Funk Grooving

[Whassap]

Im trying to get that funk feel, but I continue to have lots of trouble making up funk jams on the spot. Im listening to more Funkadelic/Sly and the Family Stone, and I think its helping a bit. Does anyone know any other bands/songs that could help me expand me funk knowledge? Or maybe some simple funk grooves/practises I can experiment with and learn from?

[LSDan]

it's too early in the morning to write lots here but here are a few quick tips; feel free to ignore or use any/all of them!

1) syncopation - don't just play straight crotchet (quarter) or quaver (8th) notes - throw in some semiquavers (16ths) and place accents not necessarily on the 1,2,3,4 (although one or two of these work)
2) listen to the other musicians - imo funk works best when everyone isn't treading on each others toes. let the guitarist have some notes of the groove to himself for example, and try to back up the kicks of the drummer with some lower notes to reinforce the groove
3) appreciate the space - don't feel you have to be playing the whole way through the bar/bars

lots more, but that's prob ok for now!

[tappingtrance]

create lines with syncopation on the 'e' and 'a' listen to the simplcity of Brickhouse yet it just dances.

[markjazzbassist]

great funk bands that you can play to are -


average white band
ohio players
the meters
earth wind and fire
jamiroquai


the best way to learn feel IMO is just to learn songs by playing along with them. the more jams you master with a funk feel, the more feel you yourself will gain as well. good luck, may the funk be with you.

[Whassap]

Thanks a lot guys, I'll definitely look into those bands.

I'll have to learn how to use the whole syncopation thing. I've played bass for around 9 months now, and there is one major problem I'm trying to eliminate from my playing. Whenever I'm just spontaneously making up a beat, no matter how hard I try, it doesn't sound good unless I make it one bar of 4/4. I try to extend a groove over two bars, and it just falls apart for me, my brain is so set on the simple 4/4. A song like RHCP - Aeroplane, the slapping part, where there is one groove spread out, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. Not just playing the same notes an octave higher or a string higher to change the beat. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense anymore, anyone understanding this?

[Yellow]

Once I heard Victor Wooten say that you just need to practice playing simple tunes even scales but try to make them groove best you can. If you are boping your head to it or if you see others do it then it is working. Then you just get more comfortable playing it faster and without thinking of what notes more like dancing on a fretboard.

[markjazzbassist]

Originally Posted by Yellow

Once I heard Victor Wooten say that you just need to practice playing simple tunes even scales but try to make them groove best you can. If you are boping your head to it or if you see others do it then it is working. Then you just get more comfortable playing it faster and without thinking of what notes more like dancing on a fretboard.

+1

another good thing to do is play along with rock albums and try and funk up the basslines. if you can mess with the beat a little and accent different beats, then you got funk.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by Yellow

just need to practice playing simple tunes even scales but try to make them groove best you can.

+1

Take a simple funk bassline and see if you can identify rhythmic patterns in it. The pattern could be 2,3,4 notes long, then using that pattern/beat, apply it to a couple of notes in the scale of your original bassline.

So one common theme of funk basslines is (often within the scale) to play a low end note, followed by a contrasting note at the high end of the scale. Then maybe something that "walks" back down the scale. If you can find a way for this last part to end up on the first note of the original pattern you can start to come up with some funk that is more than you just repeating the original pattern over an over again (BORING).

You might end up with something like this..

<original bassline><your 1st part><your second part><original bassline>

The scale keeps you picking notes that 'sound good together' and the rhythm of the original bassline keeps you picking a rhythm that fits with the original.

Last advice (and then i'm done): If you play it and think to yourself... "Hey, this sounds like porn." You're playing funk.

[markjazzbassist]

Originally Posted by Growler

If you play it and think to yourself... "Hey, this sounds like porn." You're playing funk.

haha

[kid_squanto]

Parliament

[Whassap]

Thanks for the tips peeps With the new knowledge I shall work on my funk grooving! May have to get some porn for some... *cough*... funk bass research

[ak50324]

Don't know if anyone mentioned it, but google "free drum machines" if you bored of playing with a metronome/song.

Also, you should check out(internet radio) some bebop for ideas for phrasing, which was always the hardest thing for me.

If you ever get bored, download "audacity" and use the included wha/phasers to record stuff and play around.

[fcleff]

Originally Posted by Whassap

Thanks a lot guys, I'll definitely look into those bands.

Listen to James Jamerson of the old Motown days:

Marvin Gaye
Jr. Walker & the All Stars
The Four Tops

These are just a few. He played on so many hits and was soooooo funky!

[Blunt]

land on the 1. Is is essence of funk. Do anyjting you want with the previous sixteen notes and you are there. Then with TOP you can even mix that up.

[Whassap]

Internet radio... I never thought about that, its a very good idea though!

I've been working a lot lately so I havent had a lot of time to get any music, but I borrowed an Earth Wind and Fire cd from my brothers friend. I think my next stop will be with James Jamerson.

I'll mess around with the landing on the 1's, see what it does for me

[junk_funky]

IMHO, the absolute best way to learn the syncopation styles of classic funky grooves is to learn James Brown songs. The bass lines are always simple in notes, yet complicated in rhythm, all the while leaving lots and lots of room.

If you can master some of the Bootsy-era J.B.s stuff, really tricky syncopations, you will be able to apply those concepts to all kinds of grooves.

But all of the J.B. stuff is perfect for simple bass studies.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by Blunt

land on the 1. Is is essence of funk. Do anyjting you want with the previous sixteen notes and you are there. Then with TOP you can even mix that up.

+1...

I often find you can get a bit more funky playing "just behind the beat"...

[thebassclef]

+1 on the sycopation
also, Ghost notes. touch the string in the same position you would to actualy fret the note, but don't push down. Gives a percusive feel to the bass line.

[bassybill]

Landing on the one - yeah, lots of the time. But there's some great funky lines where the accent's a 16th note before there (eg, In the Stone by EWF, Do I Do by Stevie Wonder).

Ghost notes - yeah, vital for that funky feel.

Band suggestion - Chic. Bernard Edwards was one of the all time funkiest dudes, IMO.

[Whassap]

Chic basslines are very cool

Does anyone know of any good Funk bass books that focus on finger playing rather than slap?

Throwing in ghost notes is something I'm really gonna have to work on, I have learn to feel when they should be thrown into the groove.