Mento Guitar

In this course, we will explore the guitar styles employed by the key figures in classic mento recordings.

Rural mento appeared in Jamaica in the in Jamaica was characterised by acoustic instruments like guitars, banjos, homemade bamboo saxophones, hand percussion, and rumba boxes. In contrast, urban mento was influenced by 1920s Caribbean jazz, utilising professional instruments such as saxophones, upright basses, pianos, and electric guitars.

We will be focusing on the more traditional, acoustic manifestation and studying some guitar arrangements for the banjo and bamboo saxophone melodies.