Reggae — Guitar

Folk, country and Celtic songs are built on the acoustic guitar; in reggae it chops the off-beat, and Hawaiian slack-key is its own gentle guitar tradition. Born in Jamaica, reggae breathes on the offbeat: the accent falls between the strong beats, creating that relaxed, hypnotic sway. Here you'll explore the major vamp and the minor vamp — a vamp, in other words, is a short pair of chords repeating in a loop, sounding open or moodier depending on the mode.

Progressions

Notebook — Build the genre's repertoire — save and organize in the Notebook · try it in Chord & Fret

Updated July 9, 2026