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The Beginning of Funk


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+1 - I find the best bet is to keep it straightforward to start with and dont get too busy with the notes you are playing - concentrate more on hitting that note bang on time and focus on the length of your notes, listening carefully to the hihats and bassdrum/snare so you can lock into what your drummer is playing.

Some great funk tracks that Inspired me:

Prince - Get on the Boat/Jam of the year
Larry Graham - POW/Hair
Jamiroquai - Whatever it is (I just cant stop)/Little L/Cosmic Girl/Too Young to Die
Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground/Superstitious/Master Blaster
The Commodores - Brick House
Chic - Good Times/Le Freak/Everybody Dance

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Funk is all about grooves and accents.

As the others have said above, you and the drummer must be totally locked in with each other.

And, again, as the others said above, the 1 is a very important accent in funk. I'd explain it like this: a big accent on the 1 and a slightly smaller accent on the 2 and 4. Most of the time people will expect to hear your drummer playing a big kick drum on the 1 and a snappy snare drum on the 2 and 4.

The fun thing about funk is that you, as a bass player, can throw in accents in places other than the 1, 2 and 4 to add some spice to the basic groove. This is why players like Bernard Edwards used a lot of 8th note syncopation (ie. playing the off-beats in 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and) and players like Louis Johnson used a lot of 16th note syncopation (ie. playing the off-beats in 1 a and a 2 a and a 3 a and a 4 a and a). Don't worry about that for now.

To start off with, play the root note on the 1 and then pick your spot somewhere else for a few other notes. But as everyone has said, keep it simple. If it's cluttered, it won't groove.

As for who to listen to, there are basically two schools of funk: James Brown's school (which was in your face and all about the 1) and Sly Stone's school (which was more laid-back, making you clap on 2 and 4). As well as those two, listen to Parliament-Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, Stevie Wonder and Headhunters for a solid introduction to funk. You should check out 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th generation funk after you've checked out these guys.

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Check out guys who never made it as big as the people listed above. These acts were very hit and miss but, in my opinion, their best records blow the socks off the main acts.... Betty Wright (Clean Up Woman), Bobby Patterson (My Thing is Your Thing), Margie Joseph (How Do You Spell Love), and for the best rhythm section on record listen, if you can find it, to Pigmeat Markham, Here Come The Judge. Ignore Pigmeat and just love that Bassist and Drummer.

Then get yourself into New Orleans funk.

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I was going to say "stay away from New Orleans funk". It is a whole different thing that requires a completely different approach - I haven't heard anyone who wasn't from New Orleans play it well or even ok. If you're going to do it, you'll have to appreciate that it's not something you can just dabble in. You'd have to completely immerse yourself in it.

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people to check out :
James Jamerson (motown bassplayer, some jackson 5 stuff, marvin gaye aswell)
Larry Graham (Graham Central Station, solo stuff...)
Parilament/Bootsy Collins (so cool!)

there's loads to list although these are just my favourites and the main people i've studied funk-wise.

Snatch that groove and enjoy!!

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[quote name='The Funk' post='71043' date='Oct 8 2007, 01:44 PM']I was going to say "stay away from New Orleans funk". It is a whole different thing that requires a completely different approach - I haven't heard anyone who wasn't from New Orleans play it well or even ok.[/quote]
Yep. Don't try to play it.... you'll sound terrible!
Just listen.... to, Dumpstaphunk, Jon Cleary, John Mooney, Galactic, Papa Grows Funk, The Meters, The Funky Meters, the Neville Brothers and the rest. But check out www.dumpstaphunk.com if you want to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!!!!

Edited by chris_b
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[quote name='chris_b' post='71064' date='Oct 8 2007, 02:26 PM']Yep. Don't try to play it.... you'll sound terrible!
Just listen.... to, Dumpstaphunk, Jon Cleary, John Mooney, Galactic, Papa Grows Funk, The Meters, The Funky Meters, the Neville Brothers and the rest. But check out www.dumpstaphunk.com if you want to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck!!!![/quote]

I've seen Tony Hall from Dumpstaphunk play live twice with Emmylou Harris (she was mind blowing) - & he was so brilliant it was terrifiying. On one number he was playing a beautiful & complex bass part, whilst singing perfect harmonies, & playing bass pedals on the floor at the same time with his feet.
F*** me!
:)

Edited by 99ster
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As has already been stated, funk is about the one. Funk is about the aftermath of nasty, deep and exhaustive sex so visualise the sleaziest, most excessive night of shagging you've ever enjoyed and inject a bit of The Morning After into your playing! :)

Bootsy had it down perfectly and Bernard Edwards is one of my favourite players. Larry Graham is seriously underrated as a player (even though everyone has heard of him, his feel is phenomenal) and Robbie Shakespeare is worth checking out.

However Jamerson is the first and is still the last word in feel. He was where it all started. I like his playing for
1) Playing as few notes as possible and letting his music theory do the work for him (esp. hand positions).
2) Not always playing on the beat.

His jumping to odd chordal notes at key chords in a sequence is part of what defines his style along with his feel. Just listen to Reflections by Diana Ross and the Supremes. He sometimes pulls back the timing of particular notes and instead of slowing the song down, its like plucking a rubber band. The energy gets released and it drives the song along. Utterly remarkable. The more I listen to him the more he really does my head in. No wonder everyone raves about him.

George Porter from The Meters is also good for fat funky and simple grooves.

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