Essential Fingerstyle Funk

[Vorago]

Ok, I've been playing funk only for the last 2 weeks. Everytime I put on I wish by Stevie Wonder I start bopping around in my room from sheer funkiness. Anyway, here's what I've been playing along with:

I wish, Sir Duke, Masta Blasta, Superstition by Stevie Wonder

Too Funky by James Brown

Shiftless Shuffle (go Jaco! go!), Chameleon, Just around the corner by Herbie Hancock

Everybody Dance, Le Freak, Good Times by Chic

I'm looking for more of the same stuff, so funkateers, enlighten me

[DWBass]

Tower Of Power! Rocco Prestia is the king of fingerstyle funk!

[DWBass]

Check out track 12 (Get On The Boat) on Prince's new cd, 3121! All I can say is......damn that's funky bass playin'!

[Vorago]

Originally Posted by DWBass

Tower Of Power! Rocco Prestia is the king of fingerstyle funk!

Specific songs?

[DWBass]

You Got To Funkifize
Down To The Nightclub
What Is Hip?
Soul Vaccination
Soul With A Capital 'S'
Souled Out
Diggin' On James Brown
You Strike My Main Nerve
So I Got To Groove
Give Me Your Love
Little Knowledge (Is A Dangerous Thing)
Who Do You Think You Are
Attitude Dance
Funk The Dumb Stuff

The entire 'Souled Out' cd!

You asked! Simply, all they do is FUNK! I'm sure cats will point out other tunes but that's a starting point!

[Vorago]

Ok, gotcha

[markjazzbassist]

verdine white bassist for earth wind and fire

jupiter
yearnin' learnin
sun goddess

alan gorrie from average white band

got the love
you got it
i'm the one

of course you need a bunch of james jamerson

[flatwoundfender]

Check out the James Brown album "In The Jungle Groove", lots of cool Bootys lines, especially "I Got to Move"

[ras1983]

check out parliament funkadelic, aka p-funk.

atomic dog, tear the roof off this sucker(or something like that), flashlight, bounce to this (possible a george clinton-only song).

also check out kool & the gang, kool bell plays some very funky grooves.

songs are:

celebrate, hollywood nights, get down on it.

Sly and the family stone/Graham central station.

a couple of songs are:

hair, dance to the music.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Originally Posted by DWBass

You Got To Funkifize
Down To The Nightclub
What Is Hip?
Soul Vaccination
Soul With A Capital 'S'
Souled Out
Diggin' On James Brown
You Strike My Main Nerve
So I Got To Groove
Give Me Your Love
Little Knowledge (Is A Dangerous Thing)
Who Do You Think You Are
Attitude Dance
Funk The Dumb Stuff

The entire 'Souled Out' cd!

You asked! Simply, all they do is FUNK! I'm sure cats will point out other tunes but that's a starting point!

Add "Knock Yourself Out", "Squib Cakes", "Oakland Stroke" and "Only So Much Oil On The Ground".

[middlebit]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Add "Knock Yourself Out", "Squib Cakes", "Oakland Stroke" and "Only So Much Oil On The Ground".

And add 'Just Enough and Too Much', 'Ebony Jam', 'Vuelo Por Noche' and 'Drop it In the Slot' to them too! Most of their albums from the 70's have very busy(some a tad too busy ) and funky basslines - even the ballads!

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Jaco has lots of funky stuff as well, but three examples come to my mind: "Come On, Come Over" from his debut solo album, "The Chicken" from "The Birthday Concert" (awesome album BTW) and the "Jam In E" from the "Modern Electric Bass" video.

[Vorago]

Maybe it's time to try Come on, come over on my fretless

Basslines with lots of 16ths and muted notes are welcome, too.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by markjazzbassist

alan gorrie from average white band

got the love
you got it
i'm the one

"Got The Love" is Gorrie...I'm pretty certain "You Got It" is Hamish & 100% positive that "I'm The One " is Hamish.
Fingerfunk from Gorrie would be "Work To Do", "Groovin' The Night Away", "Soul Searching", etc.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Jaco has lots of funky stuff as well, but three examples come to my mind: "Come On, Come Over" from his debut solo album, "The Chicken" from "The Birthday Concert" (awesome album BTW) and the "Jam In E" from the "Modern Electric Bass" video.

"Barbary Coast" is a big example of muted, staccato, 16th note fingerfunk.

[pauljacksonfan]

Don't forget mr Anthony Jackson. He's an unstoppable juggernaut on a bunch of Chaka Khan songs. My favorite remains "Move me no mountain" from the Naughty album.

But there's a whole lot more where thatv came from.

Also; ras1983 was way off when suggesting Hair as a fingerstyle song since the whole thing i slapped/popped. In fact, Larry Graham has never utilized conventional fingerstyle. When not slapping, he still always plays with his thumb.

Obviously you can't go wrong with Paul Jackson work with the Headhunters. Check out "Spank-a-lee", Actual proof, Hang up your hangups, Watermelon man, Spider, Canteloupe island, Spiralling prism and , if you dig the disco, Sunlight. Also remember to check out the Headhunters sans Hancock material like Straight from the gate and God make me funky.

[ras1983]

Originally Posted by pauljacksonfan

...
Also; ras1983 was way off when suggesting Hair as a fingerstyle song since the whole thing i slapped/popped. In fact, Larry Graham has never utilized conventional fingerstyle. When not slapping, he still always plays with his thumb.
...

you know what; you're right. even on the sly and the family stone stuff, he utilised a lot of thumbing techniques to ride single notes.

as far as paul jackson goes, i would also recommend chameleon by herbie hancock. its not an out and out funk song, but the bass line is a very solid funk inspired groove.

also check out some RHCP stuff. while not being classic funk, some of their recordings such as 'falling into grace' off the one hot minute album are very funk inspired.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by ras1983

also check out some RHCP stuff. while not being classic funk, some of their recordings such as 'falling into grace' off the one hot minute album are very funk inspired.

"Funky Monks", "Mellowship Slinky In B Minor", "Apache Rose Peacock"...all from BSSM.
"Walkabout" on OHM.

[Larry99]

anything by 'The Meters'

RUN! ...don't walk, and get the 2 CD anthology called "Funkify Your Life." It is a must own for any electric bassist.

[sargebaker]

Kid Chrlemagne ... maybe not really funk?
Palm Grease- Herbie Hancock