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Who's got the Funk?


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when i funk out i keep the picking hand going and do alot of muting and accents, grab a podition and throw down some single notes and double stops. the pentatonic is a good scale for funkin. check some tabs out for the band Chic ( nile rodgers) and see what he does on certain chords to get familiar with possible options. alot of muting is cool .. chicka chicka.
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tower of power

james brown

the funky meters

the isley brothers

greyboy all stars

robert walters 20th congress

herbie hancocks headhunters

 

just listen. if you're thinking about rhythmic divisions you ain't funky :D

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Originally posted by FunkJazz:

just listen. if you're thinking about rhythmic divisions you ain't funky :D

YES! I don't think of funk as a style of music, it is an element of every music. Playing "chicka chicka" rhythms with a wah wah pedal and a big afro is a very superficial funk.

 

If I had to come up with a recipe for funk it would be rhythmic integrity and conviction.

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i agree, if youre using rules of rhytmic division blah blah youre not being funky

 

but if i had to tell you what playing funk was, id say:

 

its all about syncopation; a syncopated bass line, guitar 'stabs', and just straight rock drums (as just an example)... this will be funky because of

 

POLYRHYTHMS

 

the interaction between the different rhythms is what makes the groove (noun) groove (verb)

 

but really the only way to know if youre doing it right is if peeps are shakin they asses on the floor

 

peace

:thu:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

steppin in a rhythm to a kurtis blow/who needs a beat when your feet just go

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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In my own twisted perception, I don't think there's a combination of rhythmic or polyrhythmic parts which I would say is funky. Funkiness is what the player does to the parts which gives the greasiness to keep those parts moving. A funky player can play "simple" rhythmic patterns, it's the context of where they lay the notes and their style which sounds the funk alert in my mothership.
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Originally posted by FunkJazz:

tower of power

james brown

the funky meters

the isley brothers

greyboy all stars

robert walters 20th congress

herbie hancocks headhunters

 

just listen. if you're thinking about rhythmic divisions you ain't funky :D

One more Johnny Guitar Watson :wave:
The story of life is quicker then the blink of an eye, the story of love is hello, goodbye.
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just like to also express my admiration for mr hancocks 'headhunters', and,,,

 

and!!!

 

does anyone know if that is synth bass or a real bass playing the famous 'chameleon' lick? i mean, i dunno, i KNOW they had a bassist in that band, but it sounds so synthed out and cool and funky... :confused:

 

oh yea and the version of 'watermelon man' on that album is DOPE!

 

its all about when the beat drops...

.

.

.

.

.

drop the beat sucka!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

steppin in a rhythm to a kurtis blow/who needs a beat when your feet just go

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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Sly and the Family Stone are a great band! Cool rhythms, funky bass, tight harmonies and good guitar too.

 

Funkadelic are cool also, although a Greatest Hits compilation would probably be the easiest way into either band.

 

Mr. Browns appeal goes without saying. I absolutely love seeing him do that cape routine, where he gets led off the stage and then he throws off the cape and runs back to the mic to whip the band some more! :D

 

Tea.

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That CD I was practically spamming-off over here a while back, Whole Lotta Blues/Songs of Led Zeppelin/"This ain't no tribute!", has some very funky blues all over it; nearly every song has some degree of funk to it. Given your penchant for blues, that CD in particular, and funk-blues in general, might be a good inroad for you.

 

Yeah, trying to quantify and define funk with a recipe is like doing so with reggae, the way some folks just say to "play only the 'ands' and 'upbeats'" to sound like reggae; you wind up sounding like someone trying to sound like reggae/funk/add genre here.

 

The simplest way to look at it might be to emphasize the "one"/downbeat, and reference all of your other rhythmms around that. But you wouldn't want to get caught up too much in a formula, it's a "feel" thing; if you play what just strikes you immediately, it will sound like you mean it, and it'll sound and feel funky; remember, "you can't fake the funk"! :D

 

There are so many different sounding funk artists out there, not to mention those who specialize in other styles but occasionally do something funky; jazz, blues, rock, hard rock groups doing a funk thing now and then. (Led Zep, Aerosmith, Miles Davis, etc. etc...

