The Musical Instruments Used by Reggae Artists

The reggae music industry has been hosting a lot of performances and activities for the month of June and is planning events for July. Just last June 30, 2010, Matisyahu performed at Moscow’s Green Theatre for his world tour. While this last July 1, the International Reggae Day was celebrated.

Such is the affinity for this type of music that a lot of people are sporting dreadlocks and wearing the red, yellow and green colours of the Rastafari movement. If you are a huge fan of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, and other reggae artists, you can follow their footsteps. You can make your own songs by learning how to play the instruments for this music genre.

One of the most common devices used for making reggae songs is the guitar. You can hear its rhythm in a lot of songs. Guitarists typically perform on the upstroke, using two and four beats. Another essential instrument is the drum, which aids in creating a distinct syncopated rhythm for reggae music. Drummers tune snare drums to high level. This provides a high timbre kind of beat. Drum players sometimes use other percussion instruments to enhance the quality of their sounds.

On the other hand, the bass guitar is used as a rhythmic device. Bassists tune it low to obtain a heavy and thick sound. Other important instruments are horns and keyboards. Organs, pianos and synthesizers provide twice the guitar’s skanking beat. These musical tools also provide a shuffling and choppy feel to the songs. Some reggae artists use trombones, saxophones and trumpets for introductions and adding counter-melodies.