Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
What Do I Want to Learn to Get Funky?
- Thread starter Bassic Playing
- Start date
A lot of what they put out is, if you want to get technical, rock rather than funk, but if you're looking for the bridge between hard rock and funk check out some Funkadelic.
The line between Rock and Funk was never more blurred than here:
also from Funkadelic check out the albums "Standing on the Verge of Getting it On" and "Hardcore Jollies." for some of the harder funk rock in their repertoire.
Funkadelic is defined by crazy guitars whereas Parliament is more straightforward dance music with horns. The first few funkadelic albums don't fit into the classic definition of 'funk,' and sound more like Hendrix meets the MC5 but sillier.
Still, if you want to know what Funk is you should listen to everything Funkadelic and Parliament put out in the 70s.
Funkadelic is defined by crazy guitars whereas Parliament is more straightforward dance music with horns. The first few funkadelic albums don't fit into the classic definition of 'funk,' and sound more like Hendrix meets the MC5 but sillier.
Still, if you want to know what Funk is you should listen to everything Funkadelic and Parliament put out in the 70s.
Nothing beats a live drummer but you can find backing tracks on youtube and the like and play along.
They even have a drum break version of James Brown Funky Drummer.
You like metal so consider John Paul Jones... He got the Motown/ Jamerson/ Babbitt thing but played some heavy music with Led Zeppelin.
On a different note, no ones mentioned Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock's Headhunters), one of the deepest funk bassist ever to strap on a bass.
On a different note, no ones mentioned Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock's Headhunters), one of the deepest funk bassist ever to strap on a bass.
I love the band intro songs where the music builds as each new player is introduced. Gives one a classroom on how to build the music. For me one of my early influences was King Curtis live at the Fillmore "Memphis Soul Stew" Or Donny Hathaway live where he intros the band including " the baddest bass player in the country". There is a reason folks that every live performance that Tower of Power does includes Mimi Castillo saying "'I'm still diggin on James Brown" Marvin Gaye said in an interview that James was the master of rhythm. As a young hobbyist bass player in the 60's and 70's I had the opportunity of being able to go to the Fillmore, Winterland the Berkeley clubs and got my schooling from Jack Casady and Tim Bogert and great blues guys opening for Cream and Jimi . But one of the salient moments in my "better get a real job" experience was watching Rocco and Dave Garibaldi a few times. If you are a funk bass player you are a note player no doubt, but you are rhythm first and foremost. I like music with a little more space aka blues or Memphis, New Orleans but my hat is off to Rocco and Garibaldi .
There are lines dripping with groove that are simple. And because they've got few notes, they're the right ones in the right spots... they lay the foundation a lot of other complex lines are based on.:
It took all the way to 93 to get to Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters. Wow. Rather than a list of licks to cop or songs to learn, what will further your education on funk is what it is. What it is What it is. 
Sorry, ahem, listen carefully to the song Chameleon from the 1973 lp Herbie Hancock Headhunters. Tap out a basic 4/4 rhythm in time and notice when the instruments play in relation to that straight 4/4. Harvey Mason does a brilliant job of being funky without playing loudly. Power and volume are two different things. (TOP's David Garibaldi is also phenomenal at this.) The syncopation where the notes logically should be played and where they actually occur is what defines funky. Understanding what generates the funky feeling is key to being able to create it. Hope this helps. What it is What it is What it is. Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady.
Sorry, ahem, listen carefully to the song Chameleon from the 1973 lp Herbie Hancock Headhunters. Tap out a basic 4/4 rhythm in time and notice when the instruments play in relation to that straight 4/4. Harvey Mason does a brilliant job of being funky without playing loudly. Power and volume are two different things. (TOP's David Garibaldi is also phenomenal at this.) The syncopation where the notes logically should be played and where they actually occur is what defines funky. Understanding what generates the funky feeling is key to being able to create it. Hope this helps. What it is What it is What it is. Aretha Franklin's Rock Steady.