 

Listen to some P-Funk, Fishbone, the Meters, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Red Hot Chile Peppers ... all are very different, but all are funk or do some funk or throw a funky feel into some of there songs.

 

If you worry too much about specifics of vocabulary, puncuation, speaking the language, you'll wind up with some people thinking you're pulling some kind of scam... ;)

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I find funky is all about the interplay . The drummer does this, the bass does that, I do the other, and if it all locks together - yer bringin' da funk.

 

Tuck Andress is a magician at making solo guitar speak to interplay by implying beats, notes and parts to make you feel a groove like that when he's just playing alone.

 

I know your in the Boston area, so check out WERS 88.9 fm from 2-5 pm weekdays. The world music show has lots of authentic African (from the continent, not rehash from Los Angeles) pop music that really gets the groove in.

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Originally posted by billster:

"I find funky is all about the interplay . The drummer does this, the bass does that, I do the other, and if it all locks together - yer bringin' da funk."

Bill, you nailed it there; the rest of us (for the most part, anyways) forgot to cover that aspect of live interaction.

 

Good call, not to mention your example of Tuck Andress and the relevance of implied beats, as well! Those "invisible" notes!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Two words: Parliamant Funkadelic.

There are lots of musical artists who can teach you to be funky but only the George Clinton mob can hip you to the music and the metaphysics!

 

One of the keys is hocketing musical phrases, that is, playing so that different instrument's parts interlock, rather than having everything be complete in itself. That's a msuiccal representation of how we all fit together & need one another to be complete.

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A sound that jumped into my head while reading through this was from an old LP of mine entitled Good Singin, Good Playin by Grand Funk. I have a few of their old LPs but never actually thought it fit the typical description of "Funk" as put down by Sly and the like but shit do these tracks make you move. Zappa produced and plays on it and it's a kind of jazz funk windout.(sorry but if you've heard it you'd see why I used that description)

 

Interesting to see Fishbone & Chilli Peppers who I saw together with STP in T.O. a few years ago. They joined up on stage and you could see the fun it was to play off of each others vibes.

 

Can you define this or are we simply using somebody's cultural or racial terminology and living with it?

I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder.

 

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Originally posted by Guitars are like shoes. But louder.:

"A sound that jumped into my head while reading through this was from an old LP of mine entitled Good Singin, Good Playin by Grand Funk. I have a few of their old LPs but never actually thought it fit the typical description of "Funk" as put down by Sly and the like but shit do these tracks make you move.

 

:cool: Zappa produced and plays on it :thu:

 

and it's a kind of jazz funk windout.(sorry but if you've heard it you'd see why I used that description)"

Wow, that one slipped by my radar all these years; that sounds interesting, I'll have to check that out sometime! Thanks, 'Shoes'!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I typed up a whole reply earlier and accidently deleted....

 

I'm just amazed at the talent on this site, the likes and dislikes....you guys are some funk lovin' brothers!

 

I picked up Sly and the Family Stone today, I know Miles Davis loved them...I have always been a big fan of the Chili Pepper's, Prince--Clinton. My real intor probably came via Hip Hop or Prince which ever came first...

 

 

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That CD I was practically spamming-off over here a while back, Whole Lotta Blues/Songs of Led Zeppelin/"This ain't no tribute!", has some very funky blues all over it; nearly every song has some degree of funk to it. Given your penchant for blues, that CD in particular, and funk-blues in general, might be a good inroad for you.

 

I did try to buy this but the store is out--a future bu. I actually had it in my hand before you talked about it here but put it down for something else!--

 

 

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Man, I actually had to put that CD away and tell myself to leave it alone for a while, I was staying up ALL night playing that and jamming along with it all through headphones; I listened to nothing but that for about a week!

