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ABOUT CHAPTER 2 |
| In
part 2 the computer is being presented
as a crucial tool, because it can
simulate real situations and more, it
can therefore also more or less
function as a complete studio. The
computer can do more then what it
simulates, causing a danger of putting
too much technique in the music and
therefore it has to be observed that
your listeners are not digital so to
speak. |
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RIDDIM! |
| A
reggae track is called
"riddim" in reggae culture.
A riddim consists of the bassline, and
a theme like a horns theme. These
things define a riddim. A riddim can
be played many times by different
artists, in fact many of the popular
riddims in today's reggae and
dancehall culture are created in the
1960's, 1970's, but they are being
re-recorded all the time. People
recognize a riddim by the bassline
and/or the theme. |
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MAIN TEXT |
| I've
mentioned the reality, that a computer
will not make you a dub track, and
that putting a lot of technique in
your mix will not make it sound
better. In this chapter I would like
to elaborate a little on what I
perceive as necessary ingredients for
a good dub. What do you need to get a
"raw" track, that is before
you dub it? I would like to answer
that in this chapter. And in the next
chapters I will give some tips and
tricks to make a good foundation. It's
a bit too simple to simply state that
you need a few instruments and apply
effects over them. Although a good dub
mix can seriously enhance the
listening pleasure of an otherwise
un-interesting riddim (look to left
side on this page for an explanation
of the term "riddim"), I
think that the riddim itself is half
the work. I hear many
tracks by new artists that label their
music "dub", but the riddims
of these artists do not contain the
necessary ingredients, even though
their dubbing techniques might be
right. What is the reason so many
artist struggle with the vibe of their
tracks, even where they sometimes seem
to apply genuine Dubbing techniques,
the music simply doesn't sound like
it? Dub is not merely a
remixing-technique that can be applied
to any kind of music. You'll need a
good riddim first. Many artists go
wrong in the foundation: a good dub
starts with a good riddim. And a good
riddim starts with a reggae drum and
reggae bassline. This is the most
crucial element in every dub. It is
the foundation. If you do not have a
good bassline and a righteous reggae
drum rhythm, you can apply the best
techniques over it, but your track
will not be interesting. I've heard
dubs without a bassline, while the
drums play a dance or disco beat, and
although I would see it as music that
is influenced by Dub, I wouldn't call
it Dub. So make sure, that your drum
and bass are right. Make sure, that
when you play only the bass and the
drum, you start to rock. Make sure,
that when you listen to your drum and
your bass playing, that you do not
feel that it is to empty. When
you have layed down a good drum and
bass foundation, you can build
instruments on top of it. I will
mention the chords (skank) and the
theme. The niceness about reggae
music, is that you can use about any
instrument to play the chords.
Traditionally, chords are played by a
combination of Piano, Guitar and
Organ. But you can also use other
instruments, like synthesizers. There
is a whole genre in Dub (UK Dub) where
they are using synthesizers for the
skank, as I call the playing of
chords. Apart from the drum and
bass with accompanying chord plays, I
would like to make a short mention of
the "theme". A theme is
traditionally played by a horn
section, but it can also be played by
any other (solo) instrument. Mostly,
they're short melodies. Some themes
even consist of only a few tones! You
can get more information on the
various riddims and even listen to
them on the Jamican Riddim Directory
website. |
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