// Reggae guitar pack. Shapes verified by note-spelling against: guitarwiz.app // (skank voicings, bubble grid), guitarworld.com (Marley rhythm lesson), // guitarkitchen.com (Stir It Up / Get Up Stand Up lessons), Wikipedia ("Ska // stroke", "One drop rhythm"), ethanhein.com (Stir It Up hook analysis). // Top-3-string triads — the classic skank register (above the bubble, far above the bass). const TOP3_MAJ = { rootStr: 1, offsets: ['x', 'x', 'x', 1, 0, 0], fingers: [0, 0, 0, 2, 1, 1] } // 3-5-R const TOP3_MIN = { rootStr: 1, offsets: ['x', 'x', 'x', 0, 0, 0], fingers: [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1] } // ♭3-5-R barre // Middle-string triads (strings 4-3-2) — the Wailers chop register. const MID_MAJ = { rootStr: 3, offsets: ['x', 'x', 0, 0, 0, 'x'], fingers: [0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0] } // 5-R-3 const MID_MIN = { rootStr: 3, offsets: ['x', 'x', 0, 0, -1, 'x'], fingers: [0, 0, 2, 3, 1, 0] } // 5-R-♭3 // Top-4 partial barres — fuller chop, still no low strings. const TOP4_MAJ = { rootStr: 4, offsets: ['x', 'x', 0, -1, -2, -2], fingers: [0, 0, 4, 3, 1, 1] } // R-3-5-R const TOP4_MIN = { rootStr: 4, offsets: ['x', 'x', 0, -2, -2, -2], fingers: [0, 0, 4, 1, 1, 1] } // R-♭3-5-R // Quality-neutral 5th+root dyad (strings B+e) — works over major or minor. const DYAD_5R = { rootStr: 1, offsets: ['x', 'x', 'x', 'x', 0, 0], fingers: [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1] } export default { styleIntro: 'The reggae guitarist plays one thing and plays it perfectly: the skank — a small, high, choked chord chop strictly on the offbeats. Beat 1 is sacred silence (the one drop), beat 3 belongs to the drums, the low end belongs to the bass. Strike, choke, wait.', comping: [ { label: 'One-drop skank', rhythm: '. . X . | . . X . — chops on 2 and 4 only', description: 'The core part. Strike the chord, release fret pressure instantly (fingers stay touching, off the frets), silence until the next chop. Downstroke-dominant in reggae. Counted double-time it becomes the and-of-every-beat.', }, { label: 'Double skank (Stir It Up)', rhythm: '. . D U | . . D U — down-up pair on 2 and 4', description: 'Each chop splits into a two-hit "chak-a": downstroke on the beat, upstroke on its and. The rockers-era intensifier — same placement, doubled motion.', }, { label: 'Ska upstroke', rhythm: '. U . U . U . U — every offbeat 8th, bright and fast', description: 'The same offbeat principle at 120–180 BPM: upstrokes on every "and". Rocksteady is this relaxed; roots reggae is this halved. The placement never changes across the whole family — only the drums do.', }, { label: 'The bubble (only without keys)', rhythm: '. . X X . . X X . . X X . . X X — the "& a" of every beat', description: 'Normally the organ\'s job (Jackie Mittoo): a palm-muted continuous offbeat pulse in the midrange. Cover it on guitar only when there is no keyboardist — never alongside one.', }, ], plays: { 'reggae-stir': [ { label: 'Top-3 triads (the classic skank)', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'IV — same shape up the neck' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'V — two frets above the IV' }, ], tips: 'One shape, three positions, chop on 2 and 4. The chop must die immediately — if a chord rings into the next beat, that\'s a rock strum, not a skank.', }, { label: 'Middle-string set (Wailers register)', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: MID_MAJ, note: 'I — strings 4-3-2' }, { shape: MID_MAJ, note: 'IV' }, { shape: MID_MAJ, note: 'V' }, ], tips: 'A warmer chop one string set down — the Marley band register. Use it when a second guitar or keys already occupy the top strings.', }, ], 'reggae-two-chord': [ { label: 'Top-3 triads', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'IV — five frets up, or two down on the next string set' }, ], tips: 'Two chords for the whole tune means the skank IS your entire job: identical length, identical volume, every chop. Boredom is the test — pass it.', }, { label: 'Top-4 partial barres', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP4_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP4_MAJ, note: 'IV' }, ], tips: 'The fuller chop for when the band is sparse — still nothing below the D string. Half-press the barre (Marley style) and the chop turns almost fully percussive.', }, ], 'reggae-minor-vamp': [ { label: 'Top-3 triads', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP3_MIN, note: 'i — one-finger barre' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: '♭VII — a passing breath, two frets down' }, ], tips: 'Treat the ♭VII as ornament, not destination — Get Up Stand Up is functionally one chord, and the groove is the message. The intro hook (♭7→root on the G string) doubles the bass.', }, { label: 'Middle-string set', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: MID_MIN, note: 'i' }, { shape: MID_MAJ, note: '♭VII' }, ], tips: 'Lower, darker chop for the heavier roots feel. Keep the choke brutal at slow tempos — space is the instrument at 75 BPM.', }, ], 'reggae-nwnc': [ { label: 'Top-3 triads with the bass walk', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'V — the bass plays its 3rd underneath; your triad doesn\'t change' }, { shape: TOP3_MIN, note: 'vi' }, { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'IV' }, ], tips: 'The V⁶\'s descending bass (root→7th of the scale→6th) is the bassist\'s line — your job is to NOT double it. Stay high, stay small, let the walk happen below you.', }, { label: 'Neutral 5+R dyads', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: DYAD_5R, omit3: true, note: 'I' }, { shape: DYAD_5R, omit3: true, note: 'V' }, { shape: DYAD_5R, omit3: true, note: 'vi — same dyad; the bass supplies the minor' }, { shape: DYAD_5R, omit3: true, note: 'IV' }, ], tips: 'Two strings, no 3rd — quality-neutral, so one dyad shape skanks the whole progression while bass and vocals colour it. The most transparent part you can play behind a singer.', }, ], 'reggae-rocksteady': [ { label: 'Top-3 triads, doo-wop sweetness', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP3_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP3_MIN, note: 'ii' }, { shape: TOP3_MIN, note: 'iii — two frets up' }, { shape: TOP3_MIN, note: 'ii' }, ], tips: 'A diatonic staircase: the minor barre walks up two frets and back while the I anchors. Rocksteady tempo (~86 BPM) sits between ska\'s sprint and roots\' crawl — relax the chop accordingly.', }, { label: 'Top-4 partial barres', level: 'intermediate', chords: [ { shape: TOP4_MAJ, note: 'I' }, { shape: TOP4_MIN, note: 'ii' }, { shape: TOP4_MIN, note: 'iii' }, { shape: TOP4_MIN, note: 'ii' }, ], tips: 'The soul-ballad version of the skank — slightly fuller, still bass-free. Good under a falsetto lead vocal where top-3 triads would crowd the singer\'s register.', }, ], }, improv: { scales: [ { over: 'major vamps', scale: 'major', why: 'Major pentatonic fills in the gaps AFTER vocal lines — call and response, never over the singer.' }, { over: 'i–♭VII vamps', scale: 'minor', why: 'Minor pentatonic answer phrases; the ♭7 doubles as the ♭VII chord\'s root — the free note of roots reggae.' }, { over: 'any vamp (riddim role)', scale: 'minor', why: 'The classic second-guitar job is doubling the bass melody in unison, palm-muted for a dull attack — locked exactly, not approximately.' }, ], targetNotes: 'Reggae lead is economy: short pentatonic answers in vocal gaps, high picked arpeggios of the current chord with 16th-note pickups, or unison bass-doubling. If you\'re not sure whether to play — don\'t. Beat 