Roots Archives Forum

greetings idrens and sistrens. does anybody know if there is a particular name for a certain drum pattern where the open snare drum is hit twice everytime the guitar skanks? the bass drum is usually like rockers pattern( or half time that, double time the one drop bass drum). for example, check out the riddims of barrington levy's bountyhunter, rod taylor's where is your love mankind, and many songs on misty in roots live at the counter eurovision. i am a reggae drummer and would like to know what this beat is called. much thanks, love and inity

See exactly what you mean...
It was my first definition of "Steppers" and I know many "old school" jamaican reggae listeners that still use this term for that drum pattern (my local record shop owner, for ex). But its not the common used definition of stepper... Dont know a real wide specific term for it... It seems not to be a drum pattern that was linked with a special year or studio, but was used here and there during the whole rockers period...
guidance

Don't think there is a name for that style. Sly Dunbar did that a lot at the end of the 70s, also on many Gregory Isaacs tunes from that period. Wicked style.