Get with the rhythm?

[LotusEater]

Anyone know what the time signature for the reggae rhythms - rocksteady and ska - are? (if a march is in 4/4 time?) Thanks!

[SaxyJag]

4/4 - listen here and count:

http://www.elpussycat.co.uk/sounds/oh-carolina .mp3

Listen to the bass - DUM, tikka, tikka, tikka, DUM, tikka, tikka, tikka etc.

March, by the way, is 2/4.

[LotusEater]

Ooops, thanks SJ! You can tell I missed out on music classes!

[hartley]

All reggae rhythms are in 4/4 time but this style of music (including ska and rocksteady) is typified by the accent placed on the 2nd and 4th beats in the bar. This is normally formed from short, sharp upstrokes on the guitar (or stabs on the piano) on beats 2 and 4.

If you just play a short single chord on beats 2 and 4 on a guitar you'll soon get the ska vibe even if there's no other instruments.

As an aside, rocksteady tends to see the bass emphasising beats 1 and 3 and the guitar sticking to the same 2 and 4 beats.