Reggae

Reggae

1. About Reggae music

   • Laid back mood, from Jamaica, famous blue musician- Bob Marley. Beats 2 and 4 are emphasised. Religion: Rastafarism.
     • Rastafarianism. Holy herb, Jamaica hell. Ethiopia - heaven. 1930's. White are inferior. One day black people will rule the world.
     • Politics; 600 years they were ruled by other countries. First the Spanish then the British, Became free in 1962. Crime and unemployment. Ruled by gangs.
     • Culture: Jerk- spice. English dialect. African,Irish and American. Blend of culture. There is a lot of dancing
     • Scenery: Beaches, small villages, mountains, palm trees, birds.

2. Lyrics and music

   • Peace, God and nature
   • Mixture of major and minor keys. Slow steady beat. Laid back mood

3. Insruments

   • Steel drums, Guitar and vocals

4. RHYTHM RECAP

   • Minim worth two beats. Crotchet worth one beat. quaver worth half each. Semibreve worth 4. dotted minim worth 3

5. How beats two and four are emphased

   • Use louder timbres on beats two and four or more interesting rhythm on beats two and four.

6. Use of the base cleff

   • The bass cleff us used for low pitched botes, often played with the left hand on the piano. Instruemtns that may yse the base clef are the cello or the bass guitar

7. To make a good reggae piece of music

   • A good tune, good lyrics, good structure, instruments, repition, confidence, good topic, variety and talented performers
   • Jamaica life
     • Hear the sea, spicy food ,hot ,musicians on the street, the holy herb, crowded cities, nature etc.

8. Verse: The main part of the song. The melody of this is normally the same throughout but the tune is different.

9. Chorus; This is after every verse and is always the same

10. Bridge: A melody with lyrics which is unlike the rest of the song. This only occurs once

11. Instrumental: A part when only the instruments play there are no vocals.

12. Introduction: A melody with a few repeated lyrics which begins the song.