E Reggae Backing Track

Build your own band: 16 moods and 20 styles in any key and tempo, with drums, percussion, bass, two chord instruments, a pad and lead fills, each with its own sound and volume.

This is an E major reggae backing track: a one-drop reggae groove: the skank on two and four, the bass carrying the melody. It plays the I – IV – V – IV (reggae) progression in E major at 76 BPM in 4/4, round and round, so you can practise soloing, rhythm or both.

The player above is set to this track. Press Play, slow it down or speed it up, mute the guitar to play the chords yourself, or mute the bass to play the bass line. You can also switch key or style without leaving the page.

How the band plays it

The one drop: the kick and snare land together on beat three, beat one is empty, and the guitar skanks on two and four while the bass carries the tune.

The chords

I – IV – V – IV: three major chords, made into reggae by where the band plays them. In E major that is E, A, B.

In numbers: I = E · IV = A · V = B. The numbers count from the key’s root, so the same progression works in any key.

The shapes the guitar plays

Small shapes on the top strings, short and crisp.

Play the rhythm part yourself

Play short, choked up-strums on the top three strings on beats two and four only; mute them straight away with your fretting hand. Mute the guitar in the player and the band leaves the part to you.

What to solo with

E major pentatonic: E F♯ G♯ B C♯. Safe on every chord.
E major: E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯. Every note of the key.
E minor pentatonic: E G A B D. Of the relative minor: the same five notes from a different root.

Keep it sparse and melodic, in the major pentatonic, and leave beat one empty like the drummer does.

Notes to aim for

Scales get you through the track; landing on the chord tones makes a solo follow the changes. The strongest notes over each chord are its 3rd and 7th:

Chord	Root	3rd	5th	7th
E	E	G♯	B	–
A	A	C♯	E	–
B	B	D♯	F♯	–

How to practise with it

Listen to one time round the progression and count the bars.
Play the root note of each chord on the beat, then the whole chord with the band.
Solo with E major pentatonic, starting and ending phrases on E.
Aim for the 3rd of each chord as it arrives (the table above).
Raise the tempo by 5 BPM when it feels easy, or try the same track in another key.