And then there was FUNK

[bleeding]

OK

I often get on youtube and find videos of different technique or whatever to help me practice new stuff. I used to play in an alternative rock band (pretty easy bass lines) - and at a church (where everything is already written). When I get to "improvise" or throw my own stuff into the music - I find that I have one tool - meaning all my stuff sounds the same, all my little riffs or whatever are all alike.

So Im going thru some stuff - and ran across THE METERS. So obvioulsy my musical tastes have not expanded past rock music because I have never heard any of this stuff. After 20 seconds of "Cissy Strut" - I was addicted and played thier stuff for another 5 hours.

I LOVE THIS. After learning a bunch of thier bass riffs, I found that when Im making up a bass line, his were about as complicated as mine, just built much better - and it started to make sense.

So I found more and more funk music that I cant turn away from - its like a train wreck for me - Ive got CDs in my car now, mp3s at work ---

I think moving into learning the genre will really help and grow my playing ability.....whats the best way to approach this??? I see guys with videos online that can just rip off some funk lick - and I really want to get to that point.

[mothmonsterman]

Look into getting the Book "Slap It".
www.slapit.com
I got better at playing funk after the first few exercises.
really good book.

Really all the other books on funk/slap that i've had just really don't have the same feel to the exercises. They teach you technique, but slap it teaches you the feel of it.

[WhiteKnuckles]

I've had my instructors copy of 'Slap It' in my bag for about 6 months now but haven't had a chance to really delve into it, due to my instructor pushing me on my theory....which I really needed, it was weak.

I just haven't had the time to try and expand my technique while still keeping up with my weeks studies.

That said, I have popped in the CD and read along with a few of the excercises, and there are some great grooves in there that would be fantasic additions to my bag 'o' tricks. I'm planning on starting to squeeze at least an hour a week in with 'Slap It' very soon. I'm dying to play Marcus Millers Run for Cover, but my right hand does not cooperate with my feeble attempts.

[mothmonsterman]

Originally Posted by WhiteKnuckles

I've had my instructors copy of 'Slap It' in my bag for about 6 months now but haven't had a chance to really delve into it, due to my instructor pushing me on my theory....which I really needed, it was weak.

I just haven't had the time to try and expand my technique while still keeping up with my weeks studies.

That said, I have popped in the CD and read along with a few of the excercises, and there are some great grooves in there that would be fantasic additions to my bag 'o' tricks. I'm planning on starting to squeeze at least an hour a week in with 'Slap It' very soon. I'm dying to play Marcus Millers Run for Cover, but my right hand does not cooperate with my feeble attempts.

heh, same.
You're just about where i'm at, so many things that you want to play but for some reason you just can't get the right groove going.
You go into a store see that one guy whos always in there funking it looking like it's extremely simple.
But i think the main thing is coordinating the mutes, left hand slaps, and percussive slaps on your right hand which is the most difficult part IMO.
There was another book i had a million years ago called

"percussive slap"

which also looked great but i lost it before i could get anywhere with it, or take anything other than playing other than covers seriously.


My theory is weak also,
But yes finding time with school, a full time career, a wife, a band, working out and independent studies of other interests is difficult. Took me 2 weeks before i had a chance to even plug my new multi effects pedal in. So when you have time.... what do you work on?

Concentrate on one thing, "master it" then move on? or spend a little bit of time on each thing?

THE LIST!
1.Theory
2.Rhythm
3. Slap
4. Harmonics
5.Tapping
6. Left hand fretting
7. improv
8. covers

I'm gonna quit my job, and move up into the mountains and live in a tool shed with my bass.

Kinda ran off on a rant there, sorry bout that.
Start from the very beginning of the book and skip nothing.

[Sahm]

Check out some the modern bands carrying on The Meters' tradition:

Galactic
Greyboy Allstars
Karl Denson's Tiny Universe (Karl's in Greyboy!)
Allgood Funk Allstars
Groove Collective
Liquid Soul
Medeski Martin and Wood (more jazz than funk, but a natural choice if you're getting into these kind of bands)

[kesslari]

Slap is cool. Slap is fun, and slap can be funky.
But Slap does not equal Funk.
There is a ton of fingerstyle funk - funk is much more about feel and syncopation (and relationship between drums, bass, and other instruments) than it is about a technique.

So by all means, work on slap.
But also expand your knowledge.
Feel the force of the funk, young padawan.

For exceptional non-slap funk, check out Tower of Power, and be prepared for some serious schooling. Go (run, do not walk) to your favorite download and get "What is Hip" and "Down to the Nightclub" for starters.

Also - the Meters evolved into the Neville Brothers, and you if you dig that style, you can get a lot more of it.

Groove on...

