What Do I Want to Learn to Get Funky?

[Mushroo]

If you want to play the funk convincingly, you have to LOVE the funk until it oozes out your pores. What turns you on, baby? Pick 1 (or more) funk artist that you LOVE and learn some of their songs by ear.

Here's a song that's super-funky, but not that difficult to learn by ear. Can you feel the "one"?

 

[kiat]

The great thing about funk is that it can be played at vastly different speeds and feels, fast (Prestia @ ToP, RHCP, Chic, Brothers Johnson) to slow (Cameo, lots of chilled out 80s funk) there's really early stuff (James Brown, Jameson, the Meters, Jackson 5) and very modern (MonoNeon, neo-soul, other stuff I don't really know about yet ). Not many funk bands around where I live. Perhaps us funk-loving bassists need to create more funk bands!

 

[FunkHead]

One of the funkiest songs I have ever heard is this:


Yes Jeff beck is quite funky!!(When he wants to be)

 

[Bassic Playing]

Thanks all. The Black Sabbath and Chet Baker records are coming out, and the Larry Graham and James Brown are going in.

Also been working on Larry Oppenheimer's 'Slap It', which I originall learnt to slap with, though a lot of the rhythms are above my reading skills sadly.

 

[ahc]

Bernard Edwards:

 

[ahc]

Maceo... from the James Brown university of FUNK. Jerry Preston, a TB'er I believe, on very funky bass.

 

[ahc]

Fred Wesley. Also from the from the James Brown university of FUNK.

 

[bassliner50]

you've been playing metal? To find and feel the funk you'l have to leave some space, syncopate. ride the groove. Less is more. As others have pointed out, James Brown, Jamerson etc. You gotsta play like this:

 

[ahc]

Sly Stone...

 

[Mushroo]

Here's another funky bass line that is easy to learn by ear. The notes won't take you long to learn, but pay attention the phrasing; that's what makes it funk!

 

[ahc]

Sly and of course, Larry Graham

 

[Bassic Playing]

Man, I like this Sly stuff.

I can appreciate the Chic and Marvellete kind of stuff, but it's a all a little too soft for me. I need something that hits a little harder, or is a at least a little more up tempo.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Earth Wind and Fire are awesome too.

Saturday Night. This song is all about the ONE beat, with very tasteful bass fills.


September (excuse the costumes). The syncopation is everything in this song, simple bassline but challenging feel.

 

[pedroims]

James Brown will be a good start. Funk is more about silence notes than ringing notes.

 

[Bassic Playing]

I need to find a funky drummer to jam with. Jamming in my own sounds a little odd with all that open space.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Great old school funk bass playlist here...
Link Removed

 

[JMacBass65]

If you want to play the funk convincingly, you have to LOVE the funk until it oozes out your pores. What turns you on, baby? Pick 1 (or more) funk artist that you LOVE and learn some of their songs by ear.

Here's a song that's super-funky, but not that difficult to learn by ear. Can you feel the "one"?

YES!!!!!

 

[ahc]

Bobby Vega "Gosh" groove...

 

[ahc]

Tower of Power (Rocco Prestia)

 

[bdplaid]

James Brown will be a good start. Funk is more about silence notes than ringing notes.

That really kinda sucks.