Fingerstyle Funk

[liquid-dream-ex]

Hello!

I love the way Rocco PRestia plays his lines, and i read his style is called Fingerfunk.

Anyway, do you have hints for me, how to get that style and make it part of my playing.

I'm looking for workshops, suggestions, lines, song-sheets everything that could help me with that.

Are there any Alternative-rock bands with a bassist that plays Fingerstyle funk-lines? Because i'm in a band like that and i want to make it a trademark of mine.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by liquid-dream-ex

Hello!Are there any Alternative-rock bands with a bassist that plays Fingerstyle funk-lines? Because i'm in a band like that and i want to make it a trademark of mine.

Lessard with DMB...
(Example: "What Would You Say").

[JimK]

Originally Posted by liquid-dream-ex

I love the way Rocco Prestia plays his lines, and i read his style is called Fingerfunk.
Anyway, do you have hints for me, how to get that style and make it part of my playing.

Break it down into 1/16th notes...for now, keep your plucking fingers moving 'constantly' to this rhythm while MUTING the strings with your fretting hand-
l1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al etc

Now what to do-
Pick/select certain notes/beats to 'sound' while the others are muted...this takes a certain level of coordination since your plucking hand needs to keep the 1/16th note feel happenin' while the fretting hand acts as both mute & when to actually sound a note. Make sense?

So, for starters, play only the downbeats(you pick whatever notes you hear)-
1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al
Remember...you are muting everything else( the "e&a"s)

Maybe add the upbeats-
l1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al

Eventually-
l1e&a2e&a3e&a4e&al

[tim99]

Are you aware that there is an instructional video called "Fingerstyle Funk", and a new book out called "Sittin' In with Rocco Prestia"?

Search amazon.com for "Rocco Prestia". Yeah. Get your credit card out. You are gonna like the results of that search...

"Because...I want to make it a trademark of mine"

Some would be concerned at your saying this. They would tell you to "find your own style and voice". I say, go for it. Buy or borrow the video by Flea, and find the part where he talks about how he got to the style he plays. How he brought different influences together to have his sound, in a totally different style of music than the styles he draws from.

Some would warn you beforehand not to "copy" one artist or another, but I would tell you that you can not copy them. You may try. But the end result is that you will sound like yourself. Eric Clapton started out wanting to sound just like Muddy Waters. Look what happened. If you continue to sound like one person, you have not spent enough time. You gots to go through the tunnel to the other side. Time it takes.

Tim99.

[supermonkey]

Jaco was also known for his tight 16th note lines w/ funky the dead notes. His first solo record has several nice bits like that.
Bootsy wasn't all slap, either. Under that MuTron is some wicked fingerstyle.
And I echo the Flea rec, too. BSSM is loaded w/ great examples.

[Jacob Bartfield]

Once you can play a steady stream of 16th notes on one string, leaping across strings is a good thing to practice.

The muting thing is very interesting. As he says in his instructional video, he Rocco almost always frets with his first and second fingers, leaving his third and fourth fingers to do the muting. It involves a lot of jumping around with your left hand, but the sound that's achieved makes it worth it.

[liquid-dream-ex]

Thanks for your answers. It's really beeing helpful.

Thanks @ JimK. That's really cool, i'D never have done it that way myself, but i goes that's how to go with it!

Timm99 ... i do own the Flea-DVD already, i'm already a huge Flea Fan and draw some inspiration of him.
I don't really like books and Videos. I got some really good books at home about various topics, but i never really use them "properly".

I don't want to copy Rocco, or anyone else. I just want to draw inspiration from his way of playing and "emulate" (that's the word Flea uses) it to my style.
On the way to get my sound i've done it like that. I tried to copy the sound of Flea, but put it in another direction.

I'll be sure to check out more of Jacco's Stuff.