The difference, by ear
Surf keeps the reverb-drenched guitar and drops the singer. Both are guitar-first genres from the same decade with opposite relationships to the voice.
Surf rock is mostly instrumental where rockabilly is sung cleanly, at much the same pace, around 150 to 200 bpm. To hear the difference, play Carl Perkins next to Dick Dale. Both grew out of rock and roll, rockabilly first and surf rock seven years after.
In figures
Rockabilly
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Rockabilly
In short
Rock and roll filtered through white country music: slapped upright bass, Sun Studio echo and a vocal hiccup. It gets rediscovered every couple of decades.
How it sounds
- Slapped upright bass - the strings snap against the neck and keep time in place of the drums.
- Tape slapback echo on the vocals, the Sun Studio trademark.
- Clean or lightly overdriven guitar with country-style picking and no distortion.
Key acts
- Carl Perkins
- Johnny Cash
- Gene Vincent
- Stray Cats
Start here
The pickCarl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes, the original rather than the Elvis version.
Full page →Surf rock
Where it sits
Rock › Rock and roll › Surf rock
In short
Instrumental, drenched in tank reverb, with fast tremolo picking. The sound of the Californian coast, later recycled by punk and by Tarantino.
How it sounds
- Fender tank reverb dialled almost to maximum - the wet sound is mandatory.
- Fast tremolo picking on a single note, a technique Dick Dale took from his family's Lebanese music.
- Almost always instrumental; where there are vocals, they are Beach Boys-style harmonies.
Key acts
- Dick Dale
- The Ventures
- The Beach Boys
Start here
The pickDick Dale - Misirlou. A Greek folk tune turned into artillery.
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