Playing The Reggae Piano Single Chop (skank) Right | Lesson 1 Basics

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The reggae single chop (as opposed to the double chop) is a very simple rhythm but to play it right in the reggae context takes some work. Here Matt Jenson is showing absolute basics. Play along and get the feel and groove!
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[@amandavereni423]

Thank you for everything you do

[@jeopardy60611]

I appreciate you demonstrating a technique for playing the reggae skank that seems to give you the most precise skank, but I'm wondering if the air strokes are really necessary. I am not used to moving my hands in any way when I'm on a rest, so doing air strokes would throw me off, and I would probably start striking when I should be air-stroking and vice versa. By the way, I am looking into reggae stuff and searched your video because I am going to be doing a Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp and playing the song "Amber" with Nick Hexium of 311, doing the skank part on keyboard.

[@bananna7465]

Drumming is real nice

[@ArtofReggae]

That's our drummie GLEN GRANT who passed away in 2019. We honor him always!

[@bananna7465]

@@ArtofReggae Sorry for you loss, I understand only to well how painful loss is. Blessings to all.

[@ArtofReggae]

@@bananna7465 Thank you B Ananna

[@eddyvideostar]

Banana7465: That's the key.

[@JimmyKartounii]

a piano is a piano a riddim guitar is a riddim guitar

[@ArtofReggae]

This is true.

[@phasln777]

What is the tone (voice) used in the Keyboard?

[@mattjensonmusic3566]

I’m using a Nord Stage 3 keyboard with the ‘Grand Lady D’ piano sound.

[@SAVIOakaMAJOR]

𝑤𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑥

[@gerardpalma6112]

4:57 I tried logging into your website and am getting a weird message or being blocked

[@DVDFRMN]

Why do so many Reggae players use the 6 note double hand skank? because they copy what they see others doing? ...... partly, it is mostly because they don't know what to do with their right hand so they just double up , not because it sounds better, but because that solves their internal mental issue of not knowing what to do with the right hand

[@ArtofReggae]

Hi DVDFRMN. It's because doubling the chord gives the harmonic/rhythmic power needed to deliver the intensity that the chop needs. In its most roots form, reggae requires a DEEP RIDDIM and this doubling is needed. It's similar to the doubled octave that you find in Afro-Cuban montuno playing. If the octave in RH doubled with yet another octave in the LH is not there, you won't get the power needed. If you're loosening things up and not playing the hard roots style you can take your RH off the chop and play a solo, a counter melody, a horn line. With modern keyboards where you can set up layers, many roots reggae players actually will set up a piano layer, an octave apart, for what ever hand is playing the chop so that they can have that rhythmic/harmonic strength while allowing the other hand to play solos, counter melodies, horn lines, etc. There's no internal mental issue going on I assure you!

[@DVDFRMN]

@@ArtofReggae your videos are good, and i word things for comedy as well as to make an unpopular point.... i can see you know what you are doing, in #EuroReggae there are many who choose Reggae because it is a set form with little room for deviation before it stops being Reggae.... so once you know the minimum, you don't have to think, like 12 bar blues players choose blues for that reason..... so i am speaking of those players .... i always used the right hand for melodies, horn lines , etc like you say.... thing is i don't agree that the 6 key double chord is needed, i think it makes the music sound bloated and stodgy , like a suet pudding.... listening to the old Studio One and Channel one, i don't hear the 6 note chord.... sounds like they are skanking left hand and using right for other stuff (!) ...... that "power" is not needed, the 3 note chord has more power , the 6 note is brute force, not power...... plus the 'air chord' is not "essential", it's how you feel it better and play more accurate, but not everyone does this ....... great channel BTW .....

[@ArtofReggae]

@@DVDFRMN Aha! I'll guarantee all those old Studio One recordings the piano players are chopping with 2 hands! And it's AWESOME to 'know the minimum' and then not to have to think...why? Because then you can just play the music with passion and feel, which to me, is the most important thing to bring to a performance. Don't get me wrong, I'm a jazz player and love to 'think,' to find new ways of playing, to experiment with different scales and chords to achieve different kinds of expression, but that non thinking thing is pure SOUL. I'm glad you're digging the Art of Reggae channel. More stuff coming soon. Ites!

[@notanobodywithabody]

Reggae should ALWAYS be counted in half time (skank is on the upbeat, never the 2 and 4) ... unless of course it's ska 😉

[@ArtofReggae]

There's a whole video on this on the Art of Reggae site. People feel it both in cut and common (half) time. I call it 'fast' feel and 'slow' feel. This is an ongoing battle and because of that I decided to notate (and speak about) ALL the music on the site in both feels on the video lessons. That's the Art of Reggae philosophy - if there are two (or more) opinions on a subject, and they both have legitimate and practical reasoning, we include both (or more) perspectives and leave it up to you to decide.