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Funk keys tutorial videos-Matt Johnson (Jamiroquai)


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Matt Johnson of Jamiroquai has recently posted a few funk keys tutorial videos on YouTube, with perhaps more on the way. I'd classify them as for the intermediate level player, so perhaps not valuable for the more accomplished members of the forum, but so much on YT is for beginners, that these seemed worth pointing out for those in search of a few more items in their bag of tricks for funk gigs.

 

 

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

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I love that one of the well known keyboardists is sharing their perspective on YouTube. He also did a lot of gear videos.

Life is subtractive.
Genres: Jazz, funk, pop, Christian worship, BebHop
Wishlist: 80s-ish (synth)pop, symph pop, prog rock, fusion, musical theatre
Gear: NS2 + JUNO-G. KingKORG. SP6 at church.

 

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I think the first vid should be called how to play funk keyboards by your self. Most of what makes it funky are the bass lines he's playing which he wouldn't be doing in a band setting unless he wanted the bass player up in his face.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

-Mark Twain

 

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I think he"s just representing the bass line with his left hand, rather than suggesting that is what a keyboard player should be doing. A credit to his immense musicianship that he"s able to just play it rather than sequence it. But to your point, had he sequenced it, his overall message might have been clearer.

 

That said these are great videos and very informative.

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  • 2 months later...

Thanks for that.

 

I think the first vid should be called how to play funk keyboards by your self yourself. Most of what makes it funky are the bass lines he's playing which he wouldn't be doing in a band setting unless he wanted the bass player up in his face.

 

Strange, I could have sworn he actually was by himself in that first video.................. :idk:

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That was cool, thanks for sharing. I love that pattern over C he does at the end of the first one. He deconstructs it a bit more at the end of the third.

I like that one too, thanks to the OP for sharing. :2thu:

 

Playing funky does not come natural to me, but that pattern seems like a good place to jump on board.

 

Damn, I planned on not doing anything today. :laugh:

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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These are indeed very fine videos!

Connected with this, can anyone recommend a good book to help with developing this kind of independent hand playing? I am terrible at it and would like to improve, one route would be of course to check out videos etc, but a tutor book would also be helpful (I read music, so no problems there). Anyone got any suggestions?

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These are indeed very fine videos!

Connected with this, can anyone recommend a good book to help with developing this kind of independent hand playing? I am terrible at it and would like to improve, one route would be of course to check out videos etc, but a tutor book would also be helpful (I read music, so no problems there). Anyone got any suggestions?

 

I have transcribed the Funk Clav video - PM me if you want a copy.

www.dazzjazz.com

PhD in Jazz Organ Improvisation.

BMus (Hons) Jazz Piano.

my YouTube is Jazz Organ Bites

1961 A100.Leslie 45 & 122. MAG P-2 Organ. Kawai K300J. Yamaha CP4. Moog Matriarch. KIWI-8P.

 

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These are indeed very fine videos!

Connected with this, can anyone recommend a good book to help with developing this kind of independent hand playing? I am terrible at it and would like to improve, one route would be of course to check out videos etc, but a tutor book would also be helpful (I read music, so no problems there). Anyone got any suggestions?

 

Mark Harrison wrote a series of books, his Pop Piano book has a nice section on clav playing. I knew about it because it was the basis for a Jan '99 Keyboard mag Master Class called "2- Fisted Fonk". Fun and a great introduction.

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I knew about it because it was the basis for a Jan '99 Keyboard mag Master Class called "2- Fisted Fonk". Fun and a great introduction.

 

That exact article in that issue was, no exaggeration, a life changer for me. I was in high school at the time and didn't know what a clav even WAS. I read through each example - as excruciating as it was reading at the time - and those patterns are still ingrained in my hands.

Kawai C-60 Grand Piano : Hammond A-100 : Hammond SK2 : Yamaha CP4 : Yamaha Montage 7 : Moog Sub 37

 

My latest album: Funky organ, huge horn section

https://bobbycressey.bandcamp.com/album/cali-native

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I've held onto my hard copy of that "Two-Phisted Phonk" article--it's a great one.

 

On a related note, a few nights ago I worked out the groovy 12-bar keyboard break in Louis Cole's "Live 2019" video starting at 16:12. He often uses that glitchy lo-fi synth clav-ish sound, which I think pairs well with his technique--the most staccato right-hand hits end up almost atonal and work like ghost notes . I don't have it transcribed in staff notation, but I created a Midi file if anyone wants to PM me.

 

B/Midiboard/VirusKC/Matrix12/EX5/Maschine
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Those Ivan Neville and "2-Fisted Phonk" articles basically taught me how to play funk keyboards, long before I ever got my hands on real electromechanical keyboards.

 

I've gotten a lot out of applying drum rudiments to keyboards â applying Stanton Moore's Taking It to the Streets and Groove Alchemy books to keyboards opened up a whole different world of time feel and funkiness in my playing.

My Site

Nord Electro 5D, Novation Launchkey 61, Logic Pro X, Mainstage 3, lots of plugins, fingers, pencil, paper.

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