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by mothmonsterman

You go into a store see that one guy whos always in there funking it looking like it's extremely simple.
But i think the main thing is coordinating the mutes, left hand slaps, and percussive slaps on your right hand which is the most difficult part IMO.

The only "guy in a store" I ever saw who had monster funk happening was a kid I'd previously met at a few jam nights that were organised by members of my band. He said to me "Hey why don't you pick up a bass and teach me a few things?", quite sincerely too. There was nothing I had worth teaching him! I think he thought I was being all guarded about my super-chops or something pathetic like that but the fact was he had a way cool groove going already that I couldn't have copped if I'd tried.

He'd only been playing a year or so, technique was pretty rudimentary but he had such a natural feel for it. It's more about what you listen to and what moves you than it is about learning a few syncopated licks from a book.

[mutedeity]

Originally Posted by kesslari

Slap is cool. Slap is fun, and slap can be funky.
But Slap does not equal Funk.
There is a ton of fingerstyle funk - funk is much more about feel and syncopation (and relationship between drums, bass, and other instruments) than it is about a technique.

So by all means, work on slap.
But also expand your knowledge.
Feel the force of the funk, young padawan.

For exceptional non-slap funk, check out Tower of Power, and be prepared for some serious schooling. Go (run, do not walk) to your favorite download and get "What is Hip" and "Down to the Nightclub" for starters.

Also - the Meters evolved into the Neville Brothers, and you if you dig that style, you can get a lot more of it.

Groove on...

I agree 100%. Slap does not = Funk. It can be used in funk but just slap on its own is not the definition of funk and lots of funk has no slapping in it at all

The Meters is a great starting point for learning about funk. I also recomend you check out some Sly and the Family Stone too. Parliment and Larry Graham are some other examples that include slap bass too. If you want to hear some cool slapping, on the other hand check out "Bonin' in the Boneyard" by Fishbone

The main ingredient of funk as far as bass is concerned is syncopating. This is usually done by accenting the 1 and the "and" of the 2, 3 or 4 of the bar. Sometimes these syncopations could be played on divisions of 16ths too. The other important ingredient is having a heavy swing feel and knowing when to hold a note and when to play a note staccato.

[bleeding]

Thanks guys. There is some great info here.

I noticed a big reference to slap - I have a beginners bass book I got when I tried taking lessons a while back - popped it in last night and it was all about slapping....but as it was said, a lot of the good techincal funk i hear is not only slapping. I honestly have not mastered slap yet - or even beginnered slap yet...ha

I can slap, i just cant groove & slap at the same time. I really have no preference over the other either. In time i guess....

I think for the next few weeks im gonna ditch my other CDs and plunge into funk 100% for a bit. I worked on some of that syncopation last night - honestly my rythm is probably my weakest point. I can hold a rock groove, but when you have rests and ghost notes...im f*kd...again, in time i guess.

Thinking about taking my lady to a show tomorrow night - lots of venues here in kansas city that offer funk/blues/jazz type stuff every night. That should be fun.

[dinghy]

Originally Posted by bleeding

So Im going thru some stuff - and ran across THE METERS. So obvioulsy my musical tastes have not expanded past rock music because I have never heard any of this stuff. After 20 seconds of "Cissy Strut" - I was addicted and played thier stuff for another 5 hours.

+ 1

You don't know funk if you haven't heard them

[MarkTAW]

Get these discs:

James Brown - 20 all-time Greatest Hits
"The godfather of soul" and a few songs have a young, pre-pfunk Bootsy Collins.

Sly & The Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin On
Larry Graham invented slap bass, nuff said.

Bob Marley - Legend
Aston "family man" Barrett is a monster player.

Check out these movies:

The Blues Brothers
for the Stax view of things

Standing in the Shadows of Motown
'nuff said.

These are your roots. Learn them well.

[Adam Wright]

Check out Berklee professor Anthony Vitti http://www.anthonyvitti.com/home.html

His Finger Funk Workbook Vol.1 and Vol.2 are pure gold. Excellent sight reading(there is tab too), good for technique, and every groove is very musical. My only other advice would be to transcribe players you like.

[kevteop]

Originally Posted by bleeding

I think for the next few weeks im gonna ditch my other CDs and plunge into funk 100% for a bit. I worked on some of that syncopation last night - honestly my rythm is probably my weakest point. I can hold a rock groove, but when you have rests and ghost notes...im f*kd...again, in time i guess.

Some good practice material might be Average White Band. Gorrie's bass parts really lock in with the drummer and the grooves are strong and well-defined without being busy. It's also good music for getting the knickers off women.

[ras1983]

Also check out The Headhunters and The Brothers Johnson.

There are so many oldschool funk bands thats I find it almost impossible to know all of them and listen to their stuff.

I love these sorts of threads because I can draw from other peoples' knowledge of the genre and discover new bands.

[bleeding]

Thanks!