Reggae Rhythms
In * time there is a main accent on the first beat, and a secondary accent on the third beat. To get the feeling of this, you should try counting aloud, and then accent these two beats (i.e., say them louder). This is the usual "feel" of * time.
Some rhythms, however, have the emphasis placed on the second and fourth beats. These are referred to as "reggae" rhythms. Consider this pattern:
Gm (root 6)
On the third beat the rest is achieved with right hand deadening, and on the 4th beat a staccato strum is played. Try this rhythm with the following progression:
Here is a variation of the reggae rhythm introduced in example 51, using bass note picking on the first beat (as indicated by the note symbol).
Gm
The bass notes played will be on the 6th string for the Gm chord (root 6) and on the 5th string for the Cm, Dm and D7 chords (root 5).
Another variation of this reggae rhythm is to play a percussive strum on the first beat, in place of the bass note.
Gm