1 stays empty even for the soloist\'s instincts.', licks: [ { over: 'reggae-stir', description: 'The Stir It Up hook (reconstruction from Ethan Hein\'s published note-by-note analysis, not a record transcription): an ornamented rise A→C♯→D over the I, then arpeggios of the IV and V with 16th-note pickups carrying the swing.', tab: ' A (I) D (IV) E (V)\ne|--------------------|----2----5---|----4----7----\nB|---------2----3-----|--3----------|--5-----------\nG|----2---------------|-------------|--------------\n A C# D D F# A E G# B', source: 'ethanhein.com "Musical simples: Stir It Up"; Bob Marley & The Wailers (1973)', }, ], }, // Structured licks (SCHEMA.md "Licks", task P-24). Written in a home key each // (noted per lick) but key-agnostic in spirit — chordContext names the station. // Every pitch hand-verified: s6=E s5=A s4=D s3=G s2=B s1=e (+fret, mod 12). licks: [ { // In A minor (i–♭VII = Am–G): the skank chords answered as a fill — // the i's ♭3+5 pair (C+E), the ♭VII's 3+5 pair (B+D) two frets down, // back home, root on top. Strictly in the vocal gaps. id: 'reggae-skank-answer', name: 'Skank-answer double-stop fill', level: 'foundation', chordContext: 'answer fill over the i–♭VII vamp, in the vocal gaps', techniques: ['double-stop', 'vibrato'], source: 'call-and-response fills in the Wailers style — Guitar World\'s Bob Marley rhythm-guitar lesson', tab: [ { string: 3, fret: 5 }, // C — the i's ♭3 { string: 2, fret: 5, technique: 'double-stop' }, // E — the i's 5: the minor pair { string: 3, fret: 4 }, // B — the ♭VII's 3, two frets down { string: 2, fret: 3, technique: 'double-stop' }, // D — the ♭VII's 5: the pair moves with the chord { string: 3, fret: 5 }, // C — back home { string: 2, fret: 5, technique: 'double-stop' }, // E { string: 1, fret: 5, technique: 'vibrato' }, // A — the root caps the answer ], }, { // In A minor, low register, palm-muted throughout: a minor-pentatonic // line doubling the bassline in unison — the Lynn Taitt second-guitar // job. Dull attack, locked exactly with the bass, never approximately. id: 'reggae-bass-double', name: 'Muted bass-doubling riddim line', level: 'foundation', chordContext: 'over the i — unison with the bassline', techniques: ['ghost-note'], source: 'the rocksteady bass-doubling role in Lynn Taitt\'s muted picking style — Wikipedia "Rocksteady"; Brian Keyo\'s Taitt tribute (tallawah.com)', tab: [ { string: 6, fret: 5 }, // A — root, palm-muted like everything here { string: 6, fret: 5, technique: 'ghost-note' }, // muted pluck — the fluttering Taitt attack { string: 6, fret: 8 }, // C — ♭3 { string: 5, fret: 5 }, // D — 4 { string: 5, fret: 7 }, // E — 5 { string: 5, fret: 5 }, // D — 4 { string: 6, fret: 8 }, // C — ♭3 { string: 6, fret: 5 }, // A — home; keep the attack dull to the end ], }, { // In A: chromatic walk-up 6–♭7–7 into the root, timed so the root lands // with the drum's drop (beat 3 of the one drop — beat 1 stays sacred and // silent), answered by the 3+5 chop up top on the offbeat. id: 'reggae-walkup-drop', name: 'Chromatic walk into the one drop', level: 'intermediate', chordContext: 'pickup into the I — the root lands on the drop (beat 3)', techniques: ['chromatic-approach', 'double-stop'], source: 'in the style of rocksteady/early-reggae walk-ups (the Lynn Taitt-era bass-and-guitar lines — Wikipedia "Rocksteady", "One drop rhythm")', tab: [ { string: 6, fret: 2 }, // F♯ — the 6 { string: 6, fret: 3, technique: 'chromatic-approach' }, // G — ♭7, passing { string: 6, fret: 4, technique: 'chromatic-approach' }, // G♯ — 7, passing { string: 6, fret: 5 }, // A — root, landing WITH the drop { string: 3, fret: 6 }, // C♯ — the 3: jump up for the answer chop { string: 2, fret: 5, technique: 'double-stop' }, // E — the 5: the skank answers on the offbeat ], }, ], }