Reggae guitar
Reggae is an unhurried groove where the guitar clicks short chords on the offbeats and the bass carries the melody. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and a riff you can hear and practise.
1960s60–90 BPMskankone drop
What is reggae
Reggae appeared in Jamaica in the late 1960s, growing out of ska and rocksteady. The tempo slowed, the bass became the main melodic voice, and the guitar moved into the rhythm - short chords on the offbeats known as the skank.
A reggae guitarist plays little and plays it precisely: small triads on the top strings, muted right away. The downbeat stays empty - the bass and drums own it. Solos are rare; the melody is more often played in octaves or together with the bass.
Signature chords
A whole groove often rests on two chords. Am - D gives a Dorian sound: minor with a major chord on the fourth degree. Try playing both chords as small triads on the top three strings.
Scale for soloing
The A minor pentatonic is enough for melodies. Below it is shown from the 5th fret - the melody on this page is played in the same position.
Techniques
Skank
A short chord on beats two and four, muted at once by the fretting hand, followed right away by a dead, pitchless repeat. Beats one and three stay empty - that is what gives reggae its sway.
One drop
A drum pattern where the kick and a rim hit land together on beat three and beat one is empty. Listen to the riff below - the “drop” on three is easy to hear.
Major D in minor
The D chord contains F sharp - the note that turns plain minor into Dorian. Tap D, then Am: this move runs through thousands of reggae songs.
Riff in the style
A small triad at the 5th fret - short on beats two and four, followed by a dead repeat. Meanwhile the bass sings its own melody. Play relaxed and don’t rush: reggae tempos are slow.
Reggae-style melody
A calm melody at the 5th fret: E, G, A, C and G again, then over D: F sharp, E and D with vibrato. Leave space - in reggae the gaps matter.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Bob Marley & The Wailers - “Stir It Up”. The guitar plays short chords on the offbeats while the bass and voice carry the melody - the classic division of roles in reggae.
- Toots and the Maytals - “Pressure Drop”. An early, fast and joyful sound: guitar and organ skank on the offbeats under an energetic vocal.
- Jimmy Cliff - “The Harder They Come”. One of the songs that took reggae beyond Jamaica: a simple rhythm, a bright melody and a crisp skank.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
What is the skank in reggae?
A short chord on the offbeats of the bar that is muted straight away. It is the main rhythm guitar technique in reggae and ska.
What is one drop?
A drum rhythm where beat one is empty and the kick and a rim hit land together on beat three. That makes the music feel slow and swaying.
What chords are used in reggae?
Ordinary major and minor chords, but played as small triads on the top strings. A whole song often rests on two or three chords.