 

I had bought it a couple of years ago, and though I liked it a lot, for some reason it just spontaneously clicked something in my brain all of a sudden and I couldn't get enough of it!

 

(Plus, I had loaned it out to three or four successive people who also couldn't get enough of it, and each of 'em held onto it for quite a while. There've been a number of CDR's burned and cassettes taped off of that CD of mine!)

 

When you do get it, please post your impressions on it, but give it just a little time to sink-in and grow on ya; that's when it suddenly springs it's charm on most folks! (It got great critical reviews in the press when it was first released, too.)

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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Originally posted by Michael Jackson's real nose:

BTW, that Zappa-produced Grand (not really Funky) Railroad LP was the one with their biggest hit: "We're An American Band"....or as some of used to put it, "We're An Amateur Band".

That was a Todd Rundgren production. He's credited as engineer too.

 

Anyway, my buddy Paul Jackson says that the bass riff on "Chameleon" is a MiniMoog and he played the high bass part.

 

I've played the song live with Paul and I usually play the Moog riff on guitar synth while he improvises the high part.

 

Wanna know who's got the Funk? Paul Jackson is THE man!

Mac Bowne

G-Clef Acoustics Ltd.

Osaka, Japan

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Let's not go around in circles on this:

grand funk railroad

 

in 1976 frank zappa recorded with grand funk railroad. he produced the album grand funk railroad: good singin, good playin' and he played guitar on it. several singles and compilation albums were extracted from this album.

* grand funk railroad: can you do it / 1976

(1976, 7", usa mca) produced by frank zappa

* grand funk railroad: just couldnt wait / out to get you (1976, 7", usa mca) produced by frank zappa; b-side features frank zappa on guitar

* grand funk railroad: pass it around "circula" / dont let em take your gun

(1977, 7", usa mca) produced by frank zappa

* grand funk railroad: good singin, good playin' (13)

(1976, lp, usa, mca) produced by frank zappa; feat. frank zappa on guitar

 

I guess I'd know it was a big hit if I followed radio play or award shows but I never have.

 

The music (from the amature band) was in my opinion some of their best. I have a few G.F.R. LPs and this is the only one I bother to transfer to CD, likely because the instrumental tracks rip it up pretty good. The stuff I typically find less attractive are those radio numbers.

 

Rundgren is one of my favorite musicians now that he's been mentioned. I've got from Nazz to No World Order where he kind of left me wondering. The live stuff from '74 Utopia & '75 Another Live have always been my favorites.

 

There's a funky riff in The Seven Rays at the pause before it all pulls together and slams back to earth.

He reminds me of an American David Bowie in some ways.

 

.. & yes Todd did work with G.F.R. and a number of other groups.

 

thanx

I still think guitars are like shoes, but louder.

 

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Go listen to something by Maceo Parker.

It's like they fired James Brown and just kept gigging. I like his version of the JB stuff better than the originals. Much more groove... at least the stuff I was hearing.

Hey you white boy there

Go play that funky music

"ok...what's it pay?"

 

first smoke, then silence

your very expensive rig

dies so gracefully

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Originally posted by Caevan O'Shite:

gtrmac- long time, no see!

Yeah, I lurk here once in a while but I've been hanging at www.diystompboxes.com lately. I've been learning about making DIY guitar FX. It's a lot of fun. Only problem is that I have more FX than I could ever need now! :D

 

This forum is great though since Myles is a tube amp guru.

Mac Bowne

G-Clef Acoustics Ltd.

Osaka, Japan

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I had no idea FZ was ever involved with GFR!

 

That's a surprise, and a cool one.

 

Funkier elements of jazz/rock/blues/fusion melded with doo-wop and modern/classical (like Varese) were a large part of the classic Zappa sound; he's arguably a good source of additional funkology.

 

I've been a longtime fan of FZ, and I was uncharacteristically saddened by his death (moreso than I am over most celeb'-obit's); it's great to find out something more about his career unexpectedly! Thanks again!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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