Funky feel?

d8g3jdh · #1 01-30-2006, 11:22 AM

I'm looking for some tips on getting more of a funk sound/feel to my playing. ive got the rock down enough, but im looking for a more zender/trujilo (infectious grooves, not ST) type of playing. anyone got any tips?

ii7-V7 · #2 01-30-2006, 12:17 PM

Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but....

It seems to me that most rock players have trouble playing funky lines because they simply try to hard to fill every space with loud notes.

I would try playing as few notes as you need to get the music moving. And concentrate on learning syncopated rhythms, and muting techniques.

Of course, nothing beats the all time classic line of advice....transcribe songs in the style that you want to play.

Chad

stedtale · #3 01-30-2006, 12:27 PM

IMHO: Listen to the music you want to play, transcribe the bass lines and also listen to the drummer. Listen to how the drummer and bass player work together to set-up the groove - put in some TOP, G-luv, James Brown, KC and the Sunshine band, whatever you want the style of and listen. Then play along, and find a groovin' drummer to hang with. Rocco from TOP used to set his bass on the drummer's bass drum while they practiced, so they would be together and pulsing the same groove. I do a simmilar thing, but I may put my foot near the bass drum when I'm playing with a new drummer so I can feel the drummer's bass rhythm.

I've always beleived too that music happens in the space between notes.

Lewi_wilko · #4 01-30-2006, 12:37 PM

You should just use lots of rests and off-beat notes, try listening to some of the red hot chili peppers songs where flea is using his fingers, this should give you a feel of funk.

Lewi_wilko · #5 01-30-2006, 12:41 PM

[quote=stedtale]IMHO: also listen to the drummer. Listen to how the drummer and bass player work together to set-up the groove QUOTE]

This video should help you with that, they talk about the bass locking with drums near the end of the video

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...5657627&q=flea

ii7-V7 · #6 01-30-2006, 01:23 PM

I can't beleive I overlooked the drummer. I haven't played with a drummer I liked in so long that I forgot how important that relationship is. Bad Chad!

You definetly need to get together with a funky drummer. Because it doesn't matter what you do, if the drummer is straight up driving then you're probably not going to be able to play what you want.

I remember a time when the piano player and I decided that we would change the feel of a tune once. We decided that we would play it Reggae style and we had it all down. Too bad we didn't tell the drummer. So naive!

Chad