positive and uplifting with a message of one love and unity - what's not to like?
[url="http://myspace.com/redstriper"]You can check my band here.[/url]
One Love.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good stuff man! We have one reggae/dub inspired number in the set and it's probably my favourite for performing. I grew up listening to prog rock and reggae. It's a feeling you can't beat, when it's right, it's the heaviest, most exciting groove there is. We played last night with a reggae band, they were superb!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='redstriper' post='409175' date='Feb 14 2009, 12:16 AM']I've been playing nothing but reggae for 30 years - it's a spiritual thing and a direct route to the soul.
It's a music you feel with your heart rather than hear with your head and who feels it knows it.
To all those bassists who wish they were in a reggae band I say - form one now, today's dream is tomorrow's reality.
The sheer quantity of incredible Jamaican music over the past 40 years is unbelievable for a small 3rd world island and the message has spread all over the world with great new roots bands in every country.
It's influence is heard in most poular music from punk to rap and while never mainstream, it appeals to a wide range of people, unlike most other genres.
It's positive and uplifting with a message of one love and unity - what's not to like?
[url="http://myspace.com/redstriper"]You can check my band here.[/url]
One Love.[/quote]

Diggin it too!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the positive comments, I'm feeling quite the groovy dubmeister now !
It's all simple stuff, a lot easier than other styles and probably boring to more technical players.
It's all about feel and the interplay with the other musicians and when it works and the crowd is digging it too, there's no better buzz.
I always put our gig dates on myspace and if anyone from this forum wants to attend, let me know and I'll put you on the guest list if I can.
Also, we're always looking for gigs if anyone fancies a reggae party............. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

[quote name='redstriper' post='409532' date='Feb 14 2009, 05:29 PM']Also, we're always looking for gigs if anyone fancies a reggae party............. :)[/quote]
Ites,
Gwan blaze de fyah,. Reggae is love, and havin that dub pass through ya body is fe real a fine bassists pleasure...he who feels it knows it, fe sure dready.
Lets have a reggae party fe I&I. Yeah Bubinga i love the riddims, Stalag always a favorite, Full up (Pass the Kouchie), Queen of the minstrels , Promised Land etc etc....all great how it comes around again and still sound fresh with the likes of Sizzla, Capleton etc.

I loves me reggae bands and i fe sure love being the bassmon, lovin playin with Daddy Teacha...check my link below - IRIE :rolleyes: Summer isa comin' a the collie is sweet!

Edited by Rasta
Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='redstriper' post='409175' date='Feb 14 2009, 01:16 AM'][url="http://myspace.com/redstriper"]You can check my band here.[/url]
One Love.[/quote]

Thats excellent!

Yes there are very definitely parallels between funk and reggae feels imo.

Only played a bit of reggae, but played a lot of funk, and the parallel is around the 16th note thing that seems to be central to both. They're really different at the same time though :)

Couldnt verbalise that difference in any meaningful way though, other than often Reggae has a slower pulse, and the bass is often further behind the beat.

But there are so many variations of both styles that even that is often demonstrably inaccurate.

Do love a bit of it though :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started out playing reggae, still do every now and then when the chance arises, and you're right, it's all about restraint ! It's great to play though, I can't think of any other music where the bass is *SO* important. You can't have reggae without bass !

Check out anything on the Trojan label. Also anything with Aston Barrett, Flabba Holt, or Sly and Robbie playing on it, and, even though they were a bit commercial Third World (stick to their material from the 70's) also had some great basslines.

- el-gnomo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='redstriper' post='409175' date='Feb 14 2009, 01:16 AM']I've been playing nothing but reggae for 30 years - it's a spiritual thing and a direct route to the soul.
It's a music you feel with your heart rather than hear with your head and who feels it knows it.
To all those bassists who wish they were in a reggae band I say - form one now, today's dream is tomorrow's reality.
The sheer quantity of incredible Jamaican music over the past 40 years is unbelievable for a small 3rd world island and the message has spread all over the world with great new roots bands in every country.
It's influence is heard in most poular music from punk to rap and while never mainstream, it appeals to a wide range of people, unlike most other genres.
It's positive and uplifting with a message of one love and unity - what's not to like?
[url="http://myspace.com/redstriper"]You can check my band here.[/url]
One Love.[/quote]
As a long time reggae nut that is really GREAT stuff !!
Really enjoying it ! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...