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Reggae Keyboard Technique:  "The Bubble"

2/8/2014

4 Comments

 
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Several years back, some old college friends of mine asked if I wanted to play in a roots/reggae cover band.  Of course, I happily agreed.  What's better than playing feel-good music with old friends?   While I was excited to play music for the pure fun of it, I also looked at the new experience as an opportunity to learn something, to expand my horizons as a keyboard player.  I had dabbled in reggae here and there, but never took the time and effort to really study it.  Early on in checking out this new style, I made a discovery that completely changed how I played reggae keyboard.  The discovery was a technique called "The Bubble."  

The key to the bubble is, of course, the rhythm.  The right hand plays predictably on beats two and four (think of the classic reggae-guitar "chick - chick").  The spiciness is in the left hand, which plays all up-beats (or the "ands").  You'll mostly hear the bubble played on organ, but it also sounds great on piano as well as a Rhodes or Wurly patch.     

Once I started using The Bubble in reggae music, I found it extremely useful in other styles as well, including funk, jazz, and Afro-Cuban music.   I noticed master jazz pianists like Herbie Hancock and Danilo Perez playing similar types of rhythms when they were comping.

Check out the video tutorial below, it's a technique much more easily demonstrated than written-out. 

And last, it's only appropriate to end with my favorite Bob Marley lyric:  "One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain." 

Happy Shedding!
  
4 Comments
Maia
6/19/2016 06:49:54 pm

Thank you Piano Shed! Very helpful :)

Reply
ジェン
9/22/2016 05:21:18 am

Thanks for showing how to do the different chord progressions with the bubble

Reply
Pat link
1/30/2018 04:15:42 pm

I've seen some players do this on one hand. Not these chords exactly but they don't really matter. u play with what u have

Reply
ジェン 2 link
10/19/2020 04:05:19 am

why my pp hard

Reply



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