Excellent tutorial! I’ve been playing guitar for over 40 years but never got into Reggae much. Mostly a blues and rock guitarist from Chicago, I found myself spending most of my life in Hawaii. We all love Bob Marley but the locals in Hawaii came up with what they call “Jawaiian music”. A mixture of Jamaican and Hawaiian music. A bastardization I never cared for. The reggae is wrong and the Hawaiian music is wrong. It’s loosely called: “Island Music”. True Hawaiian slack-key players don’t respect it, and true Reggae music players don’t either. What I learned by your tutorial is exactly what was wrong with the way I’ve heard bad reggae played. And I’ve played it wrong as well. Thank you for the correction. The guitar is always on the downstroke and on the “AND” in the beat. The little slides and trills don’t interfere with the AND rhythm. I’ve heard it done right and I’ve heard it done wrong. But until you showed me, I wasn’t sure what the difference was. The double muting is also something I didn’t know. Thank you so much for showing exactly how reggae guitar is supposed to be played. Peace and aloha to you and yours. 🤙🏼
I don't have respect for old, wrinkled, pretentious musicians who spend their lives lecturing others about what makes 'proper' music. I prefer to enjoy what I'm listening to instead of having a stroke over some meaningless off-beat or upstroke in a song.
@@mnmgfdhjiuyzxcasdqwere7786, And I don’t respect people who use ageism and physical appearance as a weak justification for disagreement. Other than that, enjoy listening to whatever it is you enjoy listening to. I don’t mean to sound “pretentious” it’s just that when you practice a certain art your entire life, your standards are naturally higher than those who haven’t. Tiny details aren’t overlooked in the proficient but go unnoticed by others. That’s normal and fine. I’m positive that you are a million times better than I am at whatever it is you do, and I wouldn’t begin to question whatever that is. I’d respectfully listen, maybe learn, or disagree, but I certainly wouldn’t stoop so low as to attack your age or physical appearance. You’ll learn these things when you start getting wrinkles my friend.
@@Woodstock271 If I practiced an art for my entire life, then my standards would not be so rigid that I'd actually look down on other artists who choose to use some creativity by blending different styles, no matter how simple it is. I plan to stay that way when I get old, unlike you.
@@Woodstock271 Keep being positive and stay on the path, friend. That nay-sayer lost me completely when he wrote "meaningless offbeat." There is no meaningless in art. (Even if it is the case that you are attempting to make it art.) After putting in the time, musicians discover that there is meaning even in the silence.
Yes…. I had to learn the hard way when I moved to Cali…. There were other musicians that called me out and said I was not playing reggae, but they never tried to Teach me, just cursing and laughing… Well, I am VERY HAPPY that YOU are here to keep other guitarists from being ridiculed the way I was….🙏🎸🎶 Bob Marley Prezident Brown Gregory Isaacs Midnite Sly and Robbie Lee Scratch Perry The list can’t fit here😺😊🎸🎶
Much respect and gratitute for this lesson my friend. I've played guitar professionally for 25 years and still learning. Thank god i stumbled upon you. I am currently recording an orginal reggae track and you might have just saved it. The last thing I wanna do is disrespect the unique artform that the reggae is. 🙏🏻✌🏻🙏🏻
Now that video was overdue! Those things you mentioned drive me crazy too, when folks who clearly never listened let alone played Reggae feel the need to teach it on YT! Another thing that drives me insane is when those guys think Reggae is always in a shuffle feel :)
Xyan Guitar, thank you for the tutorial. I considered myself good with time and rhythm, but coming from thrash/ death metal background I do struggle with reggae beats and finding "my" spot to land correctly. Blessings Xyan
Thank you thank you. It just a couple weeks ago in a practice that someone told me something like: “that is not reggae strum! Reggae strum must be on an upstroke!” 😁 and I was like huh? I did not know that … For the next few weeks until today I was kind of struggling with that idea. And now you have set me free ❤
What a brilliant lesson thankyou. I've always wanted to play reggae but all my life I've played rock or indie & so I've been doing a lot of research into how to play this genre & your lesson is by far the best out there, thankyou
Many times, if you're using a wah pedal, you don't even have to apply pressure. Many songs have a sweet percussive sound just by dampening the strings with the chord shapes of your fingers. Great video
Reggae is such a beautiful, soulful music. I like how you said it is a very serious music, because I think that is what people love about it... it can be serious in its love of the beauty in life, or the seriousness talking about political or human issues like Bob did.... it is a perfect balance music. I humbly listen to your amazing teaching and hope to do justice to the original heart of reggae when I play
iv been listening to reegea on and of since I bought uprising when it came out. I began playing guitar late just as a thing when I stoped partying. Now I have playd for11 years mostly blues and rock. And now today after listening to Peter Tosh I sat down and clicked on your video ,great explained..I have always had this feeling that its more to it,seen heard so much rubbish especially in the 80th..Your great thanks
Just wanna say thank you sir. Just got into Jamaica a few days ago and decided to play Waiting in Vain and knew I needed to play it right or it's disrespectful, right on!
