I don't like funk.

[Burns-bass]

16 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said:

How are you defining a song or solo as emotion? Is it that it provokes emotion in you? That doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t written or played without emotion. Theory (intellect) is just a tool to help you get to ideas quicker or understand the ideas of others (including their emotion at point of writing/ playing).

Im talking about music that grabs you emotionally and viscerally, not that which you need a text book to intuit.

 

It was directly in response to your point that suggested that the reason the person didn’t like funk or jazz was because they couldn’t understand it.

 

While I’m sure it wasn’t meant this way, it smacks of intellectual superiority which is (for me) the antithesis of what the arts should be about.

[Reggaebass]

56 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

I don't like slap either. I don't mind it as an accent tone (Billy Gould style) but constant slap just sounds awful to me

16 years zombie 🧟 thread 😁, I agree with you there Steve, I like some slap, I think forget me nots by Freddie Washington is a masterpiece but the crazy frantic slapping sounds terrible 

[OliverBlackman]

45 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Im talking about music that grabs you emotionally and viscerally, not that which you need a text book to intuit.

 

It was directly in response to your point that suggested that the reason the person didn’t like funk or jazz was because they couldn’t understand it.

 

While I’m sure it wasn’t meant this way, it smacks of intellectual superiority which is (for me) the antithesis of what the arts should be about.

But to be moved by music, you need to connect with it whether through lyrics, arrangement or culturally. If you don’t have any understanding you’re less likely to connect with it. That’s the same for all art or language not just music.

 

I’m not at all more or less intellectual than anyone else on here, but I like funk and some jazz because I’ve learnt elements and I can connect with it. As above your connection could be different.

[Doctor J]

I think slap bass and funk are two very different things. Slap can be a feature of funk but, to me, funk is about punctuating space, the interaction between multiple instruments and silence, combining to create a very rhythmic whole. 
 

Someone is slapping a bass does not make it funk, frequently it's the very opposite.

[chris_b]

Funk isn't a technique.

 

It's about the groove and about syncopation.

 

In all styles of music there are good and bad examples, but start by getting your definitions right.

[diskwave]

I kinda agree with the Op and Ive played just about every kind of 'funk' there is over the years. Trouble is in its purest form its all about the ...'One' and that in itself can get pretty boring after a while. Also a lot of funk tunes dont really go anywhere... in short for me anyway they're kinda boring to play. But yeah if its in th set then you just have to play it.

[Al Krow]

13 hours ago, SteveXFR said:

Most funk I could take or leave but I can't stand Vulfpeck and the other bands of that style. It's music for musicians.

I don't like slap either. I don't mind it as an accent tone (Billy Gould style) but constant slap just sounds awful to me. YouTube slap is the absolute worst, a million notes a minute resulting in something sounding like a filing cabinet falling down a staircase.

 

Not a fan of Flea?

[Al Krow]

13 hours ago, OliverBlackman said:

How are you defining a song or solo as emotion? Is it that it provokes emotion in you? That doesn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t written or played without emotion. Theory (intellect) is just a tool to help you get to ideas quicker or understand the ideas of others (including their emotion at point of writing/ playing).

 

Well said. You could equally say that Bach was formulaic. As well as creating some of the finest music ever written.

[SteveXFR]

26 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Not a fan of Flea?

 

Not a fan of RHCP at all. Too much slap and too many songs about California. I don't like slap or lyrics chosen purely for the number of syllables they have.

[mike f]

Avoid the bearded smug-funk for it is not so. Get P-Funk in your earhole.

 

“Those who know, know. And those who don’t, get funked up” - Bootsy Collins.

[AlexDelores]

🙂

Edited 7 hours ago by AlexDelores

[Frank Blank]

 

[dmccombe7]

i quite enjoy a bit of funk and i'm more a Rock/ Prog fan but that's what makes playing bass so interesting.

There are several different styles to pick and choose from. You don't need to like everything. I personally find that if you can incorporate a little bit of everything in your repertoire it can only make you a better overall player, and possibly put you in more demand as a bassist. 

Not being judgemental in any way here, i'm just really curious.

Do you incorporate any part of your funk experience / knowledge when you play live or even at home. ?

Do you think learning funk in the past has helped you at all. ?

 

Dave

[Terry M.]

