#Reggy song how to
#Reggy song full

We covered the key of G minor just a few songs ago with “Roxanne” so hopefully you’ll see how this one works already. It’s all focused on bright sounding major chords for the most part like those two, as well as the minor chords within the major key. You aren’t going to see a lot of chromaticism or diminished chords in the Reggae genre. D major scale: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C#Īll of these chords fit perfectly, and are diatonic, within D major.To understand this better, let’s break down the chords again: The IV chord is the focus of lots of Gospel because of the plagal cadence of I – IV that’s used so often.Īnytime you see a IV chord going back to the I, it can suggest this sound. Lots of Reggae music has gospel roots to it, which is why you’ll see plenty of usage of the IV chord. This Bob Marley song has a very simple chord progression. To play in any genre, the chords are important, but the rhythm may be the most important part. However, when you listen to the song, you’ll notice that it has the same rhythm.

#Reggy song full

Lots of Reggae won’t take full advantage of the minor key. G minor scale: G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F.You see this one is in a minor key, G minor: I included this one because it has that very familiar Reggae rhythm but uses some other harmonies not typical of the genre, like the VI7 and iv7 chords. We’re about to get to Bob Marley though I swear! This next progression may not be the first song that comes to mind when you think of Reggae. There is absolutely no rule saying you must stick to the notes of the key of G major. This is a very subtle way to add variety and spice to a progression in major using I, IV, and V chords. The note C#, the third of A major, is not diatonic or in the key of G major. Diatonic means basically that its in key. In G major, there would be an Am chord instead as its diatonic to the key. Instead of using the IV as much, it wants to use the major II chord.

This progression however takes a little detour from that. Like we said in the intro sections, lots of Reggae will use the I, IV, and V chords in some combination. Sometimes they’ll go as far as 16 or 24 but that’s usually more than many listeners can take in. Lots of chord progressions in Reggae, and many kinds of music, will last either 8 or 12 bars long. Reggae Chord Progressions I – V – I – V – I – V – II – I – II – V – I – V

Should you use an acoustic or electric guitar when playing reggae?.

#Reggy song how to

How to play reggae chords the right way?.

I – V – I – V – I – V – II – I – II – V – I – V.