Hi Xyan, thank you for this , growing up in the uk in the 70s and 80s we loved our reggae, it brought us together , brilliant lesson , peace and happiness Xyan from jules Ipswich uk 🙏
I have heard reggae music that has a bit os scratch played. doesnt sound bad. however, I think the over all message your sending is GREAT people need to be more mindful of when you choose to put the scratch in. Reggae is serious music but should be felt from the heart and uplift. so dont take it so serious that your not having fun. I play California reggae, wich is a mix prodominantly of reggae but mixed with hip hop and rock. so having a good mix of influences that contribute to reggae is so awesome to play.
Great Video. I'm glad I watched this, I am trying to get more scratch in my playing after watching some people on here. looks like this is a big mistake. Thanks for clueing me in.
Xuan this is what I need to see because then I want to do it correctly and then you say respect yeah I know live blues player for about 8 years but the beauty of the Ukrainian people in your teaching and inspired me to put a band together out here in Honolulu thank you very much brother anything I can do just ask or send a message
I studied classical guitar formally. It's actually on the &a, we count it in semi-quavers, 16 beats. We call it 1e&a, 2e&a, 3e&a, 4e&a ...etc. In this case, the e is silent, so we count 1&a, 2&a, 3&a, 4&a...etc.
Great video, man, and the love for your way of playing really shines through - but with all respect: I have seen some respected Reggae musicians add some "chicki - chicki" rhythm to it, especially when they have no other instruments accompanying them..guys like Tuff Lion, The Wailers or the Alpha Blondie guitarist...so, I guess it's rather a question of when it's appropriate, vut on an acoustic guitar it sounds pretty nice, especially when you mute the strings a little....but with a full band and an e - guitar it absolutely sounds awful, you're totally right!!!✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻💞
So many teaching upstroke and when challenged, claim its easier for new reggae players to learn but it's not. I think it's a cop out way of avoiding learning off beat timing required for reggae.
All this seems so obvious when you demo it. Great vid. Hands up, guilty on everything but the offbeats. I knew I wasn't approaching it right and your lesson cleared it up. I have literally avoided playing some reggae songs because I knew I was off somehow. Thanks so much for sharing!
5:33 I know exactly what you mean. That’s how a lot of people acted towards the Jamaican reggae band EarthKry and you could see it in there faces. Such a great group of guys! Very talented. Check them out!
Man you are hilarious. I have made all those mistakes long time ago myself. Start w Calypso and afrobeat mix in some other Cubano things...quite a mix I make on my own
Hey hey Xyan man! Can ya give a tutorial on reggae strumming with an acoustic please!? or if you have one already refer me to that video? thanks and much love x
nice explain.. and amazing impart your musical knowledge. ( The recording needs something better (OR.. hardware OR ..Room, etc.) thanks for the excellent knowledge that you impart
I loved this tutorial ,it opened my mind to try and play some reggae music, as i have never giving it a thought before, yes i think when i get my guitar out tonight, i will give it a bash.
greetings bro! I have a question: Could you make a tutorial especially on "stuck line creation"? I like your tutorials! I'm a Beginner-Intermediate Guitar Player, so if you're going to make a video on that topic, could you please call out the Note-Names or the frets-of-a-string pleeeaase ;-) Keep on! and Blessings
Great sound. What are your guitar settings for this tone? Are you in the bridge pickup and where are the tone knobs set? Amp clean or is there some gain/overdrive?
Thanks for the tutorial Xian. I am used to play metal so for me its difficult to strum the right way you teached it. I will keep practising. What effects are used to play nice reggae vibes on guitar? I hear reverb and wah, but do you also use a delay? For the love of God i will never do the legato reggae again ;) Thanks for you're lesson.
Real question, I play guitar backwards, as in I play a right handed guitar like it’s a left handed guitar,, does that technically mean It will sound more natural in the upstroke? Since it’s upside down
Everyone do it exactly the same or its not reggae. Music is not about creating your own sound. And pull your guitar up as high as you can. This is the only way.
Why do all these youtube teachers define reggae as hitting on 2 & 4's? if it's hitting on the "ands"? and i don't get how we Americans hit 1 & 3 my whole life it seems we naturally clap on 2 & 4 At 4:41 if you count a quick 1 2 3 4, 1 2 3 4 your guitar falls on the second and fourth beats I'M COMPLETELY CONFUSED! anyone?
Have you listen to The Police Walking on the moon? I would like to know your opinion and watch your live reaction from that song. Could use it for your next video idea maybe ?
@@XyanGuitar I may be mistaken, but to me it sounds like they do in fact play it on the 'and', not on the beat, but then they also play the kick on the 'and'.
Really good tuto but you said a mistake ... Reggae guitar and the skank in general is on the 2 and the 4, not on the 'and', as it is the case for the ska ...
