Description

This article is from the Reggae FAQ, by Mike Pawka eznoh@niceup.com with numerous contributions by others.

19]. Please give an explanation of "One Drop" Style

In article <3lkbp7$bpm@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, lcarmean@aol.com (L Carmean)
writes:
|> My understanding of the one drop style is that the drummer doesn't strike
|> any of the drums on the first beat of a four beat bar or measure. Then on
|> the third beat the drummer will usually strike the snare drum and bass
|> drum at the same time. However, he/she might hit only the snare or bass
|> drum on the third beat.
|>
|> The drummer might strike the high hat on the first beat, but he/she
|> "drops" the first beat as far as the drums are concerned and instead
|> emphasizes the third beat with the drums. Frequently the bass will make
|> up for the dropped first beat by landing on it with a strong bass note.
|>
|> If anyone has a better explanation I would be happy to hear it.
|>
|> Larry Carmean
|> RAW #336

|> This is a pretty good explanation of one drop - but the bass also often
|> misses the first beat too. Ska was the original "one drop" rhythm...
|> leaving off the down beat with the bass drum is one of the things that
|> made Jamaican music so unique and instantly recognizable. American R&B
|> and rock drummers are habituated to hitting the downbeat really strong
|> with the bass drum - this is one of the reasons it is so hard for them to
play
|> authentic-sounding reggae.
|>
|> Reggae lost the "one drop" feel somewhat when Sly Dunbar started using
|> different patterns that he adapted from funk & rock beats... this created
|> the rockers style, where the bass drum hits all four beats, and led to a
|> "heavier" style that you can hear on a lot of the late 70's/early 80's
|> records that SLy & Robbie played on & produced, where the drum pattern
|> is almost like a simple, slowed down rock beat. I miss the one-drop
|> beat, a lot of the modern dance-hall records don't use it anymore, but
|> you do still hear it sometimes. IMHO it is the classic reggae beat.
|>
|> Al
|>
|> --
|> ~~~~~~~~~~ Allen Kaatz (highnote@eskimo.com) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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