Subject: MUSIC Year: 8 Term: 2 - Spring Topic: Reggae Music

Knowledge: Skills needed: Memory retention from previous topics:

Reggae Music is pop music from Jamaica in the Caribbean from Unison singing
the 1960’s. The word “reggae” means “ragged” and this refers Performing with 2 A chord is when you play 2 or more notes at once. Treble Clef Line notes E G B D F -
to the off-beat chord patterns played on the keyboard or hands Every Girl Born Deserves
guitar. Early forms of reggae are Ska and Rocksteady, which RH finger 3 on C, Freedom
have a faster tempo. Other influences of reggae music are LH thumb on C, one
Mento, Calypso, Jazz, and Rhythm n’ Blues. There are 4 beats finger per note
in a bar, in typical pop music style. Hands separately and
hands together
Famous reggae artists include Bob Marley (1945-1981), Peter Performing in time
Tosh, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Issacs. Famous songs include with the Bob Marley
“One Love”, “Exodus”, “Don’t Worry”, “No Woman, No Cry” recording of
and “Buffalo Soldier”. “Exodus”.

Tier 2 challenging vocabulary:
Mento – Jamaican folk songs
Calypso – folk songs from
Trinidad & Tobago
Jazz – African American
popular music
Rhythm n’ Blues – popular
music from America
Ska & Rocksteady – early
forms of reggae with a faster
tempo
Lyrics – the song words, which
were about social or political
issues
Tier 3 subject terminology:
Triad Chord – when you play
3 notes at once, ie C, E and G
in the RH (1, 3, 5)
Off-beat chords – chords
played on beats 2 and 4
Bass riff – a short catchy
repeating tune played in the
bass
Rim shot – when you play on
the rim/edge of the snare
drum
Soloist – lead singer
Backing vocals – singers in
the background who sing in
unison or harmony
Unison – when the singers
sing the same tune (uni=1,
son=sound)
Harmony – when the singers
sing in different parts
(Soprano, Alto, Tenor)
Local issues/cultural Key facts: Right hand off-beat chords are played on beats 2 and 4.
capital: Bob Marley
performed over 300
concerts across the
world and came to
live in England in the
1970’s after an
assassination
attempt. He was
supposed to perform
at the Bedford Bass riff: A G A G A C A G G# A
College of Education,
not far from Luton. Reggae Instruments:
However this concert
was cancelled. His
famous concert at the
Lyceum Ballroom in
London was recorded
live as an album in
July 1977.