Question: What is surf music?
Answer: Surf music is generally defined as an instrumental form of early-Sixties, pre-British Invasion rock and roll, danceable and propulsive, that features a prominent staccato lead guitar riff distorted with heavy "reverb" and/or "tremelo" effects. (Example: The Chantays' "Pipeline.") In addition, the "surf beat" may be present, a sort of tribal stomp that features two beats on the second measure and one on the fourth. (Example: The Ventures' "Walk, Don't Run.")
The standard surf band lineup features two guitars, bass, and drums, but other instruments may be present to fatten up the backbeat or share melody lines with the lead guitar. Some examples include piano ("Pipeline"), saxophone, and even trumpet (Example: Dick Dale's "Misirlou"). The Ventures' "Hawaii Five-O" theme even features a full orchestra! Surf guitar lines are also often influenced by Mexican, Hawaiian, and even Middle Eastern music, a nod, perhaps, to the "exotica" craze that was sweeping the land at about that time.
