LESSON } Reggae
BOB MARLEY
Simon Barnard takes another look at Bob Marley, this time with a study of the muted single note lines played by guitarist Junior Marvin.
When one thinks of reggae guitar, the first thing that often comes to mind is the off-beat ‘skank’ rhythm. In issue 333 we kicked off this series by exploring some of the permutations of this rhythm, as used by Bob Marley and his various guitarists. But another important facet of reggae guitar is the use of single-note lines, which we introduced in last month’s article on Black Uhuru.
One of the most well-known examples of single-note reggae guitar is found on the Marley classic, Could You Be Loved, and its signature muted intro played by Junior Marvin. Marvin recalled that Bob heard him playing around with the opening riff while in London. He liked it so much, he asked Junior if he could use it. The story goes that the two of them recorded the song together in Brazil, with Jacob Miller from the band Inner Circle. While this may be anecdotal, the lasting legacy of the line is cemented in reggae history. These types of lines can be heard in other Bob Marley songs, such as Stir It Up and Get Up, Stand Up, and borrow from early funk and R&B guitar.