Introduction to Ska Guitar

 
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Welcome to the world of Ska Guitar!

Ska is a style of music that can be described as "Upbeat Reggae." It has influenced classic rock bands like The Clash, as well as more modern bands like No Doubt. We'll look at 5 rhythm guitar techniques that describe the basics of Ska.

Starting with the first example, we'll work on a basic Ska rhythm, playing on the upbeats. Keep the right hand loose and moving in an up-down motion. Focus on the upbeats.

Keep a soft, clean tone with an out-of-phase pickup setting.

You'll need to mute notes with the left hand on your down strokes. Keep the notes very short!

Don't dig into the strings too hard or rake across them strongly with your right hand, or you will sound like a washboard. Always keep it light and loose!

Lawrence Katz
Instructor Lawrence Katz
Styles:
World Music
Difficulty:
Introduction to Ska Guitar song notation

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