Skank
The short, damped upstroke chord chop that provides the rhythmic guitar part in reggae and ska.
The skank is played on the upbeats, with the strings damped so the chord speaks as a short percussive click rather than a ringing harmony. The right hand lifts off the strings immediately after each stroke, and the fret hand releases pressure, so the sound stops at once. In ska the skank is fast and relentless; in reggae it is slower and more spacious. Either way it is the part that defines the genre's feel to the listener.
Example: A guitar chopping short damped chords on the off-beats behind a reggae rhythm section is playing skank.
See also
Related
- PageReggae
- PageChuck
- PageUpstroke
- PageAmericana
- PageBebop
- PageBluegrass
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley