Well,,, having been a teen at the birth of surf music, and having seen the evolution it has gone through. I'm not sure anyone can define the edges anymore.
The first bands, had guitars, saxophones, organs, and some even had singers.
The Beach Boys sang about surfing at first they moved on to other styles.
The Chantays defined it as instrumental 'Pipeline'.
The Surfaris as drum laden Wipeout & and singing Surfer Joe.
Dick Dell regurgitated mid eastern songs through big Fender amps and a Stratocaster guitar.
Nowadays?
Be the definer yourself.

Last edited: Aug 27, 2019 18:52:17

It has to check certain boxes for me to be surf music, (the kind I like to listen to). It doesn't even have to have mostly surfing themes as was talked about here elsewhere. Like Joel said, it always borrowed from a lot of different sources. But we do have a whole history the early bands didn't and I'm steeped in listening to a lot of first wave music so I have to have that. It's hard to define. Generally speaking a certain kind of drums, reverb yes, Fender gear, melodies. It has to take me to that place or that feeling and be rooted in some spirit to '60s culture.

Check out all the other threads like Surfy Bear and Tank reverb before starting another new thread, many have done that including myself when there were threads already up on those topics (pages and pages of info)

Pick out the notes on all the classic songs, if you can't figure it out, try watching YouTubes of bands playing those songs or instruction type videos (Some are not exact but close enough to get the general idea.) Then use whatever works for your natural style etc.

I have a few tab books, but it never worked for me, picking out and reverse engineering the songs worked best for myself and watching pros play the songs on YouTube. I still think that's the best way, all the other technics are total bullshit to me. Just trying to keep it real,

Sounds metal to me

One common ingredient in most Surf Music is the Lindy Beat or Surfer Beat (The same exact pattern), Your drummer might want to learn that pattern and then the rest of the band could build on that to sound more Surf if that's what you want. (The Lindy beat has a effect on the whole band rhythm pattern wise, If you listen to all the classic tunes, the Lindy beat is found somewhere in most drum scores in most classic surf songs

You can play a Metal backing track and just turn up the reverb on the lead guitar to sound more Surf etc.. . . lots of modern surf bands do that anyway. It's all what you guys like or want to sound like in the end. I think every band should have their own sound anyway as long as its good and draws a crowd. You have to feel out what works and what doesn't.

With sounds like that you're sure to like DAIKAIJU!

Action Josh, keep pushing the boundaries. The definition of surf music is, and always has been, fluid, and nebulous. It helps if it has a surf beat and a decent amount of reverb. But some great surf tunes have neither. I'm an old guy, and I love the 1st wave. That said, what really interests me is the less traditional surf. Ivan Pongracic has said on this forum, and I agree, that there are three types of surf 1) traditional, 2) evolutionary, 3) revolutionary. The last two categories are what get me goin'! I don't really care what categories the bands and songs fall into. What I consider evolutionary, someone else might consider revolutionary. And what I consider traditional, someone else might consider evolutionary, etc. But I'd rather listen to (and I'm sorry for the many great bands that I'll omit from this top-of-my-head list here): the Mermen, Insect Surfers, Pollo Del Mar, the Madeira, Glasgow Tiki Shakers, Tremolo Beer Gut, Bambi Molesters, El Ray, Space Cossacks, and bands along those lines, than the 1st wave legends, that I genuinely love.

Bob

Last edited: Aug 28, 2019 00:09:26

Toneschaser, do you see that as the “future” of surf rock? A cranked Deluxe Reverb? Even maybe, dare I say, a Marshall??
I feel like anything that imbues music with that same 50s-60s vibe is surf. Where my songs are far from that of The Ventures, I still get an image of a beach at sunset, gulls cawing at tourists, and a warm sea breeze. Albeit, it would be on a different planet lol (thematic with the band)
Shorter and Faster songs is why we like to say “Surf Punk”

needs more ‘verb

Psychedelic Surf-Punk from Outer Space
https://m.facebook.com/actiondougband/

That’s probably the best part imo, Surf could be anything as long as it makes you feel that “way” more than gear or guitars. I mean, I love an overdriven tone with splashy springs, probably from playing so much blues. I don’t want to be snobby with any of it, by no means am I a purist. I think most bands I’ve heard labeled surf music has always been within that realm, or at least on a surf continuum.

needs more ‘verb

Psychedelic Surf-Punk from Outer Space
https://m.facebook.com/actiondougband/

CoamicSandDollar, that’s some cool stuff! Come to Florida and play a show with Action Doug haha, I think this is what you’ll hear if you’re surfing the Internet in the 90’s on a dial-up modem, very cool! I guess we can all agree that Surf comes down to an attitude and a feeling more than a means to create something. Getting there might be more abstract than traditional means. Never thought of it like that since I feel like I push the boundaries with my music. Very great point there.

needs more ‘verb

Psychedelic Surf-Punk from Outer Space
https://m.facebook.com/actiondougband/