On 09/01/2025 at 20:44, Deep Mind said:

Funk is like Jazz in the sense that the tip of the iceberg is glorified by the rest of music culture, but the rest of it is a sea of boringness. Jazz and Funk both have this aesthetic of seeming more sophisticated and intellectual than genres like Rock and Blues - with the compliment of "That's funky, dude!" meaning that the groove or melody is especially creative and/or has a lot of character. In reality, if you dive into Funk itself (just look up funk playlists on YouTube or Spotify), a lot of it is simplistic and sounds the same, with the same cliche riffs played to a peppy rhythm. The melodies don't move much, the chord structures are often generic, and the whole playlist sounds like homogeneous elevator music over time. That's why I'm really not passionate about Funk the genre, per se, but I'm passionate about the element of funkiness embellishing my tracks. Same goes for Jazz.

Your definition of funk might explain why it's so appealing to dancers. Take it to the dance floor and it might make a bit more sense. The Northern Soul movement(as another example)relies on a very specific sound for the dancers. Repetition and a solid reliable rhythmic pulse seems to be the bedrock and anything else might work against the individuals' dance moves and physical expression. Country dancing music generally all sounds the same,I was forced to do it in primary school. It's music for a specific scene. Not into that particular scene? Fair enough. There's a genre for everybody. 

[Chezz55]

Funk + Bass Guitar = Bernard Edwards.

[Terry M.]

38 minutes ago, Chezz55 said:

Funk + Bass Guitar = Bernard Edwards.

Let's not leave out Nathaniel Phillips from the band Pleasure. He's criminally overlooked historically. There are many...

[bubinga5]

Funk is a feel it's not necessarily just a genre of music. I hear funk in lots of styles of music from soul disco rock etc. also I hear lots of jazz in soul music like Anita Baker for example. I hear lots of Funk in Rage Against the Machine, etc etc, Reggae in the Police.  the lines of genres of music have been blurred for many many years imo. Straight up Funk is JB, Pleasure, Maceo Parker Ohio Players etc. lots of space, listen to Maceo Parkers Cross the Tracks. You couldn't possibly get a more funky track. This is how I feel about funk and it's only my opinion. 

Edited Wednesday at 12:12 by bubinga5

[Terry M.]

13 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

Funk is a feel it's not necessarily just a genre of music. I hear funk in lots of styles of music from soul disco rock etc. also I hear lots of jazz in soul music like Anita Baker for example. I hear lots of Funk in Rage Against the Machine, etc etc, Reggae in the Police.  the lines of genres of music have been blurred for many many years imo. Straight up Funk is JB, Pleasure, Maceo Parker Ohio Players etc. lots of space, on the one.. 

I agree with this. I used the word genre as it relates to the marketing of the product. And the marketing team very often aren't actual musicians. 

[diskwave]

Goodness me TF are flippin good. No backing tapes or synchin, straight up live playing with super arrangements.

[Terry M.]

2 hours ago, bubinga5 said:

Funk is a feel it's not necessarily just a genre of music. I hear funk in lots of styles of music from soul disco rock etc. also I hear lots of jazz in soul music like Anita Baker for example. I hear lots of Funk in Rage Against the Machine, etc etc, Reggae in the Police.  the lines of genres of music have been blurred for many many years imo. Straight up Funk is JB, Pleasure, Maceo Parker Ohio Players etc. lots of space, listen to Maceo Parkers Cross the Tracks. You couldn't possibly get a more funky track. This is how I feel about funk and it's only my opinion. 

Love Cross the Tracks. Are you familiar with Just Kissed My Baby by The Meters? What about Roy Ayers' Life is Just a Moment Pt2? Oh the list is endless.

[Terry M.]

1 minute ago, Terry M. said:

Love Cross the Tracks. Are you familiar with Just Kissed My Baby by The Meters? What about Roy Ayers' Life is Just a Moment Pt2? Oh the list is endless. Funk can even be defined as the notes that aren't played.

 

[diskwave]

Good example of the... "One".

 

[Terry M.]

Yes these Scottish funksters learnt well from the Godfather. Good tune.

[prowla]

 

 

[OliverBlackman]

3 hours ago, Terry M. said:

Love Cross the Tracks. Are you familiar with Just Kissed My Baby by The Meters? What about Roy Ayers' Life is Just a Moment Pt2? Oh the list is endless.

There was a list of funk tracks created by a former BC member. Worth searching for as it is a very long list!