Message 9/24
Date: 23-Jan-00 @ 12:31 PM -
RE: Basslines/drum grooves relationship
hmm... ive added basic classic reggea grooves in the drum-groove midi-files page (see lower right main drumgroove-forum page to access the list)... but there are lots of reggea styles
the pounding 4 on the floor kik with the syncopated tambourine used to be called a step or 'stepper' beat which first appeared on tracks like 'MPLA'
it isnt really correct to say that about the kiks, that 'one-drop' style does have it all coming down on the 3 , but reggea has soooo many variations incorporating as it does African, latin & european ideas.... old style lovers or dancehall etc has kiks on 1 & 3 - try a track like 'Stuck on you' Trevor walters for a classic old-style dancehall with the kik on 1 & 3 - or the classic 'sleng-teng' bassline/drum pattern... all are walking 1/3 beats like say 'herb man hustling' used as a basis
if you go for real king david stuff like Ras Micheal you get the classic 1/3 accent nhyabingi style... like on say 'jah would never give the power to a baldhead' by the wailers, (a more well know track with that style) ...... the beat piles in for a heavey downbeat on the One, then releases on the 3 for the 'drop' on 4 before the beat on 1 again...
you also have swing-style walking beat variations like on say 'Oh Jah' by aswad where the kik plays like: b-boom / b-boom / b- b- b- boom... or the classic 'Peanut-Vendor' from the old days.... and on some of the old roots radics stuff you even get triplet swing stuff with a walking kik and drum pattern in a jazzy style... almost like a reggea version of say a Pointer-sisters or nina simone or Miss-T jazz style (heh heh, i actually met Miss-T last year in London we are supposed to go drinking sometime!) -
there is alot of variety in the old backing team styles from JA like sly & robbie, cos they all grew up as kids working the caberet bands in the tourist spots night after night -
i'd say all in all, techno & classic old-trance styles have straight-feel basslines which provide more of a 'Pulse' and drive, while house basslines add extra notes offbeat to work with the basic straight 4 on the floor house kik to make funkier riddims... (generally... not a rule)
lets look at that a bit...